>what exactly has a collecter done to deserve the $$$ they charge for "rare" records?
you got it backwards. collectors are who buy the records, and thus who set the price -- auctions are great for this reason! a record is worth as much as somebody will pay for it. literally. that is the market value. if you are buying something flat-out with a pricetag on it, its worth it to you, that's the value, you cant complain. if its not worth it to you, dont buy it. you just dont want it bad enough, tough luck!
