i don't know what you guys are smoking, but there ARE competitive brands. a certified pro has around the same feel and equal, or better quality than a GL3.

the only reason prices aren't competitive is because they are fixed through agreements with the shops that sell loomis. simply put, if they charge less than the loomis MSRP, loomis stops selling to them wholesale and they lose any reason to sell their stuff anymore. then you have the loyal customers that want to buy a status symbol, so they fork over $300 for a rod worth $150.