It is happening across all crafts, in all places. I have been building custom fishing rods for over 25 years, and have seen the same thing. Cheap imports have always been around, but today, they are being made better than they used to be, at least visibly, so unless a customer really knows the details, it is hard to explain the serious cost differences. Even then, it is hard to break through the concept of having one well crafted item vs. 12 inexpensive ones that, to an untrained eye, aren't much different.

The sad fact is that the majority of people are now living in a disposable world. The idea of having something good to take care of and pass on down doesn't seem to compute, not when they can simply replace something for a fraction of the cost. There are far fewer people today who understand craftsmanship for what it is. More and more, it seems that the only people who seem to appreciate it, are other craftsmen, regardless of their medium.

I don't have an answer. It used to be education, but more and more each year, that fails to be a suitable solution.