But clearly whoever is currently manufacturing these for them is too expensive. I would love to know their cost (and profit) on these but I'm guessing it's not nearly as good as it should be. They could probably sell 5X as many as they are currently selling if they got the price much further down. When you can buy a 32-inch Samsung 1080P television for $240 these days (just a quick example) there is no reason these should cost $400.

DUP

Ridic. After their success the past few years, you think they could not afford to order 1000 of these from an Asian supplier for dirt cheap?

I own zero, not one. If they even cost just $300 I would probably have at least a half dozen by now. You're right, they are selling, but I'm arguing they could be selling significantly more and they could be ordering these from a supplier giving much better discounts (simultaneously maintaining or even increasing their margin while also increasing their sales numbers significantly.)

How many people are on here who have balked at buying even one due to the steep price tag?

Actually, there are several volunteers out there making the color animations for these. There are people who are passionate about this hobby willing to work for free (or next to nothing). A great thing!

Newsflash, I better never see you express the slightest disgust with Stern pricing or anyone else's much less express your opinion for what you think their sweet spot should be.

Companies overcharge when they feel they have a monopoly. The fact that they're probably correct doesn't make it ethical, just greedy. Some think greed is great while others would say it's unethical. You're free to your own opinion.