Forced scarcity and exclusivity.

[TheForce]

If YOU have the shiny and you did it the hard way, what part of someone who does the quest 2 years later or overgeared removes your accomplishment? If the only reason you are valuing something is because others don't have it, then maybe it isn't the thing that's important. That's selfish. Only finding value in being able to lord something over others.

1. Turn off the caps lock please.

2. Wanted to address the last thing you said in particular. It bothers me how you have to word the concept of rarity in such an ugly way. I don't know why you're trying so hard to make it seem like such a reprehensible thing, it's completely natural and totally okay for people to want rare things, and yes,
value is, and should be, related to an item's rarity.

I mean, just look at the Marketboard, do you seriously believe that everyone who is selling a rare item for a lot of money is selfish/a bad person? And to give a real life example, are you going to try to shame Ivy League alumni for being proud of going to their schools because "they just want to lord it over everybody since it's rare for someone to be accepted"? Stop trying to shame people because they simply want to keep their items rare, & wanting to have/do things others do not. I will not believe for one second that you have never been attracted to an item, or achievement, or anything due to its rarity.
Being the same as everybody else is extremely boring, let players find ways to make themselves unique.

[Krotoan]

1. Turn off the caps lock please.

I capitalized one word for emphasis. ... Are you that sensitive?

2. Wanted to address the last thing you said in particular. It bothers me how you have to word the concept of rarity in such an ugly way. I don't know why you're trying so hard to make it seem like such a reprehensible thing, it's completely natural and totally okay for people to want rare things, and yes,
value is, and should be, related to an item's rarity.

Rare is a condition of supply. The value of rare is in that there are not many to be had and so acquiring said item demands a high price not because others do not have it, but because only so many can have it ever. The value lies not in lording over others, but having the thing because you appreciate it. Rare drives up the price to acquire. If you cannot see the difference in valuing an item VS valuing others not having it then I'm not sure how else to explain it.

I mean, just look at the Marketboard, do you seriously believe that everyone who is selling a rare item for a lot of money is selfish/a bad person?

No. THis is not what I'm attempting to get across. Possibly a failing of my choice of words.

And to give a real life example, are you going to try to shame Ivy League alumni for being proud of going to their schools because "they just want to lord it over everybody since it's rare for someone to be accepted"? Stop trying to shame people because they simply want to keep their items rare, & wanting to have/do things others do not. I will not believe for one second that you have never been attracted to an item, or achievement, or anything due to its rarity.

Ivy league alumni do not value their achievements because others don't have it. They value them because they mean something as far as knowledge learned and proven. There is value in the thing itself, again, not in the fact that others do not have it, but that it is difficult to acquire. When I was younger I may have had the greedy thought that something was valuable simply because there weren't many, but all that means is there is a short supply. If the item holds no other value besides its scarcity it is worthless.

Being the same as everybody else is extremely boring, let players find ways to make themselves unique.

Like the millions of possible combinations of glamour, dyes, race, job, feature and build customizations? Like having an actual RP persona instead of just being another WoL hoarding stuff?

I never said you couldn't have the stuff, I just loathe people who consider something only worth having if others cannot have it.