and collectors who seem to think that medals exist solely to give them a hobby
Dont forget dealers - medals made up a fair proportion of my income for 30 years! I remember reading a letter from some retired colonel or other who was complaining about "this trafficking in medals!" The fact is that a fair proportion of servicemen and women couldn't give a rats about their medals once they leave, and see no reason why they shouldn't raise some money on them. British medals are more valuable to the collector than almost all countries' medals because they are relatively scarcely awarded, and also for the most part they are named, and thus have potential for research.
Re officers' LS&GC, I tend to agree with
Background Noise's second point.