I encountered this attitude quite often. You get it for free, the customer expects you to sell it for free. Like, I didn't have expenses like feeding myself or rent or electricity.
All in, the break even point was $500/day, 5 days/week, however the shop got there.
What people often fail to realize is the amount of time, labor, or materials that went into each and every single bike. A complete and total overhau and replacement of worn pads/cables, etc...at other local Bikeshops is around $300. Our Co-Op gave every bike the same treatment
and a bike too for an average price of around $200-225.
We had a dozen regular volunteers and could hardly keep bikes in stock. The problem is that for every $400 Olmo Corsica or $300 Windsor Carrera Sport with $350 worth of Phil hubs, or un-ridden Peugeot or Merz Allez that came in taking up retail space, we had a dozen Treks or Bridgestones MB4's or CB's or other early '90's mountain bikes that would sell instead. The high priced nice bikes simply sat giving the wrong impression because everything cheaper sold first.
Simply managing and disposing of the onslaught of BSO's and Bike Boom garbage in and of itself was a full time job. Let alone inventory recovery of anything even remotely valuable or salvageable for bike repair.
Maybe you should get involved in actually running a Co-Op before you pass judgement on how/why the prices are what they are. I lasted 2 years. Making magic from nothing is hard work.
Here's me on the local station. I'm in the green shirt.
https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/1111188