RA's now going to be $9.99?

alright, here's a quick business lesson. Hate to do it, but it must be done:

Step 1. Manufacturer makes the product for pennies.
Step 2. A broker buys the supply off of the manufacturer. The price goes up to like, 50 cents.
Step 3. The broker sells the product to a wholesaler. Price goes up to like, a buck fifty.
Step 4. The wholesaler (this is the warehouse people) finds a Retailer (TRU, Walmart, KB) that is willing to put the product on a shelf. Price is up to about 3 bucks now.
Step 5. The retailer spends lots and lots of money on advertising for you, the consumer to want to buy the product. Price goes up to, say, $8.99 for a piece of plastic that YOU want to buy, because that's how much they need to recoup the ad money they lost.

Now, steps 2, 3, and 4 are what we call middlemen. Everyone needs to make a cut of the profit. Now, when the cost of gas goes up, so does the cost to ship this stuff from the third world country it was made in. Planes break down, it cost's everyone in the middle to fix it. Stuff like that. Price of materials goes up, equipment needs repair... all of it goes in to final price.

It really sucks. But there it is.

I'm KingNothing, you're teacher.