Nils,
I don't doubt your sincerity for a moment. CSUSA has always been "customer-centric" to the nth degree. However, as you raise the cost of our products, we are, of necessity, raising our price to OUR customers.
A slimline sold at $15 that had a scratch or two in the plating was "saleable", "hand-made" products can be endowed with "character" in the process of assembly. My customer BOUGHT that! So, if I got a 10kt Cigar and the plating wore off-it was only one of a couple hundred sold-I can live with that.
However, you are now on a new playing field. If I spend $15 for a "tru-stone" blank, mount it on a $50 Emperor kit-I've got $65 in the pen-what does Craft Supply think I should sell it for? Assuming the answer is close to $200-that pen better be as close to perfect as is humanly possible-unless CSUSA is going to launch a national ad campaign to give all turners the reputation that Mount Blanc enjoys (albeit, their product does NOT impress me-they are a "standard" to which we need to aspire)
So, anything that won't make the grade at $200, you should expect to receive back-quality control is going to HAVE to be flawless.
THIS is my point. Good luck.