@Fehzor Of course the only reason they do it is because there is no risk.. nor would the things people do in SK work in the real economy anyway. I do believe somewhere I said the game is meant to be enjoyed. If that is what they enjoy doing then so be it.
@Wodanct "If the merchants in SK honestly enjoy what they are doing I feel they would find it better to invest their time into a real market with real benefits/punishments."
Many of the 'merchants' are either too young to do that and have no revenue to spend playing wall street, or are just doing it as a hobby. Spiral knights is obviously a lot easier to merchant on than the real world, especially since there are no real risks involved. I mean, sure, you can lose, but you lost what? 2 dollars? Oh no... a whole 2 bucks. Even if you get good and then lose, unless you're investing your life into the game, then you've still barely lost anything compared to the same situation you'd be in IRL. The same goes for the gains, but then if you enjoy it... why take risks?