I can confirm your pricing pain.
I am working on getting some wider rims and getting them laced to my wheelchair hubs so the 1 3/4 inch wheelchair rims with 25 stone of guy stop sinking into the grass every tme I roll off the ramp to my house.
Best quote I got was $1 per spoke without the rims or hubs.
I must admit it looks like getting one of the members here in the U.S.A. to have a walgoose delivered to them, then send on the rims to Australia is looking better all the time.
Hopefully. given 6 months or so for the usual buyers to get sick of them a few will start turning up second hand, as long as the. oz$ doesn't slp too far in the meantime.