This stackexchange answer I sought out after seeing the video from Jeff Geerling[0] provided the best explanations I had seen.<p>Also a helpful recommendation to use <a href="https://www.rpilocator.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.rpilocator.com/</a> to find any supply when it becomes available.<p>TL;DR/TL;DW<p>While what everyone surely has guessed to be the case is true (demand is so high they would have increased the production rate to meet that demand if not for supply chain shortages), commercial customers that have priority are sucking up most of the supply so very few are left for the hobbyist market. Interestingly, some RPi producers seem to be skimming some of their own production to scalp on the hobbyist market for higher prices.<p>[0]<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krpac-MaD5s" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krpac-MaD5s</a>