You have to be rich to buy $1000 dollar GPU's lets be honest or alternatively a bum who still lives at his parents basement and doesn't contribute to the house at all and mommy still makes them food even though they are 30 years old! So if your only expense is PC gaming and internet bill and mommy and daddy let you stay at their basement rent free and even buy and make all your food, then maybe you can afford $1000 for a GPU.
If you have your own apartment and bills to pay and food to buy and whatnot, then $500 to $1000 is a big stretch!
Everyone isn't stupid, there are those bums as I've said who still live with their parents rent free and who's only expenditure is gaming and thus they can afford unreasonable prices!
If you'd step outside of your bubble for moment, you'd realize that $1000 is expensive in a PC building context, but not in hobbies in general. There are many, many hobbies out there where $1000 won't get you much, and many many people who partake in said hobbies. Think for a moment.