While looking for X2 I saw Dolphin Music in the UK is still advertising 8.5 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/42268-cakewalk-sonar-8-5-studio-.html
 
Mind you it does say "call for availability"

they probably order it when you order it = far less stock levels = they won't have it :) 

after what happened with turnkey and their overstocking I think that changed how folk keep stock or rather don't want to / do sale or return with suppliers.
 
   

I got my version in a smaller music shop where it had been gathering dust, he gave me a heck of a deal rather than bother to return it for the upgrade. Roland ( Canada )  has some kind of policy where dealers can return the box and get the newer version.  Or used to, been a long time since I was a dealer. Otherwise dealers would be reluctant to order stock as technology changes so fast. 
I used to sell a lot of the Floppy disks with MIDI files on them. I think 5 songs for $30!! A lot of folks had the Sound Canvas and Sound Brush for live gigs. Or workstation with Floppy drives. Now they're free , more or less.
 Roland was always at the forefront of music technology and used to cater a lot to the live performing "MIDI" musicians. I guess the money is in selling stuff to "geeks" that are locked up in a home studios now.