Here's my take on the situation (which isn't anything groundbreaking...)
Guys that are now in their 30s and 40s used to dream of owning a bunch of guitars, amps, pedals, etc... when they first started getting into playing at age 14 or whatever. Of course, they could only afford a piece of crap guitar and amp back then, because they were so young.
Now that these same people have careers, they can afford to buy a bunch of stuff that they always wanted. I personally think it's as simple as that, but that's just my opinion. I know that's the category I fall into for sure.
Alot of kids you see online nowadays already have nice crap at the age of 18 or whatever. That amazes me, as I had nothing but junk for a long time! And no, I'm not jealous. I'm just saying...
Chris