If you read the rest of the article instead of just the first few lines, you'll discover that "There is no way LEGO sets have always been this expensive; it is

If you read the rest of the article instead of just the first few lines, you'll discover that "There is no way LEGO sets have always been this expensive; it is just molded plastic." is simply part of the conversational setup leading into the discussion that disproves that part of the setup.