Jim wrote: Competition among makers of legitimate products
drives prices down to a "minimum".  In order to
undercut everyone else, the new market entrant
is forced to offer a deliberately shoddy product.

We have to be careful when applying all this text book economics to a market as small as beekeeping. In UK, with a poplulation of only 55 million and , supposedly, 23,000 beekeepers,  beekeeping supplies are dominated by one firm.  Four or so much smaller companies survive but put out far less flags.  
 
New market entrants can succeed with standard products by various strategies:
1. Importing say extractors in bulk from a country (say Italy) that manufactures at a larger scale - so making available a product not otherwise seen. Quality = quite adequate, value for money = excellent.
2. Importing smaller amounts from a country (say in Eastern Europe) where wages and so manufacturing costs are lower.   

3. If a new design has been produced, of course that can gain a market niche thru greater efficency/ greater convenience or flexibility in use.  My Deep Long Hive is marketted by Stamfordham Ltd using Strategies 2 & 3.  Quite the reverse of 'deliberately shoddy' I can assure u.  

So, luckily in beekeeping at least, competion can continue to thrive - however much multi-nationals seek to control the whole world. 

Robin Dartington 

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