Quoted from rosh:there are dozens and dozens of different size LCDs available, for example, the link below shows 9 different variations of a wide screen display . . .
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/12-14-15-19-27-28_60208859102.html?spm=a2700.7724857.35.1.YbacTR
So while they may not have bought them off of ebay or amazon, there are tons of manufacturers that offer non-standard sizes. So, they may have had to go to one of these guys and yes, on a small volume it can be pricey, but should not be on the volume they would ultimately need.
That screen would look real good on modern machines