This is representative of the downturn in the economy.  note the lines going down, left to right.

I was trying to find a photo reflecting an upturn in the economy related to hobbying, but was unsuccessful to get anything to go up, representative of a rize in the hobby!

PD, Dr. of voodoo economic.  :~)

Interesting question! Don't know if there have been scientific or economic studies of this question. Using supply + demand economics, one would think that in a downturn, ex. the recession we are in, or are about to go in, working-class women would be hurt, and thus, more would go into providing, creating more competition, with the result of lower prices for hobbyists. But I've seen no indication of these things happening yet. In a profession like this, I would imagine it would be hard to get reliable statistics.

I would imagine it trends like the sale of other luxury items, such as boats, which is often cited as an item most associated with very disposable income.