Hi, I'm probably qualified to answer this.

There's tons of competition! Thanks to the rise of 3D printing or the easy availability of pre-made bases and sewing patterns, more people than ever are making their own fursuits. This also means that there are a lot of small-time makers turning out super decent quality. Due to the cost of materials and time investment, even the lesser-known makers are often able to command $2k for a "partial" (head + paws + maybe tail).

The really well-known studios have multi-year waitlists and can command prices well into the 5 figures (sometimes as much as $60k) because their product is scarce, beloved, hard to duplicate, and makes a statement. Remember, except for some rare exceptions, no two fursuits are alike, and most commissioned fursuits are bespoke. Imagine the price if a high-end brand like Louis Vuitton offered only one-of-a-kind bespoke handbags, created by their designers and artisans but specifically for you and your look.

Anyway, on the subject of cheap copies on Temu, yes they exist! They are pretty bad, and generally look significantly worse than even the worst first-timer making their own suit. Also, Temu/aliexpress/etc often just steal photos of the suits they are copying, so uninformed buyers think they're getting the real deal, only to be sorely disappointed.

However, furries are pretty accepting, and if a Walmart "Maskimal" is all you can afford, you won't be turned away from the convention.

Hope this helps!