Why do better MC cartridges cost a fortune?

Inna,
If someone is willing to pay $10,000-$15,000 for a MC cartridge.....the least he would expect (I imagine) would be to be able to instantly identify his precious treasure from the ’riff-raff’.
Imagine his consternation if he can’t......😱
I say he can’t........

Why do better MC cartridges cost a fortune?

Why do YOU think they're better?
Just because someone charges $10,000 or $15,000 for a MC cartridge....and some people are happy to pay that.....what makes you think the higher priced cartridge is BETTER....?
I've heard a lot of high-priced MC cartridges and I can tell you that IMO they are NOT better.....
Not only are they not better than the lower-priced MC cartridges.....they are not better than most of the  $200-$600 vintage MM cartridges that I have in my collection. Nor my favourite vintage MCs.,...
Why do you think that in Michael Fremer's infamous 'shootout' of 9 cartridges (8 of them MMs)....the $9,000 Ortofon Anna (the only MC) came fourth behind a bunch of low-priced MM cartridges....?
And that was in the  Continuum Cobra arm on the Continuum Caliburn turntable....👅
This 'myth' about higher priced cartridges and MCs in particular (propagated mostly by Reviewers) is swallowed hollis bolus by a gullible audience at large, who.....generally can't compare side by side, on multiple turntables and multiple arms.....the validity of these reviews.
But neither can the Reviewers......👹 

Well here's a challenge for all those Reviewers (and Audiophiles who wish to claim MC superiority)......
I will pay Business Class airfares from anywhere in the world to Sydney, plus one week's accomodation to undergo a controlled 'blind' test at my place.
The test will have my two turntables with a total of 6 arms and 6 cartridges.
Any challenger can bring one MC cartridge of his choice which will be mounted in one of my six arms.
The other five arms will have a selection of my low-priced vintage MM and MC cartridges plus one $10,000 'current' MC cartridge.
Here's the challenge.......

• Identify the MM from the MC cartridges (twice)
• Identify the high-priced MC from the low-priced vintage MC (twice)
• Identify the challenger's OWN  MC cartridge (twice)
• Match the cartridges to themselves (i.e. identify them)

Here's the chance (Reviewers and Pretenders) to prove your 'Golden Ear' abilities  if you're brave enough.
If you fail.....you'll still have a nice trip to Sydney.
It just won't be free.....🤗

Whart,

Halcro- have you compared say the Airtight (not even the Supreme, but the original PC-1) to the comparable Lyra (which at the time, was a Titan i, except for the "limited" production Olympus)?

I've had several Lyras including the Helikon, Titan i and Atlas and my friend Richard, had the Olympus for many years on his Caliburn/Cobra.
The Olympus was nice and the Helikon was listenable without the nervous high-frequency prominence and lack of body and soul that shrouded the others.
I have not had first-hand experience of the Airtights except at Audio Shows.

Is your proposition that a cheap MM is going to sound every bit as good as something in this realm?

No.....my proposition is that a great 'cheap' vintage MM cartridge sounds BETTER than most of the current high-end, high-priced MC cartridges. And as good as the very best vintage MCs I've heard.

I have a few 'current' MM cartridges (including the winner of the Fremer Shootout Audio-Technica 150ANV) and can say quite confidently, that they have generally lost the 'magic' of those MMs created in the Golden Age of analogue.
They can be good....just not great. 
The same story with MC cartridges in my experience....😢