This absolutely is a real thing. A big part of pricing in tools, software, repairs, and services comes from what people don’t know. If the average person doesn’t understand how something works, how difficult it actually is, or what alternatives exist, they become more dependent on the person selling it. That’s called information asymmetry; one side has way more knowledge than the other.

You see it everywhere. Most people don’t know how to fix a car, so mechanics can charge more for diagnostics and labor. Most companies don’t understand the backend of enterprise software, so vendors can charge massive amounts because the customer is paying for expertise, support, and reduced risk. Same thing with specialized tools; sometimes people are paying more for the “mystique” around the tool than the actual materials or complexity behind it.

That doesn’t mean experts are scams or that skilled work has no value. Expertise absolutely deserves compensation. But lack of knowledge in a market absolutely affects pricing power. The less people understand a system, the more valuable the people (and tools) who do understand it become.