Yes, I fully understand that the retailer must make a little money (and a lot in DC!) but my problem is on the label's end.
We've been through all this before and it always seems that $12 ends up being about the fair price that the consumer is willing to spend. The DIYers often do it for about $10-$12 but they don't have quite the overhead; however, they also don't have the advantage of bulk prices on their end for their needs.
Same old arguement and the same people end up losing out when these prices are too damned high. Even though the better off professionals couldn't care less about how much they pay, it's the rest of us whom they need to factor into their equation if they all want to stay afloat; otherwise, we all lose out in the end for a few extra dollars that lasts for only so long.
I still firmly believe that any retail music store in the DC area now needs to supplement their income by combining as both a music store and something else. It's sort of innovative but definitely doable with the right combination of creative and business minded owners.
