On Jul 21, 12:09*pm, "Steve Freides" > wrote:
> Holy Toledo! *We were in the local Whole Foods market today - vanilla
> beans are sold _one_ at a time, in glass or plastic jars, at a cost of
> between $6 and $12 - that's for one freakin' bean.
>
> I called a store not too far from here, a huge place we sometimes shop
> that has fabulous prices and usually sells in quantity - $4.49 for _one_
> bean.
>
> Yowser! *I'd love both an explanation and a source for less expensive
> vanilla beans.
>
> Thanks.
>
> -S-

From Google:
http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/...-vanilla-beans