To Cube or not to Cube?

One way to look at this could be based on current market values. Lets look at the Czhelm as an example:

Last time I checked, in Windia a Czhelm with 15% STR is around 1.5 billion. With an NX exchange rate of about 1:15, 1.5 bil is equal to about 100,000 NX. 100,000 NX = 83 Cubes.

If you believe in the market value of things, it will take you an average of 83 cubes to get 15% str on a Czhelm.

It would be nice if that was actually the way to determine the average cubes needed to used for unique gear with desirable potential. From what a lot of my friends mention, it's an average of 20 cubes to epic and another 20 to unique. That would suggest that unique items would have a base cost of 600m given a 1:15 nx rate which they sadly don't. If you don't get what I mean, look at 10 atk work gloves. As of current, they cost 170m average on Windia. This doesn't mean each gfa costs 34m does it? The same thing applies to cubing.

The only thing the 1.5b represents is the cost the majority of players are willing to spend on items of such caliber.