Why do long-stem roses cost more than short-stem roses?

Long stemmed roses are a symbol of wealth. The rose naturally blossoms on a stem about 6" long naturally. The beauty of the rose is accentuated by the length of a longer stem based on the pedestal principle. So the rose is forced to grow fewer roses by cultivation, putting more nutrient into the one rose rather than many. The side branches of the original stem are pruned away resulting in a very long stem.

A long stemmed rose can be displayed in a taller vase, as tall as 24" and still be spectacular. The long stemmed rose usually has a larger bud which results in a larger bloom. There are roses which will have a 3" long bud so obviously it is heavily cultivated and more expensive to grow. This is the reason for the wide variance in price. Miniature roses do not have the visual impact as the showy long stem variety.

So it's not the rose itself, it's the money spent on the arrangement.