Just an observation.....in post #24 RickGr4 states "I spent $2,500 with AC Supply. 90% of that was A through D motors." That's $2250 worth of motors. If only purchasing C6 and D12 motors, that is approximately 315 packs of motors, or approximately just shy of 800 motors. That's a lot of motors for one person, for one year????
As for rocket kits, except for about a dozen or so kits that magically last forever (Alpha, Big Bertha, etc.), most kits have a lifespan of 2-5 years. It has been that way since the 70s. Some kits only lasted a year, for some the run was so short, they never made it into the catalog. The SPEV is an example.
Also, as for Estes specials on their website, there is a great response to that issue that shows up on the Model Rocket Building Website from an anonymous commenter: "There was a time when they didn't have any clearance specials on their website. Clearance specials like these don't last forever. Maybe they sold out of them? I predict it has nothing to do with the financial issues of the parent company, and more to do with it's time to end some of the specials. Most of those specials have been going on for the good part of a year, or over a year. You had plenty of time to buy, now it's over!"