Outta hand by my standards means nothing to someone with more disposable income. The market would tell us that if they are selling well enough to support the manufacture of them, they must not be out of hand.
Re: the current fad, I bet it is like craft or micro brews. They go in and out of style with the trendy folks formerly known as yuppies, and when the yups move on to red wine or martinis or whatever, only the strong survive. The yuppie players that just want something that is "the best" to have in their rec room will support a few of these companies while it is trendy, and when it is not, only the strong will survive. ( EDIT: The above does not imply anything about any one who participates here. A musician looking for a quality product that sounds right to him/her is not the same as a yuppie buying because of being caught up in the current buzz. My point is that some companies will fail if they are not the real thing, both from a product point of view, and a business model point of view, when the buzz tapers off. ) (EDIT AGAIN: I am regretting throwing out a label like "yuppie". I guess if someone with significant means who is less careful with it than I am throws their money toward guitar equipment, who am I to judge? I still think only some of the bootik amps/other equipment will survive when those folks move on).
I would spend bigger dollars on a higher end amph if I had it, though I would probably go for a more known quantity than a really small bootik for the same money. My Grandma always said about furniture, buy a good piece once and use it a long time, rather than one you are going to have to replace in a few years Re amps, if I had the dough, I would go as bootik as something in that H&K line you bought, which is out of my 2 -3 hundred used amph price point currently. (special closeout that I missed set aside). I would also consider a 22 watt Fender, or even a Bassman.(bigger, I know). Also, if I had the dough, I would go at least a Martin D-28 (Maybe HD-28V) in acoustic guitar land. I figure I would play it forever, and pass it on to the kids or sell it way on down the line for pretty good value. But for now, I have to just get close enough with less expensive guitars and amphs that get me the better part of the way there.
). I'm playing a Pro Jr and dreaming of one day getting a Deluxe Reverb. 
