In free markets, commodities bought and sold possess perceived value. When a buyer and seller reach an agreed upon price for any product, there is a "meeting of the minds." The value of any natural raw material is proportional to its scarcity. The more of it there is, and the more easily it can be obtained, the less value it holds. A vendor who sells ordinary rocks cannot make a living when his product is found freely all over the ground. If he transacts in gold or silver, diamonds or rubies, h...
