Hm, I doubt that motor cars and chess sets can be compared in any material way but I do understand what you are getting at.
Yes quality is an issue with chess sets, we would all like a wonderfull set for not very much money.
As for clearing houses I am not sure what you mean there. Surely it is well known that almost all chess set sellers are selling sets made in India?
I do agree however that when in business one has to decide upon a model and stick to it as long as it is working. It was my intention when I got involved in the design and production of modern sets that players and collectors and lovers of chess set designs generally should be offered good quality sets at resonable prices. At the time I intervened in the market, it was my personal opinion that sets sold by American drop shop houses were overpriced (allowing for the vastly lower production costs in India where all of the sets were being made) and that the chess playing and buying public were being fleeced by some retailers who were trying (at that time) to pretend they made their own sets in some cases in order to capture the 'home made' market.
However the market place has changed, I hope in part to my efforts and many other factors I'm sure. If there is a place for high priced well made 'Bentley' chess sets then all well and good time will tell.
Also I have no doubt that buyers of both high end sets and good quality lower priced sets will post their opinions here. I do not know if sets can be compared to each other in any real sense as beauty is in the eye of the beholder in many cases. Think for example how popular the old Soviet sets are becoming. My tip, buy them while you can
Yep that is super low pricing for an ebony set, the cost of the raw materials alone, and then the production etc etc...doesnt make buisiness sense, but then again is the price the only factor? is it a good reproduction ?
Official Staunton could never quite match such a pricing structure because our business model is different to most as we are not a clearinghouse -there's lots of those in Amritsar. As I said ages ago, if you want and can afford Bentley etc....:)