1. Firstly they won't be sending it down a gravity well, unless of course there is need for it. And if they really do send it they will likely strictly control

1. Firstly they won't be sending it down a gravity well, unless of course there is need for it. And if they really do send it they will likely strictly control its supply. Economics today is quite well done. Even blood diamond miners restrict supply to ensure demands. 2. They will likely be using mined material from asteroids to build space stations and bases. 3. They will only mine as much as they need, given an how much of it is available. Its like expansion of human cities you extract/mine as much as you need and when you need it. Space economics is a crazy thing, once you start thinking about it. The first people to start building in space will ponder the vastness and almost a infinite space full of resources and real estate to occupy. Of course the concept of ownership will look ridiculous. This is at least until there is a rapidly growing and spreading population in space. Beyond that its really how quickly you can spread out. And the economics of that is not money. But trading energy for longevity. I can assure you we are a very long time away from spreading to the last inch of the universe.