the same happens with every release its just the pre ebay days releases - pre 2002 never saw the scale of production as well as sales through the internet. Germany 2006 boxes were still going for under a tenner 4 years after and I can still get them in bulk cheaper then this yet you can sell a box for twenty. its all about the unit cost. Have managed to pick up 2010 boxes for a fiver and will sit on them for a few world cups and then decide to make sets or sell as sealed. 

I recently swapped a france 98 box for 24 2010 boxes, and the france box only cost me £50,