Smaller, local seed companies likely have a lot lower overheads and costs of sales and may be able to offer high quality current genetics at a lower price than companies with high advertising and office expenses. Smaller, local seed companies also may concentrate on a few locally adapted varieties and not have to grow, process and store the wide range of products that the majors do.

I have had extremely good luck with smaller local seed companies products. Kaltenburg, until they went out of business due to family issues, and now Carhart. Neither was especially "cheap" for short season, good yielding and standing vt3 corns but they have good locally adapted varieties for what appears to be a fair price compared to some majors.  The small local companies also don't seem to inflate list prices so they can then discount them in several ways common to the majors. For non gmo numbers, they have corns in the range of prices Ed mentions.

The Carhart 8992 I used this spring was also the highest quality seed I have ever put in a planter: clean, uniform size and shape and amazing germination, even after a tough year (2012) to raise seed corn.

Jim