Are other hobbies/pasttimes similar to the musical equipment industry?

[TheGreatGreen]

One thing I've found out about musical equipment is that most all of the mid-range and even upper mid-range gear is fairly well known and can be found in most places. However, as for the really high-end gear, lots of musicians don't even know it exists. How many guitar players have you met who could draw pictures of Fender strats, Les Pauls, and Marshall amps in their sleep, but have never even heard of amp companies like Bogner or Diezel, effects unit companies like Eventide, or guitar companies like Tom Anderson, Tyler, or McNaught?

 

 

Are other areas of interest like this? Like, are other industries' (like computer hardware, automobiles, digital cameras, etc.) most top shelf gear known only in small circles to people dedicated what they do, or are the best-of-the-best products of other industries known to pretty much everyone involved?

[TheAmazingBlob]

I'm fairly sure that would be the case, but I'm not really into anything else enough to know... Maybe not I suppose

[Sandman31774]

i'm sure that's the case with most anything...some mass produced well known (yet good equipment) and some companies that focus on the intricate details of their items that give them that special boutique quality no matter what the product...and the average joe doesn't study gear enough or care enough to check it out. Or have the money.

[duncan]

yeah. drug dealing.

[Skr4ped]

I would say with small electronics (digital cameras, computer hardware, etc) it's probably not feasible to be making small amounts of product. But with other things, it's certainly possible.