I agree with what you said 100% but we must not lose sight of the fact that this is not only a hobby but a business.
I have only been collecting for about 5 years now, and I see a significant difference.
As prices rise, more and more people enter the hobby for the profit potential and not the hobby itself.
Unfortunately this holds true in virtually any hobby.
While profit is not a dirty word, what irks me more is how prices are driven up by creating artificial rarities by producing short issues.
Combine this with the hype that is afforded these issues, and many are drawn in as if these were the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow they have been seeking