Originally Posted by
Lemuria
Welcome to the real world. Economy works exactly like this. People can sell their items at a fraction of what it's worth to stores, or put it up on Ebay and hope someone else buys it at a reasonable price. It's called supply and demand for a reason, and it's how everything works in the financial world. There is no level playing field because not everyone is contributing to the circulation of these goods in equal number.
If everyone was gathering and crafting, there would be no market for this stuff anyway, so someone somewhere is taking the easier route of paying for it rather than trying to make their own. Doesn't matter if it's materia or items, the same rule applies for both.