What's going on is insurance, shipping costs, inventory taxes, and online pricing that shuts local stores.
The usual stuff.
The numbers on the recalled Stealth heaters are indicative of something. Over all the years Marineland made and sold the stealth heaters, they sold less than a million of them. With China essentially taking over the world's manufacturing of inexpensive items, a whole sale customer has to place an order for a container of goods and sit on that until they are sold. They jack the price up from $2.50 to $15.00 to make a profit and enough money to place their next order and a return on investment. Each step in the chain to the customer has to make a living and a profit or they're out of business.