I'm not sure if you're right about that... either way, they need to be separate from the controller board anyway. You know, so the LCD is translucent.
But, if you can get 100 for $10.00... how would they plus the controller boards for them cost more than (if you say a 16 character by 2 line LCD costs about $6 because of the discount you'll get from buying in bulk)
100 16 character by 2 line LCDs for $600? That would mean that the parts for 100 controller boards would cost over $590. Well, this isn't really assuming I'd be buying in bulk either. But still, even if I buy just one for $.20 then (if you say a 16 character by 2 line LCD costs about $8 [not buying in bulk this time]) the controller board for it I wouldn't imagine would cost more than $7.50. And even if it's a buck more, I (as I said before) need the LCD to be separate from the controller board anyway.