Sorry but being from the UK I cannot help much with US prices

however if it would sell for £150 US that's about what I paid for mine some years back. Here if you found a buyer the price would be about £85-£125 at a guess that's $170-$250 US.
As for varibles

seeing as how most folks that buy varbile scopes never changed the setting I wonder why bother buying one

but they are popular as one scope maker has now dropped their fixed scope line and only makes varibles which is a shame as my preference is for a 6x42 scope.