Its more because of stupid environmental laws than anything that everyone has moved their production to Asia.
They're not stupid laws if you don't have to shut down the entire region's industry for a few months when you want to go sailing. Or breathe.
EPA and most Gov regulations are out of control, Way too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
The price on most toys seems to have really jumped in the past 6-8 years. I did some searching back through old receipts on a project I did in 2006 and was surprised to see 30-50% increases on parts across the board since then.
