Maybe we need to look at this a different way. I enjoy my local comedy club, nothing fancy, £10 for the evening and you never really know what you're going to get. There are good comics and there are bad ones, but I've seen some big names before they hit tv and now charge upwards of £50 to get as close as I did at the club. And why? Because their perceived worth has gone up and people have a level of expectation to be fulfilled.
I mean if you like playing football and were offered the chance to have a days coaching from David Beckham or someone from Crawley town FC wouldn't you want the Beckham day? Wouldn't you be prepared to pay a bit more for it?
If I could afford it I would do a day with Ray. I perceive that I would be getting a level of knowledge that I've seen him display on TV. But I am also prepared to gamble lesser sums on the unknown and come away, on the whole, pleasantly surprised.