Thanks for this thread.. It's good to read.
Yes, scalpers are a pain, and chancers are thick on the ground. The one that has gotten up my nose of late is finding a part on Buy it Now for the right price, buying it, then later in the day finding I've been refunded as the seller is a scalper and can scalp higher.
I call it out when I see it wrong. Some listings are people who have no idea and I'll mail them to correct a listing if it's a lesser part than they think it is.
It was this silliness that motivated the old marin build I posted a while back. I was depressed at the craziness of it all and challenged myself to build something nice for peanuts. It wasn't a rush and probably took a year and half to complete, even using not very pretty junk. I also tweaked in some choice part substitutes to ádd functionality. I hate that 5 bolt rings usually are a pain.. painted steel lasts and lasts and lasts, so careful swapping solves that issue.
Old tyres is the one that gets me. I love skinwalls, and have bought a couple of sets at 'need tyres' prices, but old tyres split, especially when you ride them, its usually out on a good ride too. It grinds my gears when you see cracked 30 year old 26"psychos for 40quid each or some such nonsense...