<<(Like they're REALLY concerned about quality if it costs an extra penny per piece to "manage" it.) >>

On this matter please don't ever think paying more gets you more. My favorite story is from a friend who does construction work. A collegue of his, a stone mason, decided to move to California from the Miwaukee WI area. So there he is in California trying to get work. He's bidding jobs like crazy and knows he is underbidding everyone else practically but he's not getting any work. He finally asked another mason what the hell the problem was and when the guy got around to asking how much he was bidding he said that was the problem. He was bidding too low and nobody thought he was any good. He tripled his bid price and was immedieately buried in work. Of course that might just be a "left coast" thing but I do know people who spend more than they need to on almost everything.

Don't get me wrong here either, some things should not be bought at the cheapest price because there is a difference. Bolts that hold and airplane engine in for instance.