Is poetrynation poetry contest a scam.

A few years ago I entered a poem of mine in the poetrynation poetry contest. A friend of mine, whom I had known for many years, had won the 2nd place 100 dollar prize 3 times previously, so I figured it would be cool. They also have a 1st place prize of 2 grand. People call it a Vanity Anthology Scam, while others say it is not. I am confused. How exactly is it a scam when there are winners. I did recieve my book, the winners of the grand prize of 2000 dollars are in it. You are not required to purchase it. It worries me, because if it is a scam I am told that it could be negative for my writing career. Also these people claim that the main buyers are just the contributors, yet they put it up for sale on amazon, and Barnes and Noble even sells their other publications. Are these people just sore losers because they didn't win? Are they ragging, because the company is a self publishing company?

I have seen a few other publishing companies that are very reputable that run similar contests ( Although the grand prize winner recieves 25 free books for distribution with the cash prize instead of having to buy it for 20 bucks less.)

Is Barnes and Noble not a reputable company? I don't want this to ruin me as a writer. Here is a link to the book on Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beacons-beyond-eber-wein-publishing/1113796972?ean=9781608801602

I am all very confused I know it is a high price, but I saw a 500 piece jig saw puzzle for 26 dollars. Is this a scam or not? I apologize for my rant.

 

("...well anyway it's very hard to judge poetry, I mean it's not like a boxing match where clearly one guy is left standing and the other is floored, so I imagine that something be judged by others is where others feel that it biased in some way to some set criteria now, but for me, perhaps an easier way to gage the worth of a work is to post it across forumland to then see what type of reception it gets by way of hitcount to it..." mentioned the goblin knowing that a popular poet would generate that sort of readership then, adding "...though popular doesn't mean that it's good either no it just means that it is like in its age, hence my opening line of peotry is so difficult to judge then...")