Believe it or not but the recent prices are actually quite low! There was a time when blue candies were 5000 btb easy, and a yellow feather went for 10,000 plus, so, on the whole things have come down.
But yes, for those just starting out, its tough. The peeps who were actively collecting btb in the beginning of the inflation had an advantage, and those who had the means to sell game codes also had an advantage too.
But there are always times when collectible prices dip, so you just have to bide your time.