I need new glasses. The only insurance-approved place I can shop online will cost $250 with my needs. I went to a "cheap" glasses website that doesn't accept insurance: $250. Yay, America.
The optometrist recommended seamless bifocals. I have a very painful nerve condition in my face (atypical trigeminal neuralgia), so this is what I need with glasses: the lightest weight frames possible- known as ultra light- with the lightest weight lenses possible and automatically darkening lenses so I don't need the weight of sunglasses. The cheapest frames brought the total to $250 on the site the insurance worked with.
The frames are $20 on the cheap site. Everything else in the cost is the lenses.
As for why I have to buy them online- I don't want anyone touching my face unless it's absolutely necessary. The exam was painful enough.
American for-profit healthcare is fucking awesome.
I can make you something really cool with 10¢ worth of yarn. You're paying me for my time, the logistics, and the fact that everyone involved needs to eat. This shit doesn't make itself.
If you wanna point out the ridiculous prices of stuff on that website, there are plenty of dramatically wise offenses there. I just bought their PI7 though.
All this requires is a metal stamping machine and some quick assembly. We're not talking about a car here, it's a pair of eyeglass frames. The fact that you can get titanium frames for under $50 shows that this is ludicrously overpriced.
So design, storage, QA, logistics, and everything that's necessary to actually get them in your hands don't matter to you?
Edit: also the glasses you linked only need a stamping machine and a bit of deburring, but the ones I linked are much more elegant and also IMO look far better. Kinda ironic given how absurd the rest of their products look.
If you can't afford the really nice ones, get the really cheap ones. Everyone's plastering this post with links to chapter options and you're acting like it screws you over that better stuff exists. I've been using glasses with the coating chipping away because I'm saving up to get nice ones. The dude with a Lambo isn't depriving you of your scooter.