Just a lament on buying, selling, and ethics

Has anyone else noticed the remarkable price-gouging folks are doing with used EB/MMs? I don’t mind folks making money when they can, but there used to be a clear sense of ethics among musicians. We wanted to help one another, especially when selling gear. It used to be almost a family thing. If I sell you a guitar, that creates a bond of sorts–civic, musical, etc.

I sold my dream guitar last year–Majesty Nebula 7 from Pete Dubaldo–because my house was literally falling down, and I had to pay for emergency repairs. The buyer promised me he’d sell it back to me for the price I sold it to him for. I’ve now seen that guitar sold by three different people, each raising the price. Most recently, it was going for $8500 (more than double what I sold it for).

An 8 string majesty just popped up online for $1500 more than what they sold for weeks ago.

I have sold dozens of EB/MM guitars, and I have never once tried to make a profit. I try to break even. I like the idea of helping my fellow musicians out there, especially those who might not be able to afford these amazing works of art. I guess I’m just sad that instead of building a community of creative people, bonded by a love of music and instruments, more and more people are exploiting one another for profit.

I want musicians to better than this. I write this here because, from what I can tell, this forum fosters a strong sense of care and appreciation, something much lacking out there in the general marketplace for used gear.