Sander indicated below that 3D-Wild (the folks who actually do the printing) informed him they had issues with doing a full hull in 1/700. He did not elaborate on what those issues were, and he managed to work with them, and get them to do one in the end. So, I am inclined to think this price concern of yours is related to that. There is likely some technical issue that makes 1/700 full hull actually harder to print. Don't look at me...I have no clue why that would be. However, the designer has indicated the printer "had issues." Then, the price pops up this way. Conclude whatever you want from these clues.

To me, the pictures do actually look dramatically different than my memory of the Shapeways offering. And whatever CAD images he showed turned to featureless blobs and a rough surface in PA-12, in any case. To get whatever detail he intended, you had to go to acrylic resin, and up in price to over what this is offered at. And, yes, I am gambling. I am buying based on a rendering, not an image of the actual product. I want this bad enough that I am willing to try it. I will let you know how it works out.