they hold a resource (prestige) that they do nothing to improve, transform or grow That's absolutely untrue. A journals prestige is not a given. It has to be

they hold a resource (prestige) that they do nothing to improve, transform or grow That's absolutely untrue. A journals prestige is not a given. It has to be maintained and I know of at a couple journals that have fallen out of favor. The editorial board makes decisions on which papers to publish, and it's that track record that maintains the level of prestige. They also have to get peer reviewers (nobody will waste their time reviewing for a no-name journal) of a certain caliber to review. it better to think of the journals as more similar to a luxury good - the value is not in the work done or how much it costs, but the perceived value of other people. That has real value, and it's clearly apparent people are willing to pay for it.