I agree 100%.... I started out with my dad's "cut down" first flight blades and REAL WOOD woods (imagine that) almost 25 years ago...
My parents bought me some Rawlings power stik irons and woods... and I ignored all the kids who thought they sucked, and were playing with Big Berthas and Ping Irons when I played in JGA-- I beat most of them.
My freshman year in HS, I played with the power stiks and added some big bertha "knock-off" woods... Finally, my Sophomore year I got a set of "brand name" irons... a set of second-hand King Cobra Irons from Edwin Watts.
This year, after playing with those Cobras for over 12 years, I FINALLY bought a "NEW" set of irons...
I picked up the chrome 735cm's for $500 from Golfsmith, after I saw the price drop...
I love them, but the reason I am a good golfer is because I have worked on mastering a consistent repeatable swing, and developing a feel for the game.