Why is the price of new tonearms so high

Dear Perrew, in no particular order:
- dynamic balanced design (I consider this a must !),
- adjustable overhang and azimuth,
- very rigid construction - resulting in good energy and vibration handling,
- 10" minimum effective length to get below 2 degrees error,

I believe these are among the few key features of any great pivot tonearm design. All truely great pivot tonearms do have these 4 in common (except the Graham Phantom - which I would include in my list).
Cheers,
D.

Maybe because people think if it costs more it has to be better.Manufacturers use this ploy to the hilt to maximize profits.Just my opinion,feel free to disagree.

" Why is the price of new tone arms so high?"

Someone in the market for say the Goldmund Reference Model Two at $300,000.00, or even any number of other tables on the market for $40,000.00 and up.
What starting price range and available brand of tonearms would someone with this kind of budget choose?
Whats the best known performing cartridge on this tone arm a $5,000.00 brand or a $20,000 one?

I don't know what your perception is of people in this hobby like this are, myself, what ever makes you happy.

However someone that spends $70,000.00 plus on speaker wire alone, bi-amp pair and 20 feet of it, this is where my view of them changes.

06-24-09: Dertonarm
Dear T_bone, I assume that the "Oldskool"-thread was shut down because of the verbal insults between Raul and Bob. A pity indeed. I doubt that we will ever see again that much information about tonearm-geometry and set-up piled together in one thread here on Audiogon.

Hi Dertonearm, I seriously doubt that my and Rauls little tit-tat had anything to do with the thread dissapearing. So please don't blame me or Raul. Both Raul, I am sure, and myself can handle ourselves and our differences. Though Raul does seem rather peeved at me, I can't understand why.

Bob

Well, - after all the high-end audio is a classic luxury market. Same as high performance cars, luxury swiss watches (or german Lange & Söhne...), or any similar passion.
We are talking the extreme top-end of consumer elctronics here, thus the "value" - as well as the "beauty"... - is purely in the eyes (..ears) of the individual beholder.....
There is no reason behind this - other than it is in most cases easier to sell a $15000 tonearm than a $3500 tonearm.
The top end has to be prces today in a region where the buyer can show off his financial abilities as to gain some "face"(far-east) or status (western).
Its indeed a strange world we are living in - isn't it??
Cheers,
D.