Special $17 oil to season a pan, a multi day oven drying process, wtf?? I'm sort of baffled by this because I can buy a perfectly usable Lodge cast iron skillet

Special $17 oil to season a pan, a multi day oven drying process, wtf?? I'm sort of baffled by this because I can buy a perfectly usable Lodge cast iron skillet for about $20 and not go through any of this nonsense. Is the inefficient recycling of old pans a thing now?