A couple hypotheticals I need answered re: selling!

[Freeman77]

I'd like to ask a question about selling in the U.S.

Hypothetical situation:

If I want to sell a new, unopened iPod on Ebay, I can sell it for any price I want, right? But retailers like Best Buy are forced by Apple to sell at a specific price (well, they can't sell it below a certain price).

Why can I do this?

Can I do this on my own, or does it have to be through places like eBay?
In other words, could I set up my own site that sells new iPods for $30? Of course, I'd be taking a massive loss, esp. cause I wouldn't be buying them at wholesale, but that's besides the point -- I just want to know if it's legal.

Second hypothetical:

What if there is an obscure online company that sells knick-knacks for 5 bucks. Are there any U.S. laws that stop me from buying a bunch of them and setting up a little online store and selling them for a fortune? Would the company have any case against me if they found me doing this?

I don't have plans to do these things, but I just want clarification on the laws.

[Tsnyder]

My initial reaction is that if it's your personal property... and you don't
have a contractual agreement from the manufacturer... you can sell it
for any price you like.

My best advice is to contact an attorney who is competent to render
professional advice on this specific topic.

Tsnyder

[Freeman77]

Originally Posted by Tsnyder

My initial reaction is that if it's your personal property... and you don't
have a contractual agreement from the manufacturer... you can sell it
for any price you like.

Tsnyder

That's my impression too. I just wondered if a company can claim that you're somehow interfering in their operation (even if you're buying from them).