Why CD players so expensive when the fomat is dead

"by the way, if a product is being discontinued, the price usuually goes down not up."

No it does not. I'm not talking about when product model x is replaced by model x.1. I'm talking about a technology CHANGE. When a technology is phased out and production levels fall to a tricle- the price goes way up.
Look at the price of a dial-up external modum, almost the price of a whole computer and needs to be ordered. You can still buy a cassette player and you can still buy a VCR, BUT look at the prices. You can still by LPs of most rock released, but look at the price - $30 for a record. You can still buy blank Metalic cassette tapes, but look at the price- 30 bucks for a blank cassette. You can still buy NOS vac tubes, but look at the price!

That's crazy talk. That crap is cheap.

OK - get on down to your WalMart job now.

If it were dead we wouldn't be here talking about it.

I just ordered a rare re-master of a Monolake's 1999 Interstate, on CD, from the UK. The format is not dead. Most people I know who enjoy music have tons of CDs, I only know 2 folks who are deeply into vinyl.
I do think high-end CD changers are dead. There are still plenty of cheapo changers and single-disc players on the market for the masses. Yamaha, Sony, and others are still selling them.
I will say the audio-only section of Best Buy has shrunken to about 3 shelves.