While many LEGO pricing decisions are egregious, this one is surprisingly fair. Build quality is also much better. Looks more like what it's supposed to be, colors are more uniform, and the treasure chest isn't just a brown crate
Lego is just a big ripoff. They create artificial monopolies by taking exclusive licenses for IPs like Star wars and stuff. And then they can set the price almost arbitrarily. Or they hold onto the IP without ever releasing more than one or two sets, just to prevent other companies to be successful, such as with Star Trek.
Well, how they get these non- licensed sets sold is beyond me. Guess there are no alternatives from less expensive brands yet.