Quote Originally Posted by unknownk View Post
The second part is what I call value added, you basically put work and knowledge into what you were doing to make extra profit. Now if you are paying 50% of what everybody else locally is paying for lets say lumps of copper, then you are probably ripping people off (there is nothing to break down or sort for added value, you are just short changing people on a commodity).
No offense but this logic sounds kind of sappy to me.

Transactions free from force are, by definition, mutually beneficial. One party prefers the others items more than they prefer their own. Both parties prefer more to less and it's not our job to say who should have gotten more and who less, it is the job of the individuals engaging in the transaction. I pay more for lots of items for various reasons. I pay more for milk because I like the convenience of picking it up while at the gas station while I gas up and buy my Copenhagen. I pay more for my car repair because I trust the guys working on it. I may pay more for meals at a restaurant via tips if the waitress is cute and smiles at me. At no point am I being ripped off. Remember, time is money and it takes time to engage a market like metal recycling for best pricing. Some individuals are happier to take what they are offered first just like some individuals will call the first person in the yellow pages and accept the offer. Maybe they view the costs of “shopping around” to be greater than then added benefits of getting an extra 25% markup. Who knows? Who Cares?