hahahaha. You guys are funny. Has no one taking into account the cost of making tires or engines? Have you seen some of the factories this stuff is made in? Do you think that each company is owned and operated by ONE person? How about the engineers that actually design this stuff? Do they do it for free? Do you think that a mold to produce tires is cheap? Are the owners not entitled to make a living. How about paying all the employees that actually run the factories. This is why other tires, such as Louise, Beta and a few others get to charge 3 dollar less per set, they dont have to do the R&D and probably produced in some other country Where I believe Proline is and has been made here in the US since hum 82. The ideas have to come from someone. We cry and moan for the most technological advanced products but dont want to pay for them. I have worked and managed LHS's and have seen the prices. LHS don't make money on tires and engines. ha... I totally understand that tires are the most expensive part of racing.
Have you wonder why this hobby don't grow much? This is not a very big hobby despite what many would think. It just look like its huge because of technology like Live RC and Neo Buggy. I've been apart of this site for a few years now, and its ALWAYS the same people one here.... Hell yeah this hobby is expensive. Its always been and always will be.
A few years ago I was working in the LHS and all the big manufacturer came in Horizion, Great Planes ect, as we were talking one dude said, for every 100 RC surface cars sold, only one person actually takes up racing.
Perhaps, if we could get more people in the hobby, maybe units sold would increase, decreasing the price we pay.. Sell more, pay less -- Sell less, pay more... Do the math.