The rising prices are sometimes the product of inflated & unrealistic expectation, but on the other hand, if the worth of something is what someone is prepared to pay for it, it could be that $200+ for a 9600 is a side-effect of Apple's rise to a higher share of the market in recent years.

In other words, the switchers might just be getting nostalgic - in which case, some of us would be rich if we could flog all our gear to new Apple users. For $200, I'd sell one of my 8600s. In fact, I'd let all three of them go for a knock-down price: $599.95. Get yer bargains here!