Pricewatch.com does not seem to support your theory. It looks like CRTs are about 1/2 the price of LCD of the same size.

Pricewatch lists:

20" LCDs: $1419 to $1796 (most 1600x1200)
19" LCDs: $781 to $1744 (cheap ones 1280x1024, expensive ones 1600x1200)
21" CRTs: $425 to $1643

It's hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison, but I'll agree with others here that the latest LCD screens, with DVI input and high contrast ratios, look as good as the best CRTs I've ever seen, maybe better since there's never any convergence or moire issues to worry about.

So, indeed, one can purchase a 21" CRT for less, but not a quality CRT. The cheapest price at Pricewatch for the Sony GSM-F520 is $1444. Likewise, Pricewatch lists a 1600x1200 Viewsonic 20" flat panel for $1505 and Dell will sell you their 20" flat panel for $1300 as part of a complete system.

Suffice to say that the huge premium once paid for LCD screens is no longer there. Once you factor in the convenience of avoiding a hernia when lugging around your 21" CRT, the LCDs just look better and better.