Agreed. Seriously I think I'm spending 3500 on my fruiting room (SOG style op) and it's going to be a lot more biologically productive than that setup (granted it is about a grand more). Then again I am going a bit overboard on somethings (i.e using only the best digital ballasts, using Magnum XXXL hoods, using the best 1000w bulbs, and getting a CO2 burner, Dehydrator, and Sulfur burner). If I really wanted to be cheap about it I could spend only $2500 and have a really rad setup still. To give you an idea of how far my $3500 estimate is going (of which 50% is bought), it includes expanded clay pellets, 4 water pumps, 4 air pumps+airstones, 4 res, 4 flood tables, 85 pots, various timers and sensors too, 2 1000w lights with lumatek ballasts and magnum XXXL hoods, 2 1000w Hortilux HPS bulbs, and 2 vortex fans, Plus all that other crap I wrote above. If you build things yourself and buy things from various sellers you can get some really good deals online, especially if you build up buyer and seller relationship with people.
If need be you can always make a decent cabinet setup for $700 bucks and a really good one for $1000. Thats what pisses me off when these sellers do huge markups (it costs them way less than 700 bucks to make your cabinet since they buy in bulk).
P.S. sorry if I'm sounding like a hater. Thats not my intention. I really just hate how these prefabricated grow ops ripoff the community. I also hate how anything weed related instantly has a 200%-500% mark up over it's non-weed related counter part. My best example is a flood tray for plants costs $70 bucks, but if you buy this same tray at home depot (it's called a concrete mixing tray or a plastic utility tub) they only charge you $11.95 and it's larger too!