My guess is probably around $100-150 per unit, and I'd also guess that the main part of the profit is in the laser-cut parts, at $200. Now, they take quite a bi

My guess is probably around $100-150 per unit, and I'd also guess that the main part of the profit is in the laser-cut parts, at $200. Now, they take quite a bit of time to cut, and laser cutters aren't cheap, but look at the numbers. That's a lot of profit. My hackerspace mix-and-matched a whole bunch of stuff from makerbot industries because one of our members had a laser cutter and could make those in his basement. The MakerBot "Laserless kit" is modeled after the order we put in. We compared a lot of part prices to those found in catalogs, and the price difference was so negligible that it would have been more of a pain in the butt than anything to buy all those parts (hardware, motors, microcontrollers, pulleys, bearings, belts and the like) from catalogs. Sure, they order in bulk and get a discount. There's profit being made on the small stuff, but I'm still betting the laser cut parts are the cash cow for them.