Until January 1, 2010, use the code MW09AUSTEN when checking out to receive a 20% discount on Cambridge University Press’ Austen titles. (This might be US/Canada-only; sorry about that.)
That means the the Cambridge editions of the novels are now available for the low-low bargain price of *counts on fingers* $720! Yes, we are being sarcastic.
AustenBlog 
For heaven’s sakes are these individually hand lettered by monks on antique vellum?
In that case, it’s a bargain.
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I did break down and buy the Cambridge MP a couple of years ago and it is an outstanding edition! Detailed notes that really enhanced my understanding of the novel.
I’d like the rest of the volumes, but like most of us, I’m waiting for the paperback versions, whenever they appear.
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The cost arises not from the physical product but basically from paying off the costs of the academic editing process in a series which is meant to be the replacement for the Chapman series as the definitive text. Purchasers at this stage must think of themselves as ‘early adopters’ or more altruistically, contributers to the sum of human knowledge and understanding. The rest of us will have to wait a little (or go to a good library). Seriously, these costs, though high, are not more than many heavyweight science books and a much better us of a library’s budget.
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I do understand part of your reasoning, Stephen. However as one of the volumes of this collection is already available for everyone in paperback format: Jane Austen in Context (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen) – Janet Todd (editor):
http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Austen-Context-Cambridge-Works/dp/0521688531/
I’m am sure that Cambridge could meet the expenses of the editing process and research if there were available paperback editions of the other volumes too, because I’m sure we would invest in them as we have invested in that paperback volume by Janet Todd, instead of those hardback editions which are only affordable for libraries.
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