Why is the price of new tonearms so high

We are all such engineers. Take a Picasso, for example- how do you put a value on one of his paintings? If someone is willing to pay $3 million for it, do you say that's stupid because it just $49 worth of paint and canvas and about 150 man-hours of labor?
This is the "value" high end companies are in business for- it is more than just tubing, bearings and wire. It is a type of art and engineering that is priced at a point people are willing to pay.
Someone looks at a tonearm and says that is just $xx worth of metal, plastic and wires, no way! Someone else appreciates the quality of music it can create and plunks down the money. To each his own.

Stiltskin,
Oh yes! Yet more genius, and so like: TOTALLY organic!

Hi Tonywinsc,
SME V guy, ah so. Better treading easy in this here 'value unlimited art gallery' of engineering.

I see we appreciate the same kind of 'muscle' and not only 'arms.

At least I did not have to pay an 'artist's price' for my V, AND it doesn't just use a bend pipe either :-)
A.

Hi Axel,
Stimmt. I can imagine your system sounds very good. Have you ever tried a Koetsu cartridge? It depends on the music you like. It can be an artist's price, only you will forget about the cost once you hear the music.
MfG,

Tonywinsc
y.s.:
>>> Have you ever tried a Koetsu cartridge? <<<

Nope, I'll sure will some day when my pocket agrees. Right now I listen to an Empire S1000 ZE/X-ERD (oldie MM) and it makes more music than any of my previous MCs. Sounding more 'balanced' in my system, than my audio friends Orpheus for 6 grand, that gave me food for thought.

I'd guess the Koetsu Coral would 'mice' the Empire, even in look alone :-)

I'm currently thinking my ML phono-modules might favour MMs over MCs (more musical).
I think MCs (to my ears) like at least one tube in the system. My son has that kind of set-up. Same MC in his system sound better than in mine, using a EAR 864 phono-line-pre, hm.
My system is all SS, so I've become a bit weary of all these 'artistically' priced MCs... too much resolution, too little music.
Of course something 'pretty' never loses attraction, like ZZ Top, 'Looking for some tush...' :-)

Axel