performance + durability as a ratio of cost and/or resale is very hard to measure. This form of consumer/marketing research is a massive industry.
for me in regards to cars if the cost of an item is a direct reflection of its performance or durabilty and it is expensive than it is worth buying. More so when safety is involved. because of this i will rarely cheap out when it comes to things such as tyres, brake pads etc.
However, if something is visually identical to a more expensive product and performs at the same level i will generally buy it. This is why i cheaped out on my exhaust... because at the end of the day its a piece of 3 inch pipe.
However, because rims attach to the tyres and they attach to the road... im a bit iffy when it comes to buying used items or cheap knockoffs, however i was not aware, nor have i head that rotas are as bad as you claim mark. However i do agree they damage the market as no body likes to have their ideas ripped off.
Im no expert on marketing or consumer trends but do companys like rota contribute to the cost of rims such as rays, volk, works, etc in a positive way or negative way. as in does this make the large companys think 'we better put our price down these guys are stealing a large chunk of our business' or do they take the high road and say 'our wheels are exclusive, if you want the real deal you'll pay'? i understand that this question has many business based variables, but generally speaking?