Question about that $47 'premium' phone stand my coworker swore by

So my coworker bought this phone stand at a mall kiosk in Irvine for $47, and he kept saying it was worth every penny because of the "aircraft grade aluminum." I looked it up later and found the same thing on a site for $8 with free shipping, same photos and everything. He says you pay for the warranty and the local guy standing behind it, and honestly part of me gets that. But the other part of me thinks $39 extra for a metal L shape is just a tax on people who don't comparison shop. Where do you all land on this stuff, is buying from the kiosk guy a real value or just a cash grab with better manners? Like, is there a dollar amount where the markup stops being "supporting small business" and starts being a scam? Curious what number you all use.