Opinion on Price Manipulation?

[His Wardship]

I've seen multiple Price Manipulation groups crop up over the past few months, mainly to do with asking their member's to hoard BMOC's, Salvaged Stranges and Festive Stranges until the price is forced up. I know that earlier this year, the same was attempted with BMOC's.

I was interested in what the general userbase's consensus is on this, as well as what the admins think of it.

I personally, while disagreeing with any attempt to corner the market, think the attempts will fail to achieve desired results. The majority of the community are so dependent on price guides (more's the pity) that if the writer's of the price lists refuse to adapt a higher price for these manipulated items, people trying to sell them, will be met with a wall of "Nope". Which will leave all the people who tried to manipulate prices, left with several worthless, yet high value stranges.

The people who move first may make a profit, but everyone else in the group will probably get caught in the fallout of a price crash. (RS much)

[$v[A]mpsson]

You're right there is many that is trying to manipulate the market.

Not so nice but that is what I think

[Vincent Van Goku]

In my opinion, it's wrong. People shouldn't be able to do that.
And yeah, RS much. Did you know people actually did get banned for the price manipulation?
I'm with you on the "If they don't update prices, well then nope.avi."

[Machine]

outpost + backpack.tf = inflation that will one day destroy the market.

[gmanyy]

In my opinion, there's no need to even think about it. As you've described, in the market, these attempts will fail.

The only real way to fix the prices is to get all the items and then sell them at whatever prices you want. But I can't imagine someone buying out any of the discontinued promos. It's too damn expensive.

[EpicRice]

Still, this attempts can have a devastating approach on the market, if someone wanted to say buy a cheap festive item, what could've been just akey could've tripled with price mani.

Tf2 is a system which is based on trading, where many with shiny stick gives it for bronze apple. The spreadsheets/Price guides ruin the whole ideal of trading for things you want, with everyone ganging up for value, and people unwilling to negotiate because of thealmighty XX said so

Theres a difference between 1 man saying "I think thats a good trade"
To a spreedsheet saying "Here are the values, We are God!!"

Spreedsheet proves a decent ground to new traders but in the longrun, dont really help expanding the tf2 market imo. People just go with highest value, or 1 rec lower, not factoring other things such as supply, demand, etc.

[pew pew laser beams]

I think outpost should have some sort of rule to prevent this, for example I was surfing in outpost and this dude was selling 1 ebe for 13 keys, and someone posted in his trade saying don't let this go cheap this will be 1 bud + in xmas, then I checked the bp of the dude that commented and he had 5 ebes and was selling them at 1 bud each.
People posting in others trades commenting don't let this go cheap or this will be worth buds in halloween or xmas or whatever are trying to manipulate the market if they also have the same item.