I don't think the Op is getting as much love as he deserves.
Many of the intangible pieces that make up the quality of a product or service
go out the door when we’re getting a deal. They’re doing a favor and sometimes
when we bargain, people resent us.
This is absolute gold when it comes to longer business relationships. I have come through to believe that entirely too many fail simply because someone is resentful over terms.
As for the relation between cost and quality, I agree with many here that it isn't clear-cut. But the relation does exist. You just need to be discerning, which is why the Op writes:
Because we only buy quality, we are forced to wait until we can afford what we
really want. That wait time leads to better decisions, and it forces us to
make due with what we have.
True. I guess the ideal is to be seen as someone who is generous but has high expectations and will not hesitate to terminate the relationship and move business elsewhere.
As for the relation between cost and quality, I agree with many here that it isn't clear-cut. But the relation does exist. You just need to be discerning, which is why the Op writes:
# Edit: formatting