Does Cost Determine Everything?

Having been a professional photographer for over 25 years, I'm always amazed at how many times I answer my studio phone and the first question is "How much?" I completely understand the need to be cost concience, but whatever happened to the desire for "quality?" Comparing prices on pork steaks at two local supermarkets I get, but having that mentality when it comes to portraits that you'll cherish for a lifetime? Now that baffles me. In our industry, the subject of price has, and will be, debated forever. I, however, believe that too many photographers underappreciate their own work entirely too much and are basically "giving away" their images. Once you factor in the cost of doing business and an attempt at making a living, there is absolutely no way a photographer can survive selling $10 prints. However, you'll usually find the ones that say they're "professionals" and are doing just that, are the ones that don't rely on their photography to live. They have other jobs from which their income is generated. I guess it's kind of like Wal Mart's photography studio...they don't survive because of what they generate from that one source....they survive because of the thousands of other Wal Marts. Being another Wal Mart isn't my goal I suppose!