This may have been true in the past, but the Tf2 hat model (dunno if tf2 was first to the cosmetic market, but it was my first memorable experience with it) pro

This may have been true in the past, but the Tf2 hat model (dunno if tf2 was first to the cosmetic market, but it was my first memorable experience with it) proves that you can continue to extract value from customers after initial purchase. How much does it cost to run a server compared to a $3.00 hat? (which if you're valve you develop a secondary market to trade those items and take a cut after creating demand by restricting the number of earbuds available).