Why do better MC cartridges cost a fortune?

I won't argue, I don't know.
Michael Fremer must've upset many people with what he said. Even worse, that table and arm are thought by many to be one of the handful of the very best regardless of price.

Fremer also appears to confirm that turntable, tonearm and phono stage are all far more important than cartridge. Cartridge must be excellent too, of course.

Halcro- have you compared say the Airtight (not even the Supreme, but the original PC-1) to the comparable Lyra (which at the time, was a Titan i, except for the "limited" production Olympus)?
I did, on my turntable, tonearm and system, and though the cartridges were comparable in price, they did things differently. The Lyra was by far more dramatic, spectacular highs and impactful bass. The Airtight did nothing dramatic at first blush, but lots more texture and depth to the music; by contrast the Lyra seemed spotlit in the highs. Perhaps that’s a matter of taste and system synergy because I know lot’s of folks who like the later Atlas, which is considered extremely articulate.
Is your proposition that a cheap MM is going to sound every bit as good as something in this realm? (And the cartridges I mentioned are nowhere near the top priced ones these days).
I do know that one manufacturer whose opinion I value said he preferred an old Ortofon to the current high end Ortofons but I’m not sure he was talking about the Anna, though he had both old and new at hand and was playing them on an EMT 927.
PS: I noticed you were talking about "vintage MM/MC." What about current in production MM?

Yes, whatever it is vintage is not for everyone. What about Grado Reference, Soundsmith, Audio Note, Clearaudio, Nagaoka ?
Bill, based on your brief description I would've chosen Airtight too, though I do like great pace and dynamics. What I don't like is exaggeration, larger than life presentation.
As Vladimir of Lamm said - You can get incredible bass out of transistor design but that's not how it sounds in reality -. 

Big deal is that the increasing number of audiophiles cannot afford anything real good new and like second rate citizens have to chase things on a 'flea' market.  

Same in just about any consumer good in a free market economy - sellers charge what they can get.  Complaining about it is like saying it isn't fair that you can't afford a Ferrari or to live in a luxury penthouse.

What irks me about high priced MCs is that it can be almost impossible to make an informed buying decision as you can rarely audition them.  Buying based on price, reputation or even review is as risky as buying a wine you haven't tasted because some git said it was over the top fantastic. Then after you bought it, it turns out that the reviewer's taste is nowhere near the same as yours.

It is hard enough when you can go and listen to a speaker or component, albeit in a different system than the one you want to put it in, but not being able to audition at all can be very expensive Russian roulette!