Prices are always based on demand, not costs. So the difficulty of creating something is irrelevant to its price in the market. If there is a perfect substitu

Prices are always based on demand, not costs. So the difficulty of creating something is irrelevant to its price in the market. If there is a perfect substitute for a good, competition might drive the price down. In a perfect market, the price of a perfect commodity will equal its cost (in theory), but in practice there are no perfect commodities-- not even toilet paper.