You are right, but the very need to do the hard work of informing yourself, to the point of becoming a semi expert in sofa construction and what to look for, re

You are right, but the very need to do the hard work of informing yourself, to the point of becoming a semi expert in sofa construction and what to look for, reduces the value of what the sofa-seller is offering. The point of an economy where everyone specialises on what they are good at, is that you the buyer don’t need to become an expert. Its part of the value addition. This value addition mechanism is failing in your argument [because I need to become a semi expert first, i.e. this isn’t part of what I am buying] The problem here is trust. The trust that the monetary amount I am paying is equivalent to the real value I am getting. And that our society accepts that it is a sound business model if this trust is broken.