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Not sure what special demarcation Serotta’s closing has to do with this question. This has been a topic on this board for as long as I can remember, going back before I joined. I think NAHBS indirectly contributed to or helped validate the phenomenon with its new builder section, but my guess is the expanded use of the internet beginning in the 2000’s was when it became possible to hang out a virtual shingle and attract a wider audience than just the people in your town or local area.
There are still several larger shops where one can learn the craft before setting out on one’s own—Moots, Seven, IF, etc. Each of those companies has been the training ground for some of the best builders in the industry, alongside Kirk, Wages, Bedford and No. 22 (among others) from Serotta.
As far as why one would buy from a builder with little formal training? I agree with blakcloud that it’s hard to say. The one builder with little formal experience who really struck me with his designs was Ezra Caldwell (Fast Boy Cycles)—I wish I had bought one of his bikes before he passed away from cancer.
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