Txducker said:
TChaney said:
Txducker said:
Decay said:
Every buyer has a seller. So money isn't burned
What if the government prints a $100 dollars and then gives it me and I buy $100 dollars of stock. If the stock goes to zero and the company goes bankrupt, then wouldn't the $100 be gone forever. Any asset that is depreciating in value is an economic loss this why there is a tax deduction for deprecating assets. That deprecating asset can loose its value forever.
That $100 is in the pocket of the person you bought the stock from.
If it was an IPO the company got your $100 and probably spent it on a really cheap hooker and tiny bit of blow.
I do see your point how the seller has the the $100 but I have zero because the company went bankrupt. I think our difference is in agreeing how much money/equity there was to start with. I am saying we started with $200 in equity (100 in cash me and the seller's 100 in value of the stock) and we end up with a net of 100 in equity after bankruptcy. Only the seller's 100 cash remains from the starting 200 in equity. My 100 is lost forever.
I create a piece of art from trash I found on the side of the road.
I find a person to buy they piece of art for $100
They try to resell that piece of art through a gallery listing and am told by everyone "That's just a pile of trash" and worth nothing.
After a certain amount of time the gallery says. We agree it's worth nothing and we will remove the listing.
Now IF I can convince someone it's really art and it's worth more I can sell that art for $200.
In scenario 1
I spent $100 on a stock
The seller got my $100
I still have the stock but it's worth nothing.
The market listing the stock realizes it's worthless and delists the stock.
In scenario 2
I convinced enough people through whatever means legal or not that this trash is worth $200 and sell it.
The original seller has $100, I have $100, and the sucker I sold to has spent $200.