Has Boutique Lost It's Meaning?

[Given To Fly]

i always just figured that boutique amps meant expensive, hard to find and limited made(under 200 or so), not mass produced.

That was my impression as well; this goes for amps and pedals. Honestly though, today "boutique" means "a brand nobody has heard of."

I used to have a Z. Vex pedal which I considered boutique. I think I felt this way because the pedal was hand wired, hand painted, and had an aura of craftsmanship compared to Boss or DigiTech. The idea of one guy sitting in a workshop making a pedal (or amp) seems to be associated with boutique brands.