They were $5 each when discontinued – I bought 2 more then (which iirc was the limit per person). That said, I’m frankly never reselling mine. It took me 20 years to find a controller that let me play strategy from the couch comfortably, and I need to maintain at least one working one indefinitely (until there’s another good option).
So, I totally get why they’re pricey now. Is it worth it? There’s literally no alternative, so in that sense, I guess yes.