On the other, we have people dreaming up arguments as to why it's all the player's fault. Veil it in any amount of civility, but if you're in the latter camp then you must realise that your well thought out responses carry as much weight as a common troll; at the very best, your argumentum ad absurdum falls on deaf ears.
The point isn't necessarily to explain to that one person and thus change their opinion. Message forums exist like forums of olde. We speak to who reads, regardless whether they are an OP and by doing so odd ideas, concepts, arguments to issues mulling in other people's head. If you post on this insane idea someone - or anyone - will suddenly see the light through your ideas, then one is deluded. If someone does find a little sanity in a contrary opinion, that's great, and more so, you get a little respect from me for being open-minded enough to reconsider an opinion.
By allowing these items to be traded, we create a brand new playstyle: We encourage one group of players - those who are militarily minded - to interact with those of a more inquisitive nature, using the same mechanism that (whether you like it or not!) runs the real world, and is touched upon using a poor facsimile in the E

universe. By allowing us to trade and store modified modules, either directly or via a broker, we enable players to earn credits and other rewards from the most interesting entities in gaming; other players.
But this isn't the real world, it's a world where people want balance and fairness, not capitalism favouring those who feed supply and demand. If people complain about AI's being unfair, how they going to deal with other players who can manipulate, stockpile and gain influence because they have the time and generated network to create pockets of control? That's what real world business is about. Let's face it, if people could sell goods, the meta-alloys would have been bought by one person to maximise his profits. If we were doing real world he'd be able to mark the price up too. This is before we get to the point of asking how this would work on Solo. Those are my concerns on your idea. Sounds good in theory, I just wonder if its a practical problem.
Without it, upgrading your gear is simply a sideshow for many casual players and a boring grind for those intent on "being the best". Which is easier to change: The minds of players who think they known how the game should be played as much as you do, or the game itself?
You are presuming there is a medium where the game can be made to appeal to both camps. Like I said, your suggestion would not change that. Casual players would be at the mercy of grinders who would buy up stock. If they couldn't buy up stock, or affect prices, what difference would there be to what we have now?
The way forward, as always, is a balance, and understanding that as a project it has to believe in its choices and hope that they can be massaged to benefit as many as possible. I think Engineers will get easier, certainly with store modules and rep affecting requests, but ultimately, it's like saying a film noir needs to change into an action movie if action movie fans aren't happy with the film noir. To some degree, FDev should be looking to adjust their own plan, not change it to appeal to others, as that way leads to madness!
Interesting idea though!