You really can't place the blame on the importers. As others here have said, it has to do with overhead and the law of supply versus demand. Though Hangar-9 products have risen considerably in costs, at least they will have better availability. If it gets to be more expensive to import from China and other countries, then wouldn't it make sense to bring production back to the United States? I have my doubts, because I don't think the technology and skills exist here. Hope springs eternal, though.

I think the only thing left to do now, would be to buy what ever outdated airframes you can afford along with the radio equipment. Then, take care of it and make sure you are sufficiently skilled and fully prepared before taking it out to the field. This will save money in the long run. And if you MUST buy at the new higher prices eventually, you may like to consider lowering other costs and generating less waste. Take up gardening, drive less, maybe even get into fixing and recycling older appliances. With our manufacturing base gone and prices going up, we may not have much choice.

NorfolkSouthern