Is This Economics At Work?

[Rolief_Rechner]

My niece in US ask for help getting an HP35s for FE test.
Checking, prices new and used are now crazy high.
I ended up not buying, sent her an extra I had.

This NCEES that gives test has approved only two RPN calculators.
This drives the demand.
HP discontinued both, which drives prices.

Is this just economics at work?
Or is there more happening here?
Contacting HP on this has proved useless.

regards - RR