If you really mostly need only one mold for one element (apparently so it is), then why does everyone justify high set prices with new molds?
Come on - I don't know exact figures of set sales, but if a set sells 100000-times, then even 20000 bucks a mold would be nothing for TLG! It would up the price of a set by 0.2 dollars only.
Perhaps I'm wrong, if that is the case please explain the system to me and how it works BUT if I'm right, then I really cannot understand all the fuzz about new molds!
The Lego Group is a huuge company, and Lego is the most popular toy on earth. 20000 bucks shouldn't concern them that much, or should it? And even then we're talking about the maximum. According to statements of other users in this topic, they usually cost much less, even "only a few thousand dollars" (which equals $7000 in my mind) to quote Brickdoctor here.
Enpaz