There are probably a number of things at play here.
I think this is probably more of a supply and demand issue than anything else. Most of the country has received their stimulous and tax return money AND they are avoiding going out to eat. To make demand even higher the weather has finally started improving these last few weeks so we are officially in grilling season. Between these two things it means more people than ever before are grilling at home. Hell I saw a brand new Weber grill delivered to a neighbor's door last week. Weber is probably fortunate in that they are a type of business that will actually see higher sales numbers through all of this.
Unfortunately COVID is also making supply a pain because whole factories may be shut down for weeks or months at a time. While the 26 is a popular grill it is also probably one where they only do a run of them every so often. It isn't like the 22 that probably gets manufactured 24/7. To make matters worst a lot of retailers are prioritizing food and essential supplies and probably almost avoiding large items. As I was writing this I decided to check a few retailers and found this at bbqguys.com. Leaves the warehouse in 6-8 weeks. So here is to hoping that we will see more of these panic buying 26ers on Marketplace at the end of the season at 1/2 to 1/3 of the price.
I will also be hopeful that they will make some improvements and color changes with this supply gap, but I am not holding my breath
I do think there will be a color 26er at some point in the next few years (fingers crossed Glen Blue), but I bet it will have a $399+ price tag and come form Weber directly.
