**Male Answer Syndrome Alert** [see Click and Clack for more details on this affliction]
Here is a 75% made up fact. That is, I recall hearing it somewhere, but have no way of verifying its truth. I have heard that there is a molding process involved in the manufacture of windshields. The first 5 or 6 yield high-quality product, and the subsequent runs yield products of lower quality. I've heard that the cheaper windshields available in our local glass shops are from the "tail end" of the mold's life.
If that is true, it may or may not explain the price differences. It may be as simple as the vendors dealing with different shipping costs to get them to their warehouse. (This part is not a "made up fact) Depending on how much freight a catalog company brings into their facility, they qualify for different discount rates from the major motor carriers. If one company brings in only a little freight with the carrier that the glass vendor prefers, their frieght costs will be much higher than another cataloger that has qualified for better freight discount rates.
