are people really that dumb?

[billt]

All this reminds me of the "day traders" that existed around 2000. Where are they now? Quick buck artists rise and fall like the Sun. These "ammo flippers" will be no different.

[MikeBjerum]

I have a thought on this whole price thing:

1.  .22lr is in very limited supply;
2.  Some people have some that they are willing to part with;
3.  Retail outlets have very limited supply of plinking ammunition;
4.  Restricted supplies of high end ammunition is available;
5.  High end ammunition carries a high price;
6.  Some people who understand firearms, ammunition, and shooting sports will continue to purchase high end ammunition for their sport activities;
7.  People who are new to the sport do not know any better, and when they see the price of high end and don't know the difference between economy and quality ammunition they pay the higher prices;
8.  There are whack jobs burying their gold, guns, and ammunition for the end who will mortgage their families, so they can be fully armed when they meet Satan.

I personally do not believe the masses are spending the amounts shown as offers on Gunbroker.  Yes, people will put an offer out there, and a few will bite.  But, the majority do not.

My question is that if the manufacturers have truly ramped up production to the maximum, where is it going?  You can not tell me that it is just newbies and paranoid that are eating this up.  I compare it to our agriculture situation:  We went from surpluses in the 80's and 90's, we added ethanol production, but due to yield increase we still had surplus.  Even with all the additional storage being built (I used to have the figures of new storage being built by ethanol plants, elevators, and on farms, and it was huge) we were still piling grain on the ground.  What has not been accounted for is the increase in export.  Today we are still raising more corn, wheat and soybeans than we did pre-ethanol, plus the ethanol and bio-diesel consumption, plus the increase in livestock since.  Why do we see huge demands?  Exports!  What is the grain export equal in the ammunition market?