re: Just picked up a used Seagull dreadnought cutaway for 200 bucks,

Seagull and its sister Lasido brands, Godin, La Patrie, Simon and Patrick, Art and Lutherie, are stellar guitars and there are nothing cheap about them from a materials, craftsmanship and general luthiery perspective. I have said for decades now that one would be hard pressed to find a better value in a guitar, new or in particular used. And they have been in the U.S. marketplace long enough so that they are plentiful on the used market.

The general reason they are so cheap is that:

a.) Lasido utilizes a program in which Canadian companies which utilize domestic commodities to make export goods get a sweet government subsidy for doing so. In the case of Lasido, the commodity is lumber. More specifically, the spruces and cedars used for soundboards, wild cherries used for sides and backs, walnuts for headstock veneers, etc. Keep in mind those Canadian forests that feed Lasido that prime tonewood are also feeding Martin, Taylor and the rest of North America's reputable luthiers their great wood stocks.

b.) Lasido has generally relied on grassroots, word-of-mouth marketing from their dealers and fans like myself for decades. They have never invested heavily in costly advertising and marketing campaigns in the vein of what we see from Martin, Taylor or other major manufacturers. Reduced marketing costs transcribes to reduced production costs.