From the Rest in Peace department: Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor is no more. The store... not Jerry (although the owner evidently shut it down due to health issues). Many will know The Needle Doctor as probably the most famous phono cartridge retailer, keeping the faith alive during the lean years. Article said he ran it over 40 years. I bought several from him along the way. Prices were mostly manufacturer's list, but he was a good guy to deal with.
Due to increasing prices, I've gone direct from Japan (a couple of Denon 103 for $150.00, and an AT MC for small dollars). Denon always made decent cartridges, but their line has lately shrunk and prices have risen. A DL-110 is now three hundred and fifty dollars. A few years ago a little over a bill.
Not only that, Denon no longer offers trade in for retipping, making your purchase a one-time deal. Speaking of... at least two men work the on-line marketplace offering retipping service. For a lark I had a DL-160 retipped with a .02x.07 diamond. I think I was charged a Franklin + Ulysses Grant for the work. Not sure how he does it, but as far as I can tell it plays fine. If and when my 103 needs it, I will likely send it in for an elliptical diamond to replace the ball-point pen it now has.