I haven't kept track but if I had to guess, I'd say the mean price of my knives probably falls somewhere around $175USD, $200 tops. Among the dozens of knives I've bought I can think of two, maybe three that were duds and those were grind or profile specific. Sure, fit and finish is lacking and sure there is some wabi sabi, but performance wise, be that steel properties or cutting prowess, nearly all the knives I've purchased have been acceptable at the least and many have been stellar.
I have a $45 mystery santoku that makes transparent slices of whatever I want it to, holds up well, and sharpens like a dream. I have Sanjo and Tosa workhorse-esque knives to all rounders to lasers. And just like more expensive knives, they all have their own characteristics but none of them are bad knives in any way.
I've had more expensive knives and have my customs but from a pure performance point of reference, my "cheap" knives are excellent. I can round a spine and choil and while they aren't sexy, and people gnash their teeth at the assertion, ho wood handles are the best handles for wa knives.
It's been said time and time again but let's go ahead and say it again as it will no doubt be repeated many more times in the future, the price to value ratio in this hobby is very subjective. My experience is that up to about $200, you should expect rustic F&F, but good performance. $200-400 gets you a step up in F&F and more confidence in consistent grinds. Beyond that, you're largely paying for other factors. Those can be fancy steels/construction, high level finishes, prestige, etc.
What one person buys for $2k I guarantee will not make me happier than what I buy for $200. Probably the inverse.
In my opinion, if you'll pay $700 dollars for a kitchen knife, there's no reason to be bewildered at any price above that. It's all about personal preferences and desires at that point. I know that wasn't exactly the point of the latest discussion but still, if Ben or the vendor are selling knives at $2k or above, it shouldn't be all that surprising. When I tell non-knife people that I spent $150 on a single knife they look at me like I'm insane.