Agree, it’s a travesty. They’re like hens teeth over here. Been trying to get a pair for over a year. Still no luck. The shipping and add-ons really get in the way. I did a quote with UPS and it was £200+ for shipping, then 20% VAT plus a few random/maybe customs fees makes it north of a $850-900. Which is about what a pair of UK-native forks go for… but never come up for sale.
At $280, it sounds daft, but they enter the “maybe, just maybe” window. I’ve convinced myself I love the chase as much as the purchase.
Strange ...I sold 2 of my 6 Powerlites for 650 Euros + shipping each this summer. Maybe its different here in Germany. Although the UK is known for having the most and especially mostly insane people when it comes to retro MTBs