What makes a lure an $8 lure vs. a $25 or $29 lure

[gpag]

When I go to a bait shop and I’m looking at lures I see very similar looking lures but one is usually plastic and under $10 while the other is wood and closer to $25 or more. Aside from the workmanship needed to create the wood lures, are they functionally that much better to justify the higher cost?

[mosquito13]

hand tuned , put a bass master's pic on the packaging...  

[Juan]

one word: DEMAND. 99% of lures are made to catch fisherman not fish! Lures are one thing that you don't always get what you pay for.
That being said, some are way better than others and wooden lures like balsa are usually lighter, have higher quality hooks and a tighter more realist action.
I've seen a lot of untested lures hit the market with a fair price tag but once they get a reputation for catching fish, the price tag triples.
Pay Kevin Van Dam a million dollars to use his name on the label and the price will go up on a rock.

I use a lot of Rapala lures that sell for about $7 each these days.. I found a look alike made in China that sells for under $1. and bought a couple dozen.. They attract fish as well but I had many hooks straightened out so have to change the hardware when I use them.
A hungry fish will eat almost anything. I've seen bass caught on a miniature Budweiser can and on a lure that looks like a mermaid.

I'd pass on the high priced, fancy colored lure with the bells a whistles and buy the lures that resemble what fish in your area eat as their normal diet.