It's not that they're [selling facemasks] they're doing so at incredible markup, encouraging and incentivizing sellers to create even more markup.

Should we also be condemning our local gastropub for charging $15 for a burger? Shouldn't they be charging the same as White Castle? People gotta eat after all.

These are customized. I mean, if this were the only company selling facemasks, sure, $15 is a lot. But for somebody who wants to jazz up their facemask, maybe $15 makes sense. I'm not interested in that but maybe somebody is.

$15 is the starting price, affiliates can charge what they like.

If burgers were a thing people could use in a pandemic to reduce transmission and they let affiliates put a design on the bun and upcharge to get a sliver of profit I think this might be a fair analog.

I dunno, I think this is a missed opportunity for some good pr, or at least not look like they're exploiting a crisis even further.

But, again, it's not like this is the only company selling masks. It's not price gouging if there are tons of lower cost alternatives. They're offering an upgraded experience, some people are going to want that, and that's ok.

That's not how economics works.

If I were complaining about price gouging in a hurricane and you came strolling around and told me "hey, that's how economics works" I'd say you missed the point entirely.

In other words, my issue isn't with the mechanics of capitalism.