If you come to thing of it, every server owner is walking on eggshells. Although it may be very difficult trying to sell something that you could get on any other server for half the price (being a nickname or a particle effect), many of the big servers have managed to find a way of making cosmetics unique and profitable. Now I know small servers don't have tens of developers working day and night on new cosmetics and games but when you do add a new item on your store all you have to do is ask yourself:
A. Is it worth the price I'm asking for?
B. Will it change any aspect of the game for them? (e.g Would it change how I'd play SurvivalGames if I had a nickname?)
C. Would you want to buy that item?
Answers will probably be a 'No' on C. since you can find particles and cosmetics on every other server.
However, when I go on small servers I still see them selling kits and in-game currency which really annoys me, but since Mojang are practically not enforcing the EULA there's nearly nothing stopping them from doing so. For some owners, they'll find it impossible to stay afloat without these kits on the store, but at the end of the day, who's going to stop them?
