One big issues is you used to be able to get materials for the same or similar price points as the manufacturers. So things you could build yourself, housing, furniture, etc., you could really save money on. Then the capitalist realized they could buy, and resell, all the materials at marked up prices. So it no longer is cheaper to build yourself when the other capitalists can get those same materials cheaper, export as much labor as they can, and give you a product that is not only cheaper than doing it yourself but also takes less of your valuable free time. Free time which no one has because we are working our lives away for other capitalists.

What is the saying about Ikea/premade furniture? Something like “I can build something just as good for twice the price.” ?

And it’s not just that kind of construction. Premade PCs are often cheaper because the makers are getting the materials at cheaper prices whereas when we go to the market for components they are heavily marked up.

So many hobbies and diy stuff is like this. Hobbies popped up using different things because those items were cheap and affordable. Once a market developed for them they crank up the prices and people move to the next thing that they can afford. Until there’s nothing left. So we sit on our phones and/or TV all day and rot out brains out because there is nothing else we can afford to do.