While my experience is usually the same as the OP's, I've also spent $30 plus international shipping on a single 1" x 2" foil decal for my Raleigh.
__________________
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera