IMO...World demand....in China.....for all metals has driven Nickle, Copper, brass, Iron and even Lead through the roof. This has been going on for the last 10 years. Manufacturing of products that require metals has forced the price to increase. IMO...If you buy a fishing reel today, that is a new "top of the line product", you will get a reel with graphite, plastic and other substitute for gears....etc at a high price. Now, if you want a quality fishing reel, your best bet is to buy a couple of old Vintage Penn Reels off of eBay and cannibalize one of the reels for parts. That way you still have brass, stainless steel, copper etc in your reel and not plastic or reinforced graphite.
The same with "Double Edge Razors"....go to flea bay and get a few Vintage Gillette razors. They clean up nice and will outlast your lifetime...with proper care. Or else you can stick with the expensive, plastic razors for a subpar shave.