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The phrase you're looking for is "market clearing price" or just "market price". Those are definitely not the phrases I'm looking for. They don't contain enoug

The phrase you're looking for is "market clearing price" or just "market price". Those are definitely not the phrases I'm looking for. They don't contain enough information. I hope I can unwrap this without being too confusing. First, you're preaching to the choir here. I'm pro-market-prices. I don't think there's anything unfair about the practice of price gouging. I support it 100%. The issue here is you, and the others, aren't playing Gordon Gekko: "Gouging is good". You're playing Margaret "society doesn't exist" Thatcher: "When supply is constrained then prices go up. That's just the market at work. There isn't even such a thing a price gouging. Stop hallucinating." Do I really need to spell out why and how it's different than a market-fluctuation? I got into it a little bit in a neighboring message, but I didn't go into the manufacturer/retailer dynamic. I think just the fact that it makes so many people irrationally angry is evidence enough that there's something unique about it. Thought experiment: if gas prices doubled overnight would anyone get upset at gas station owners? Exactly. That's why it's not price gouging. All I'm doing is defending the concept's existence and saying that because it exists I need a way to refer to it. If "gouging" is too pejorative then give me another word that actually captures all the relevant non-value-judgement-related meaning and is not just a sleight of hand attempt to pretend there's no there there. Because there is.

randallsquared 17y ago
Thought experiment: if gas prices doubled overnight would anyone get upset at gas station owners? Exactly. That's why it's not price gouging. Something's not price gouging when people get upset? Or maybe you weren't paying any attention to sentiment when gas prices were soaring a few years back? People hated gas station owners, and there certainly were accusations of "gouging".
- davidmathers 17y ago
  and there certainly were accusations of "gouging" That was a bad example. But those accusations were obviously made by idiots. My point was that if the manufacturer doubles the price no one gets mad at the retailer. Except idiots.

randallsquared 17y ago

Thought experiment: if gas prices doubled overnight would anyone get upset at gas station owners? Exactly. That's why it's not price gouging. Something's not price gouging when people get upset? Or maybe you weren't paying any attention to sentiment when gas prices were soaring a few years back? People hated gas station owners, and there certainly were accusations of "gouging".

davidmathers 17y ago
and there certainly were accusations of "gouging" That was a bad example. But those accusations were obviously made by idiots. My point was that if the manufacturer doubles the price no one gets mad at the retailer. Except idiots.