pikevi: I agree, $299 plus shipping is a lot for a birch small decorative piece. $199 for the same thing is a better buy.
buttOn: How much is the shipping? It's 20 lbs.
I've included a wood comparison chart, just to give you an idea of cost to build it yourself. We need one of the fellows who do woodworking to questimate how much wood is needed to make this stand.
Then, you would need 2 trays. These trays are nice but a bit pricey when sold individually. I've seen them for as much as $65 apiece.
Haven't found a spectrum light fixture & bulbs for this size table, but I would guess that it could be at least $35-$50.
So, if you add up the cost of wood, 2 trays, a spectrum light, that in itself may be close to the cost of the already inclusive table. And don't forget, you'd still need to build it! So, I guess you need to do the comparison and figure out if the price of the table and shipping is your best option.
Good Luck.
http://www.verifiedsoftware.com/goodturns/woodcosts.htm