Murray McGregor expressed a quaint, almost Keynesian view of modern international markets: > ...if there was no market they would not be available... I don't think there was ever any actual "demand" for a cheap plastic 2-frame tangential extractor! :) Demand does NOT always drive supply. Supply (availability) often creates the "demand". In this case, I'd guess that a customer base that is doomed to suffer from universal buyer's remorse will make for a very short period of "demand", followed by complaints, demands for free replacement parts and refunds, and an eventual withdrawal of the product from the retailer's catalog. Yes, there is a demand for extractors, but it was a "cost-rationalization" effort designed to undercut the price of all existing extractors that resulted in the cheapest possible extractor that could be made and still called "an extractor" with a straight face. Competition among makers of legitimate products drives prices down to a "minimum". In order to undercut everyone else, the new market entrant is forced to offer a deliberately shoddy product. No matter what product you consider, there is likely a way to shave some cost off, but at some point, quality and basic utility gets shaved, and the customer is clipped as a result. While it is true that everyone would like to pay less for everything, one need go no further than the nearest Wal-Mart to see the end result of seeking the "lowest price" as one's sole goal. The result is "landfill merchandise" shoddy crap that barely works, breaks with ease, and has a lifespan that can be measured in weeks or months. You get what you pay for. Pool your money, and set up a shared honey house. Better yet, join a local beekeeping association, and never lack for places to extract your honey and friends to help you do it. Even though a handful of other beekeepers use my honey house, it still sits idle for most of the year. The first 5 years I kept bees, I produced nothing but Ross Rounds simply to avoid the need for an extractor and the other toys. jim :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::