The hardware store was providing a service to the community by offering generators for sale. If they price them higher than what they are worth, they will be left with a bunch of unsold generators, which gives them an incentive to price them at what they are worth.
Evidently you were selling the generators for less than what they were worth. What you don't know is what the people who bought generators from you at your price did with them - how many of them turned right around and sold them for the same price that the hardware store was selling them for? Just because you apparently left money "on the table" by selling the generators for less than what they were worth gives you no moral authority to demand that the Government force others to do the same thing. So, what is your beef?
Great analysis.
I would only add this: When the government steps in to limit the amount of profit a person can make in an otherwise free and open market, or it ties their hands in order to supposedly make things more "fair" for others, that person will eventually withdraw their goods and services from the market.
At some point, Atlas Shrugs...
"Evidently you were selling the generators for less than what they were worth. What you don't know is what the people who bought generators from you at your price did with them - how many of them turned right around and sold them for the same price that the hardware store was selling them for? Just because you apparently left money "on the table" by selling the generators for less than what they were worth gives you no moral authority to demand that the Government force others to do the same thing. So, what is your beef?"
My beef was that there were/are laws against price gauging and he was price gauging. I don't remember exactly what the max mark-up that was/is allowed but there is a legal limit. I had to show proof of my purchase price and costs and document with city hall what my selling price was. He was gauging even if he had 0% mark-up because he was gauged, they track the costs from standard market price and if you try to sell it over the max then you're busted (again, regardless of how much you paid).
I know exactly what each of them did with the generators I sold. I helped set them up for them and warned them about the dangers of using them, I even received thank you calls from most of them.
Is your beef with the laws against price gauging during times of emergencies/natural disasters?
This will really piss you off. You know what else I did? I ran around town clearing trees for people because I felt like it and I could, without charging them. I didn't leave anything on the table.