It's the slick design and component based magnetic click-together configuration that you're paying for. Like icefox points out. That kind of design and polish

It's the slick design and component based magnetic click-together configuration that you're paying for. Like icefox points out. That kind of design and polish would take a lot more than $199 worth of your time. Although it would be pretty fun as a hobby DIY project (even cooler with sensor blocks for testing robotics/iot/etc).