When people start the short term value provided is low so they will not pay a lot. When people have acquired those skills they find other places are better to utilize those skills than the hacker/maker-space so they will not pay a lot. They'll have the tools at their new job, buy the specific ones they use or join a more professional workspace that has them.

I largely agree with the other reply here. The value increases as the users knowledge of tools, techniques, and community increases. This, however, takes a substantial amount of time. Most people simple aren’t willing or are unable to pay for the investment.

I disagree that people leave to guilds or build out their own space, except when they’ve outgrown the current space (which is so rare I can count the number of people on 1 hand). I can’t recall anyone leaving to a guild. A few people did go into the trades and took good jobs, eventually leaving.

The cheap trinket market is saturated and tough to crack, making it difficult for small makers to get a footing. It is possible, but it takes a fair bit of marketing/sales knowledge to get it rolling. I coached many early stage entrepreneurs who thought their stickers and laser etched boxes would make them a living. Unfortunately, they were usually not able to capture the long term value of the space and we’re gone within 2 months.

I think there’s a quality to price ratio problem for makers. Their specialized skillset which takes years to master is simply not worth that much to most clients. It is hard for clients to justify paying $1500 for a desk when you can get something that works and looks okay for $200 from IKEA or target.

Maybe I’m wrong, but these are the things I’ve noticed.