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I bought the magnatile-knockoff-version essentially and while not as pure montessori as the wooden blocks, they're 1/10th the price and my 4-year-old is _loving_ this kit: https://amzn.to/3MVXRXg

If you are okay with plastic, Gravitrax is similar, cheaper, and fun. My son and I like to build marble runs together.

Wood's expensive these days. It's probably costing close to a ton just for the nice beech they're made of.

Beech is the cheapest of the common European hardwoods. Even through a distributor it’s only about 1400-1700 € per cubic meter in 5cm / 2” planks. For context, the cheapest construction lumber is about 300-800, oak 2500, american walnut 4000.

Have you tried buying cheap crappy sheathing ply recently?

It’s not great compared to 10 years ago, but the last 3 years it’s been pretty stable. About 11-15 euros incl VAT per square meter at retail prices for the cheapest 3-ply 9mm and 5-ply 12mm softwood ply, brazilian import.

I dabble in furniture, which means I’m looking at baltic birch plywood, at about 40 euros per square meter of 15mm 11-ply sheets. At that pricepoint I might as well buy actual hardwood lumber.