Hello,

Where I'm from (San José, California, USA), LPS/SOX lamps used to be all over the place until recently, and some businesses still use LPS lamps in their parking lots. Most people here are of the opinion that LPS lamps are ugly and should be replaced with LED.
Thus, it occurred to me—if people are so keen on replacing LPS lamps, ... why don't I just ask people to give them to me as they're getting rid of them? Why not just ask around?
Especially if getting rid of them is a time and money investment (transporting them to a hazardous waste facility or hiring someone to do so, plus the (albeit moderate) cost of disposal), who wouldn't want to get rid of them for free?

Part of this is because I have absolutely no budget for LPS lamps right now, with the average asking price on eBay being >$70, not counting ballast (another $30-$100) and luminaire (I haven't even bothered researching them yet).

However, this brings up the conundrum: What if someone feels ripped off because I'm asking such an item for free? Since they have such high asking prices on eBay, wouldn't it be immoral for me to ask for them for free when that person could make an extra buck?
Furthermore, what if they feel like I'm a sniveling cheapskate for asking for them for free? What if they criticize me or say mean things? I mean.. I am being a cheapskate, but I have no choice; there are other things in my life for me to pay for.

In any case, I have been meaning to ask around for LPS lamps for a while but was procrastinating. Perhaps this was the reason why. Should I even bother? Or should I just hope to save up fast enough to outcompete the slowly-climbing prices?

The fixture is already being removed regardless of whether you ask for them or not. It’s not as if they’re losing anything. By asking for the fixture, you are keeping it out of the trash as well.

No, as long as you don't acquire them for free from well meaning people, just to sell them off for profit later.