Originally Posted by cyrano138

As recently as last month, I was able to buy a wheelset with origin8 36 hole track hubs laced to weinmann lp18s for $170. At $50 each for the hubs, $30 each for rims, and 72 bottom of the barrel spokes at $.9 each, that's $220. That's before labor and shipping.
I realize that wheelbuilders would rely on an economy of scale obviously, and that they don't pay retail prices for hubs or spokes, but even with steep discounts for parts it's hard to see where they're making a profit unless some of those prices are inflated. Hence, my feeling that I'm doing something wrong in my search for parts and that $50 for a basic hub might be a bit much and there might be cheaper options available.