I had the same response when I wanted to purchase some Python...$39.00 a meter (that's 39" long) and you had to buy the hole thing. Well, I thought that was crazy, all I needed was a few pieces about 4" by 1" no where near 3 1/2 meters. In the end, once I made a hat with the python inlays, all hell broke loose, and I sold a lot of things with python inserts. Now I can't get enough of it.
Once you let someone know of the exoticness of something, it seems to really grab their attention.
And like Art say's, there's no way I'm going Python hunting.
Ken