Every living person is exploited by advertising of overpriced things. Whatever items you're talking about - and no matter the gender of the "primary targets" - the marketers will try to make us all want something so much as to not consider the value for money.
There have been massively overpriced items I've bought that I love and am not sorry for buying, and others that I just wish I had the money back. But sometimes you don't know until you try it! For me, Accuquilt is something I looked at and decided would be a huge waste of money. For others it's a worthwhile expenditure. It's all in how you feel about it.