The extent of capitalism

The quick turnaround/the quick buck -- business education or intentional price gouging? It is quite common these days to find the most fashionable and newly released items for immediate "resale" on the internet the day they become available to the public. These sales are usually accompanied by a heavy finders/rarity fee. The prices remain as high as sales will permit until the item is stocked in abundance in stores. This scenario is common with kids toys (ex. the tickle-me-elmo fiasco) and cutting edge consumer electronics (ex. the nintendo wii). Are these practices really fair to the end user? Is this a valid learning/financial opportunity for up and coming business people? More importantly, is the number of people participating in immediate resale large enough to significantly artificially inflate the cost? i.e. are they congruent in number with the amount of end-users desiring the products the sellers hold? and if so, does the situation seem fair/acceptable and what can be done about it?