duodeluxe, i took it for granted that part of the process of crossing over the oil filter at an auto parts store would include a comparison of the price.
all aftermarket parts have potential quality pitfalls, no matter where they are procured. By the same token, genuine OEM parts present pitfalls in pricing, and only an experienced hand can tell the difference between parts priced due to quality and complexity, and parts priced to cover warehousing/shipping/brokerage costs. the only way to avoid these pitfalls is with experience and technical knowledge, there is no magic formula that can be passed on to a novice. The only formula that works with any reliability is that purchasing genuine parts from the manufacturer as often as possible will ensure the fewest quality-related parts failures, and the most after sales support from the manufacturer.