Hi chicagorob,
I understand … and these types of decisions are all part of each person’s personal value equation. A mattress like the one you purchased would be significantly less costly than a similar quality mattress that was made by a mainstream manufacturer so if you spent an additional $75 for a layer exchange and ended up with a combination that was a good match for you then you would still be saving hundreds of dollars compared to a similar quality mattress that you could buy from a chain store or mainstream retailer but of course these are all part of the tradeoffs that are involved with any mattress purchase.
The better options or possibilities that I’m aware of in the Chicago area are listed in posts #2 and #4 here. If I was in your area I would make sure to include Quality Sleep Shop / My Green Mattress in your research. They have a wide range of options and different types of mattresses to choose from that are all good quality/value choices.
Phoenix