I can't stand people who use core prices to gauge the value of something. A guy had 4 engines for sale here. 3 of the 4 were stuck. He said so and so place charges $400 for a core and so he wants $250 each. I offered considerably less - they're stuck, may be absolutely worthless, how will I know, and then, of course I got the lowballer, scum of the earth speech. He was one of those guys who likes to play the scrap card and when I pointed out that my offer is slightly more than he will get for scrapping them, he starts with the oh, well, but, umm back tracking. Needless to say, I did not get them.
The PITA or core value has more to do with ensuring that you get a core back. It's usually high because it encourages the customer to return a core for a good chunk of change and it enables the shop to continue to provide a rebuilt product to future customers. If there is no charge, then cores will not come back, the supply dries up, and the shop can no longer provide the product and this affects everyone. The same is true if the core price is too low.
Prices are also typically higher when buying from a business rather than an individual. Business overhead can have a lot to do with it but what usually comes with the higher price is expertise, and, believe it or not, a more personalized service; if there are problems, you'll probably have a better chance of returning used products or making an exchange with a business. Businesses generally want happy customers. For individuals, this doesn't really matter.
Lawrenceville, GA