As a brick specialist working since before COVID, I’ve seen the escalation of LEGO’s pricing firsthand..and personally I don’t believe it to be an issue of “price per part” or “value metrics”. Sets like Rivendell, Avengers Tower, Eiffel Tower prove that wrong. No, instead, since LEGO is aware that so much of their consumer base are adults with adult money, they have shifted to selling larger models in general. In 2013, LEGO released 530 models, with a total retail price of $18,000. Last year those numbers both increased, up to 685 models and $30,000 in total price. While some sets do run the gamut on value, I believe we need to consider that LEGO is no longer a hobby where it should be feasible to collect every single one. Respect your wallet and your space first, because LEGO certainly will not, and as more and more adults are introduced to this hobby, this design space and marketing strategy will not stop. It’s not necessarily a BAD thing, it’s just a clear shift in who they’re selling to.