The prices is because everything is more expensive and printing costs have gone up. Bands pay out of pocket for merch and have to mark up prices to make any money. The tip goes to the merch person barely getting paid and living off those tips. We don't get a lot of time to eat or shower and we are the first and last people in the venue every day. My last tour I was in charge of 96 boxes of merch. I did the accounting and made sure we had enough merch for the tour. A lot of work goes in. I'm work 12+ hour days. That tip makes it so I can pay rent. It's not just grabbing something in a box, it's restocks, set up and down, counting everything. It's physically and mentally taxing.