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My thought for what worth is trying to equate things like growing trees, and making the hardware etc. as an argument just doens't fly. It to me is comparing the apples and oranges thing. No one does that except for the big guys. Just not a rational argument. At best an excuse.
There maybe legitimate reasons some do the farming out of things, the individaul person knows there own reason, but I would bet they are few. I guess if a hobby and not wanting to make the parts, then buying all the stuff is ok.
To me though, if building for fun and hobby do it all and learn the whole process. To me, that would be part of the hobby, learning how to do it all and doing so. If want to buy and build kits, that is fine also for the hobbiest. If one day wanting to change from a hobby and sell guitars,and be a "pro", better be able to do it all and then do it a bunch from scratch. That is how you build a reputation as a pro. Designing, building the prototypes, etc.
Although almost all pro's have models, and therefore, standard parts they may farm out. That is however, is after many years and guitars of doing it all. That is because they have 20 or more guitars going out a year and it becomes a speed and expense thing. Doing some of the things takes time they can be doing something else. They are building a batch or have bunch of orders. I do know though, that many times orders come into shops and have to be made from scratch. It would cost more and take more time to sub those few parts out, than to build them, so better be able to do it.
I just don't understand the "I just don't like doing that part so will sub it out" argument. I don't like doing some things at all, but when doing somehting, one has to do things they don't like. It is part f the process.
I on purpose didn't put finish in this, although it could be. Building spray booth can be expensive, there can be health issues, shop size etc. are considerations. Particularly for hobby builders. I doubt there are but only a few pro's who haven't done finsih on a bunch of guitars and who can't do finish or don't do there own. Price of subbing out would cut into profit or make the price higher. Look at number if doing say 10 guitars at $400 a guitar plus shipping, over 4k a year, more built, more money. Time getting on a finisher's schedule is also a consideration. Hobby can be expensive, but time and money may not be a consideration, so doesn't matter much.
All that said,if folks want to sub alot of the work out and the expense of that, and build that way is up to them. If want to be pro someday though better learn how to do it all. Once have it all down, done everything a bunch and after many guitars, and then have lots of orders, and need to sub out things then another story.
I know I out of the main stream in this area.
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No, I mean it! I think his point is at the heart of the matter. I don't think it so is not so much about cost and quality; most builders here probably can't produce a finish as nice as the guys who do it for a living, all day long (I know I can't). To produce even a pretty good finish takes a lot of time and fussing, and if your time is worth anything that means it is not terribly economical either. So why do it? Same reason we build guitars I guess, which is different for each person. 
