Due to low production volume, they have to amortize their R&D costs ($$$) over a small number of sales, hence the price.
You're paying for his development of the head to produce power, hold the gaskets, not overheat or leak water, minimal port to port flow differences, not just a product.
Making a head in house is only Step 2.
Do you really want to do flow bench, then dyno on a fresh engine back-to-back to see if it works?
No one gets it right the first time. Look at the list of 235 factory heads.
