It's by no means hording to buy all the kits a plans you can get if one intends to stay in the hobby.. I build mostly from plans but do have a few kits.. Balsa wood itself is getting more and more expensive and less supply as well. I can remember paying $15 for a BUSA stick 40, and $23 for their smoothie back in the mid 80's. And as most of us know kit manufactures have all but disappeared.. due to the ARF craze. Kits may come back if their is a market for them, will see in time.. As for now, their is much more profit to have the china boys make an arfs for $1.5 in labor and sell them for 1000% - 3000% markup..