The way I understand this article is that only the plastic has been replaced on the chip and that the cores are original.
If this is correct, I would say that it is safe to assume that obtaining the cores required a substantial investment, especially on some of the chips mentioned in the article.
What motivation would an individual have to purchase, lets say an "I" rated chip and go through all the procedures listed in the article
only to resell it as a reproduction or fantasy chip yhat should only sell for a few dollars ?