Bingo. It was an easy way to get their name out and they sold out their entire inventory in moments, many to people in states that they CAN ship to. Not to mention all of the hats/shirts/merchandise people bought to support them even after all the mags were out of stock.
Maybe I'm too cynical from living in MD. But this doesn't seem like someone standing on principles. It seems like someone using a shitty situation and the trampling of our rights for free advertising and marketing.
I think perhaps you are too cynical, jumping right to the worst conclusion. I mean, while it may be a good business day, I doubt he is going to get rich, even if he does sell his inventory "in moments."
Generally speaking, until proven otherwise, I do tend to take people at their word. And in this case, it seems to me more likely that the owner of a very small company got pissed off and sent off an ill conceived F.U. to the anti-states by openly flaunting his willingness to just say "screw it" to the rules. After awhile, he either smartened up on his own, or some folks came in and let him know that what he was doing was likely to have unintended consequences and caused him to reconsider. His letter explaining his change of course sounds more like a frustrated rant then anything else.
We all occasionally make rash decisions. That is exactly what this feels like to me. I think he is friend, not foe.