Hogwash.
When the 5% came in I made more money than I ever had before. People suddenly became far more inclined to trade goods with a small cash pay out.
Before the 5% came in it was all about the big pay day when you pick something up at a stupid price and off load it. Or you get something and swap it over and over until you get something good and then you flog it for 1.5mill or some silly number.
I remember getting 2 +1s and 300k for a loom point. Those were the good old days, when inflation was rife and a dishonest money grubber could make a killing.
I hit gen 8 and had 12 +3s and 500k sitting around. It's all gone now, sold for strat trinkets.