RE: Does the hobby really need to be cheaper?
I didn't like the word "fault", but it is about wanting something cheap, or being able to afford something cheap. Probably way more Cavaliers than Corvettes are sold, so Chev makes more Cavaliers as they know they will sell.
If every hobbiest stopped buying the budget entry level stuff, and only bought the high end vehicles, manufacturer's would start production to cater to that demand.