Easytiger, I agree completely with your comments on the "consumer" RC'er. Without the dollar volume generated by them many new products would never make it to market nor would we see improved products with lower prices. However according to several close friends in the industry, the cost increase of ARF's in particular is due to the actions I mentioned.

Jim, your choices are like mine (perhaps age does provide us wisdom) when encountering a bad experience with a cheesy ARF or crummy kit, and I have had both. Chalk it up to experience and move on.