In reply to:

which makes you wonder why Axiom can't afford to sell them cheaper if they are bypassing the middle man.



I was thinking the same thing not that long ago. There is a dealer in my town who was an Axiom re-seller and he is in the process right now of dumping all of his Axiom line. He dumped Axiom in favour of another line. The prices he's selling Axiom stuff for is embarrassing to say the least.