[conservative in nyc]

A wholesaler who pays $5 ABOVE retail??

Not a very good "businessman" if you ask me.

The wholesaler is still a good businessman if he's selling the phones for $10 above retail to evil doers.

Logically, bulk sales of the phone might command a premium if you can usually only buy 3 or 4 without arising suspicion and getting on store surveillance cameras. And there probably is a market for bulk sales of phones - terrorists, gangs and organized crime. Plus, the phones and the batteries might be sold separately to different evil doers, since meth labs need the lithium from the batteries and people who want to have untracked conversations or build IEDs need the phones but don't really need new batteries, just new phones.

[hellinahandcart]

The wholesaler is still a good businessman if he's selling the phones for $10 above retail to evil doers.

He may be a good businessman, but if he's selling above retail he ain't no "wholesaler". Which was my whole point.