In many ways we are involved in an artistic pursuit. Rarely does an artist get paid a decent hourly wage. He or she does it for the love of it and, in this day and age, usually has a day job. Some do come up with unique and beautiful work that ends up being worth far more than makes sense - often not until after their death. The true is there will always be cheap knock-offs and many people are quite happy with that. I do think that truly unique quilts, beautiful pieces of art often do command a fair amount. But lets face it, most of us are not Van Goghs. Someone that appreciates the look of a non-industrial home made quilt is probably willing to pay for it. But most are looking for an attractive bedspread that can be had for a reasonable price.
The fact that I have a couple of prints does not mean I do not appreciate their the artist's work. It means I can't afford the original.
Bottom line is the market sets the price for artistic works - not a calculation of hours served. And right now Ebay and Etsy are the market.
But to me, I still love the process, the creativity, and the joy of giving a quilted object to someone who really want it. Monetary value is not really in the equation.