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It's an issue of supply/demand. As others have mentioned, there are many restrictions on their collection right now. Any that come into the market are aquacultured (labor/equipment intensive) or come from Haiti. If you don't already know, Haiti is a kinda sketchy place so running a business there isn't so easy. Couple these factors with the current high demand for them and you end up with high prices.
People who think they've gotten good deals on them probably didn't get R. florida-- most you find in stores are really misidentified R. Yuma from the Pacific, which aren't too hard to come by but usually aren't as colorful as the R. Florida. Green, Brown, and sometimes Orange are about the only colors you usually find them in-- rarely the incredible multi-hued orange, blues, and greens of R. Florida that people want.
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