I don't know where the price of $250 came from, because as far as I can see, the price of the Mk3 version is around $129, and you also get another 5% discount if you pay with Bitcoin. I know shipping costs and customs + VAT can be quite expensive, but $250 is still a little too much for HW considering there are alternatives.

On the other hand, if someone for obvious reasons does not want to trust the most famous manufacturers, then even $250 is not too much.