I have been paying a co worker to reload my 38 specials. Better than buying new.
“...22 lr box of 500 used to run about 20-25 bucks....”
I remember $8-10-a-Brick of Remington “Golden” .22LRs, back in the late 90s. I also remember cases of 6,250 Remington .22LR for $98, back in the mid-80s, at gun shows.