$250 an inch is a high price for a cycad, but it's cheap compared to an E. dolomiticus at $2000 an inch. People sell E. latifrons by the 1/4 inch. I've seen freshly rooted woodii offsets that were just over 4" that went for $12,500.
Cycads are used by many people as investments, but like with fine art or any special collectible, you have to invest in the right plants.
Seed production is the best investment to me. On a female plant, you can pretty much make twice what the actual mother plant is worth every other year, and you still get to keep your plant. There is nothing like having a garden to play in and with some hand pollination, make what many people make at a full time job.
On the coffee, has everyone seen my article I wrote 6 years ago on using used coffee grounds to kill insects? I didn't know how many people knew what I was talking about with the coffee and the cinnamon. Tom
