Film is expensive

Today I sent out 19 sheets of 4x5 velvia to Color Services in Needham, Mass. The film is 2.50 a sheet and costs 2.65 to process in total 97$. How can that be worth it?

Quality.

I wanted to visted Color Services before committing my film to them. I have been processing my own film throughout collage and I didn't like the idea of giving up that control. I woke up early, got my coffee and set up my tripod behind the coffee shop. I shot a few holders, and then drove down to the lab.