Perhaps we should look at the material & man hours involved, to justify a cost presentation on a $2,000 drum?
A fair hourly shop rate is $40-60. but lets say 40 for now.
How many hours of labor would it take a pro, to build out a craviotto snare shell... 10..20...40? Lets say 20 although its probably more. 800
A nice plank of fine wood 100?,,,, probably more
Hoops, 60
lugs 75-100
Trick throw off and butt plate. 85
Heads. 30
Wires. 30
Mounting screws, bolts, and name plate. 50
And lets not leave out the years of training and knowhow (priceless)
So, I'm seeing at least $1,300 right off the top, and I'm fairly sure... I'm going WAY low on the build quote. not to mention postage & packaging
There is ALOT that goes into getting that drum to your door. I've paid as much as 4,850 (us) for a single snare. was it worth it? NOPE... but, It sounds great and plays wonderfully. and I can definitely see the cost it took to cast the shell and machine the hoops. could I have built it for less? I don't think so...nor do I have the knowhow.
~Just one angle to look at it from.
I'll play devil's advocate.
If it takes more labor to make something does that automatically make it better? From a practical standpoint?
If the snare sounds identical to a $500 ply snare, but costs 3x the price because a craftsman spent 80 hrs on it and the materials were sourced from a remote Himalayan village, is the extra price worth it?
To most people, I would say probably not.
But there are other reasons to buy an expensive drum over a cheaper drum that does the job just as well. It's the satisfaction of owning a piece of art. It's not so much about the practical use of that instrument, it's the story behind it, how it makes you feel when you look at it, the knowledge of what it took to build it in the first place, or simply a reward to yourself for a lifetime of hard work, etc.
To most, a solid shell drum is more of a luxury, whether they realize it or not. But to a scant few, it's not just a luxury, but a necessity because they feel they have qualities that they can't find in a ply snare.
My point is, there's a fine line between necessity and luxury.
I realize I'm going down a rabbit hole though. The argument can be made that a discerning snare connoisseur
needs that solid shell for it's subtle benefits over a ply snare. Yo-Yo Ma
needs his $2.5 million dollar cello because he's an elite musician, etc.
I'm completely open to criticism. Feel free to poke holes in my assertions.