to tighten the wallet as much as the corset

As I was browsing Clockwork Couture the other night I came across a beautiful corset:

UPDATE 12/19/12- PHOTO NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Does this corset look familiar to any regular reader of this blog?  It should, as I wore it to both Emilie Autumn concerts at Mr. Small's Theater in 2009 and 2011, and as part of my Halloween steampunk outfit in October 2009:

Me + fake weapons = ridiculousness

This steel-boned corset has served me well in my neo-Victorian escapades.  It was quite a find for me at a time when I was just starting to learn about steampunk fashion and could only seem to find suitable steampunkesque apparel on eBay.

Clockwork Couture's price for this outfit, however, staggers me.  It's $60 more than what I paid for mine.  I understand that they have to make a profit and I probably directly ordered from the supplier, but really.  It's a mass-produced piece- it doesn't cost that much per corset to make it.  Sure, Clockwork Couture also has to pay for a website to advertise their goods, and the benefit of going to a website like theirs is so you don't have to search the web for hours looking for steampunk clothes- they've done the footwork for you and should be paid extra for it.  But $84 for a corset that cost me $22 on eBay?!  I consider that to be a rip-off.

I officially take back this post I wrote last July raving about Clockwork Couture's clothing being cheap.  Now that this item has been outrageously priced I have doubts on their other merchandise being such good deals as well.