No point crying about it...that's the way it is. And we don't need to even go into the obvious availability of lesser quality reproductions or the slow proliferation of source unknown general replacement parts, do we? Good news is reproduction type parts are getting better, and some categories of parts (like all the Camaro's wiring manufactured by M. Parker Autoworks Factory-Fit) has been on the money since the beginnings of the restoration industry. More good news, of course; not one of us is paying the General's current newer car parts prices for this stuff either....it's hundrerds for a GM equivalent tail light lens that costs in reproduction under $35 (and, ours anyway, is correct, and it will give 20 years service too).....think you're going to get ANY newer car exterior emblem for 10 bucks or less today from Chevy? Compare current GM pricing for a piece of Camaro trunk seal (It's so high we discount this item considerably from GM list, and it's still embarrassing to charge so much). Yes, the quality is there...not quite technically correct but for most close enough, and with great cosmetic appeal. Or price a set of newer car factory replacement seat covers, or a door panel...just about anything....you'll get the idea.
If you were to open a 1984 copy of Classic Camaro, Inc's Parts and Accessories Camaro catalog (by far the leading Camaro parts retailer of that era) and check the retail costs of then existing restoration type parts like park or back-up lamp housings, or lenses, or some RS system stuff....then check current retails from just about any (ahh, well - but not all) Camaro parts retailers.....not many industries haven't seen retail price increases in over 20 years.
Then again, that same '84 catalog's GM pricing will bring you to tears...69 cowl hoods at retail for less than the cost of todays good reproductions and we can't bear to tell you the old price of new GM Camaro hood hinges. OK, we've digressed from the main topic, please