things have gotten incredibly expensive over the years. Even decade old designs such as the Warthog are selling for exorbitant prices. The X56 being in short supply certainly didn’t help in that regard.
Now the Warthog is no longer a mid to high end option, and is competing with thouse boutique brands, that, in my opinion, are making better quality products (The Virpil throttle, especially, blows the Thrustmaster out of the water).
VKB recently started selling it’s Gladiator NXT, with good acclaim and reasonable price. It would be my choice for the stick if I was buying today. I think it can be a great pair with a CH Pro Throttle for a while, and if one day you go for a left hand upgrade, I think it will remain relevant, even when coupled with a premium piece such as the Virpil.