I think it's all part of being a global and internet-driven economy. There are several quilt shops in my town, they all pretty much carry the same stuff. Manufacturers sell the same products regardless of region. Quilt designers want to sell as much as they can, so marketing patterns online to the entire country is a smart choice.
When I first started quilting, I was excited to shop the vendors at the quilt shows, a lot of times they brought stuff in I hadn't seen yet. Now I realize it wasn't because no one else carries it, it was because I was new and I hadn't seen it yet.
I think you might have better luck going international. I'm VERY intrigued by a lot of the designs coming out of Australia and Japan.