> Homelab tinkerers are essentially a non-market.

Sadly, I agree.

> They barely want to pay [...]

Not so! I've conservatively dropped $10k on my homelab so far, and have cobbled together a passable VM host/network/home-auto system in a half-rack. I would happily have paid more for an integrated (hypothetical) MicroOx! As fun as it is to play with cage nuts and to crimp cables, I love doinking around with a functional system even more.

There must be literally dozens of us out there...