There is SOME willingness to pay more for higher quality name brand stuff in a retail location. If I go to Home Depot, I can buy pliers in three places: The ones in the tool aisle are nameless Chinese ones for dirt cheap. I dislike this kind of stuff and use only good brand antiques, BUT a lot of this low cost stuff really does seem to be entirely adequate and strong enough for considerable use.
Across the store, there is a tool section in the electrical area...I can buy Klein tools, which I consider pretty damn good in pliers at least, for a LOT more than Chinese stuff. Right next to the Klein pliers are more pliers with a brand name (cannot think of it) that look pretty good and cost about half of Klein.
This stuff has been that way for years, which surely means there are three grades of customer spending money at their different levels in a mass market setting.
I think truck tools, though, raise the ante too much for most normal people. The price differences between China, decent brand like Craftsman, and the ********* Snap-on stuff are enough to terrify the guy changing his oil in his driveway.
Mechanics need good tools, but other driving factors are status (I suspect the mech with Craftsman wrenches in a garage full of Snap-on users gets a lot of ridicule, even if his tools never break!) AND, probably very important, Snap on stuff is pretty easy to cash in when you are done with it. That is a real benefit that would be meaningless to the hobbyist with a little toolbox with a handle on top.
