I don't think that art supply costs are ludicrous. I'd be willing to bet that the average mark-up on a quality tool is in the 20-30% range. The mark-up on a cheap tool is probably in the 50% range or more.
If you want quality tools they cost money. You can get cheap stuff, sure, but ultimately you'll end up buying another cheap tool to replace the worn out tool.
The same is true for carpenters, chefs, musicians ... if you do something that requires a tool then you'd better be prepared to pay for quality.
That said, you can always try to buy used tools. Always go for quality and try to find people who genuinely care about their tools.
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