Since when has reasonable quality cabin sized hand luggage cost $400-$500?

I travel with a perfectly good lightweight Antler pull along cabin sized lugagge and had a similar Delsey for about 10 years prior to that - both about £80 ($120) - both fit in overhead shelves and are fine for a night or two.

Around here you can pick up such lugage for as little as about £15 and as much as ....well the skies the limit. But you ceratinly don't need to spend the sums indicated.