Cartridges: Complete Scam?

I have been in the market for a new cartridge for quite some time now. One thing that really annoys me is the huge mark-up the US reps assign to these products. For example, a MSL cartridge can be had in Japan ( country of origin) for slightly less than 40% of the retail price in the US...same is true for Lyra and others. So, can someone tell me why the shipping cost and customs etc., is adding that much to the product here in the US?? Plus, the dealers in Japan are making a profit as well...
One would think that the shipping price of a cartridge would be minimal at best ( we are not talking about a 500Lb speaker or 150Lb amp!) Yet the markup expected by the US reps is over the moon...IMHO.
Crazily, I guess they get it...from some....which is probably one of the reasons why I am still in the market! 

Technics, Pioneer, Denon, Victor, Micro Seiki made so many direct drive turntables, may of them are relatively cheap now (say $500), some of them are not high-end. The most popular is SL1200mk2 sold in a million copies with its stock $150 tonearm. Is that low quality? Speed stability is questionable? The better cartridge - the better the sound (especially if the arm is rewired) ! Does the bad cartridge sounds amazing on high-end Sp10mk2 with EPA-100 tonearm? Unfortunately not, it does not sounds better.

Again, i’m not sure what is "low quality" means to some of you, maybe cheap belt drive with speed stability issues that you can actually hear, but comparing one direct drive to another direct drive is another story.

The best combination is a great cartridge on the great tonearm/turntable, but in case with those classic and relatively cheap DD drives i would always upgrade the cartridge first.

The average cartridges never impressed me on the reference turntable in my system, i believe SP10mk2 or Lux PD444 have pretty good speed stability and Reed 3p is a true reference tonearm. But it is so easy to hear how weak is the cartridge if it’s not a top quality cartridge. I justs don't understand how a bad cartridge can reproduce music as good as the great cartridge?  It's noncence! 

@rauliruegas

Even with " non so perfect " speed stability you can’t recovery in any way what the cartridge can’t pick-up and that’s why is so important and critical the cartridge tracking abilities.
We can fix some kind of issues with the TT speed stability but we can’t fix the inherent cartridge self tracking abilities.

There are so many people who loves the SPU cartridges with it’s low tracking ability, low compliance and extremely high tracking force.

On the other hand we have those who prefer high compliance cartridges on lightweight tonearms, those cartridges are great trackers.

But since we’re not listening Telarc 812, the tracking abilities of the SPU is enough for many audiophiles. And if it’s not misstracking on normal records with normal music then it’s ok. For many analog lovers the theory and reality is not the same, what about those idler drives compared to direct drive etc ? Tube vs. transistors ... and so on.

The best way is just to listen to the music and fidn what you like personally (in reality) not on the paper with all the specs.

P.S. I have those high compliance cartridges, but i also have an SPU Royal G MK II with Ortofon Replican 100 stylus (the only spu with reduced tracking force). On the same turntable i have Ortofon MC2000 high compliacne MC right now. In theory the MC 2000 must be better, but the sound of that SPU with Replican 100 is amazingly good. What can i do? It’s my personal impression, but this impression is more important for me than anything else on the paper. And for each of us, i believe.

Dear @frogman : In TT speed stability is a very desired TT characteristic, no doubt about but the critical an important subject there is : which the edge/border for the rhythm be losted due to TT speed stability?

During the recording process exist speed un-stabilities through the R"R decks and maybe ( I don't know for sure. ) during the cutting process and you can't hear or detect that rhythm was losted. So exist a limit for speed un-stability and speed stability has other roads as: short time or in the long time, depends how performs the TT. In which time is present.

Do you know those TT speed limits for not affect the rhythm? because there is no perfect TT and almost all of us enjoy that MUSIC rhythm.

In the other side @chakster tracking ability is not the cartridge it self is only part of something important too that's is the cartridge motor design.

The importance in that cartridge tracking abilities is that as better tracker as more recorded information you have along lower distortion levels. If that cartridge  performance or what you listen like you or not that's another matters.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

<frogman> Yes, your logic is good. We should be looking at turntable speed issues first and then resonance issues and to a lesser extent cartridge tracking and frequency range (closed related to tracking /construction). Its very dubious whether tracking ability gets better after $200.

The industry does not like what you are saying about price not being linked to performance in these areas. That doesn’t make it any less true.

Reviewers can and should focus on these easily measurable attributes and leave aside their chatter about preferred colorations.

My point was that a good $200 cart on a decent deck, say Technics SL1200G/ Rega RP8 etc will outperform a $2000+ cart on a Rega Planar 1 etc by a large margin. In fact no cart at any price on a Planar 1 will get close.