I don't know if Harold and I are to blame, but I'm sure the constant threads on X-Marks are probably helping to drive up interest (and prices). I'm honestly a bit surprised that there wasn't more of a market for them in the past.
***.

I'd be willing to bet that virtually all of these cantles being sold on eBay are going to XMTS members or people who are influenced by what goes on in this community. It's actually a pretty cool little subculture thing that's built up over the last year or two with these MoD cantles. And as rare as these things are (not to mention their awesome styling and potential for repurposing), it's easy to see how the demand for them can shoot up, causing the prices to go up accordingly.

I agree, I'm surprised they didn't "catch on" like this before now! But perhaps that's also an interesting phenomenon worth thinking about. I've only been here about 3 years, but I've seen a dramatic change in the styles and attitudes of members here. As knowledge increases and enthusiastic members look for a nice balance between the historical and traditional look, we start to see a sort of 'revival' of old styles that wouldn't have happened just a few years ago. Could we call it a sort of *gasp* fashion trend?