[seibelj]

I mean why spend money on anything not directly related to food, shelter, and health? Why spend extra to have aesthetically pleasing shelter rather than concrete blocks?

People buy what they want to buy. You criticize this and I’ll criticize that.

[lmm]

Spending money on stuff that's valuable in itself is positive-sum. Spending money on stuff whose value is scarcity is zero-sum at best.

[comex]

And what of spending money on stuff just because you enjoy collecting? From my limited knowledge, it seems like most buyers are motivated by that to at least some extent.

[lmm]

If it's something you enjoy collecting on its merit, go ahead. If it's something you enjoy collecting because it's rare, that speaks to a subtly unhealthy motivation of wanting to have something that other people don't have. Put it this way: if other people doing well in your hobby makes you sad rather than happy, it's not a good hobby.

[TAForObvReasons]

The issue with trying to pump prices is that it creates a speculative market that drives most buyers out of the market. We see a similar situation in the PS5 space where demand still outstrips supply and scalpers are wildly profitable.