You do realise that the kind of price fixing (cartel) a lot of you are describing in wanting stable prices is forbidden in most civilized countries outside of "special" circumstances with regards to the consumer markets?

Not to mention, you're looking only at the gatherer/crafter side of things, the part of the game population that isn't enjoying that part, can't as easily burn through gil as those of us who craft/gather, and artificially high-kept prices would make it harder for them to get in. It would certainly suck for those who might pick up the game post 2.0 (assuming any do), and want to roll on an established server if prices were artifically kept high. Of course, you could argue that they can get into crafting/gathering as well, which they could do, which would make it even harder for you to make money.

You want more money for your stuff? differentiate your merchandise, make HQs, materia multimelds, make something that makes YOUR stuff worth more than everyone else.

This is how the market works, the buyers will go for the ones who sell the cheapest, or the best, or the ones that they like (branding). You can go Harrods, you can go Walmart, or you can look for niches or something in between.

And yes, I DO actually have a degree in economy, and I DO have bot/min 50, along with several crafts.
(although I must admit, I do lean towards Keynesian economics, which to a certain extent invalidates my entire argument :P)


edit: I fully agree on measurements needed to deal with botting though, but that's not what the topic title talks about!