Since Apple choose to launch their lovely new iPad in one place but not in another, they create a situation where wealthy enthusiasts in unserved markets are prepared to pay over the odds to lay their hands on the shiny new technology. And businessmen - "gangs" as the Daily Mail call them - who service that market:
Black market gangs in London paid people to join the queue and buy the new tablets so they could then be sold on at a profit.
What we know is that Apple are well aware that this happens - just as they know people buy and sell places in a queue, pay people to queue for them and generally game the demand for the shiny little things. It suits Apple to create temporary shortages, to allow a 'black market' of reselling at way above list price and to generally puff up the launch.
That a few unfortunate geeks fail to get hold of the new thing having queued all day is unfortunate for them but they could have chosen cash instead of time as their currency and had the new gadget without queueing!
For my part I admire the enterprise of those selling places in queues, the people earning a few quid for keeping a place warm and for having the chutzpah to corner a few dozen iPads to ship to places where - for their own reasons - Apple have chosen not to launch just yet.
Markets are wonderful!
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