I am frankly shocked that companies can sell new hand laminated and finished carbon fiber laminations over machined cores, for 1500$, and do marketing, sales, service etc. on that same payment. AND make relatively few total products in a production line on a mold/core. Imagine just how many HO A3 66" skis are really made/sold in a year, same for the Strada. Would be interesting numbers, I'm sure we're not talking multiple thousands of skis per mold/design.
We're talking prepreg carbon lay ups shipped and stored refrigerated, then hand laid over pvc foams, with machined insert bushings, fin boxes and fins, cosmetic layers, and then of course assembly, final finishing, and shipping, with some profits.
However, I do think in reality there are quite a few people who would be more than content on some of the modern shapes, with less exotic laminations, at a price point in the 700-1K range. But I do think skis are surprisingly inexpensive when you really factor in
I laminate some stuff at work, and charge well more than 1500$/unit to make it worth the effort.