@Arutha wrote:
If Only I had the time, machinery and expertise! I will be happy once I can churn out replacement parts
This my friends is the next level, personally I too am working on just that, maybe not smart enough but I am working at it.
Also from what I understand is that the prices were up there several years ago, dropped and now seem to be going up again. If I were selling something I too would try to get what I can out of it. Supply and demand 
recently looking for a roller jewel and see that I can buy ONE for $5. what else can I do but buy a old movement and take a chance and have some extra parts. hard to get a pocket watch running without the right parts so I have to bite the bullet. In the end the one who cannot make parts is going to be paying whatever it takes to get them. It is possible, just like alot of others things, the seller is pricing out each part and coming up with a total for a complete watch instead of taking the time to part it out. In this day and age there are ALOT of people out there buying up stuff to resell, the days of going to a auction for something you need and will actually use without 20-30 others buying just for resale and the internet involved at the same time………are gone.
It sure would be nice to go back 30-40 years and buy up a slew of pocket watch parts cabinets. recently seen a guy selling off his cabinets of pocket watch parts and supplies for $2600.00 extremely expensive, though tempting, William