I would argue that the price difference between Vanford and Luvias LT is no more than $20 in the current market; too few current sellers of the former and too much availability for the latter, I guess. There was a bit of a lag in stocking Luvias FC LT models after production had switched to China, but now there is no shortage of FC LT2000S at about $250-260, depending on the exchange rate. Ballistic LT is surprisingly expensive, despite being positioned as a lower-tier model by Daiwa when compared to Luvias LT. I think both Daiwa and Shimano hit a sweet spot with Luvias LT and Vanford, respectively, and their price points. But I must say, having spent a few months fishing with various models from Luvias LT and Certate LT line-ups, I don't think I'll be entertaining other options anytime soon.