If dealers(auto anyways)aren't your first choice for reasonable parts it's something dealers themselves have earned on their own.If you've been around a while,you get a sense for what is safe to get aftermarket and what item should be dealer only supplied. I couldn't find an idler pulley for my **** car aftermarket so I contacted my neighbor who is the Parts Manager at the dealer.I wanted 2 pulleys (if one is shot,the other can't be too far behind).He priced them at $175 each.I finally figured out that NAPA had them at $40 each.I unboxed them and they were identical pieces,by the same manufacturer.It's just a pulley with a bearing pressed in it,not a big bit of engineering.
That's just an example of why people don't run to the dealer first.When you get something that is in the reasonable range,it always seems surprising.Until you price out the next thing and get hit over the head.I mean I walked into a GM dealer to get some GM antifreeze for a van with a motor known to have cooling issues with it's system.Dealer rang them up at $45 a gallon.The girl on the other side of the Parts Dept is still waiting for me to pay for that one. I walked across the street and bought Prestone "GM approved" antifreeze for $15.Probably made and packaged in the same plant.
I don't buy junk parts.I stick to Blue Streak,Moog,Walker,etc. No junk no name chaiwanese stuff on any of my stuff.If the dealer is within 25% of the cost,I'll pay it no problem.But half the time you end up walking away clutching your chest.If the dealer was reliably reasonable,they would have a line out the door.
Sounds like lift truck dealers are totally different.BTW, I'm not shopping if a filter is $12.