*shrug* They're worth every penny to me; but I've been in the hobby for a while and plan to stay in a long time. I think they were like $12/driver back when I bought them.
The first real tools I had (past the 'L' wrenches) were AE's; bought them about 2 weeks after I got my first kit. They worked pretty well, but I learned to carry around a few extra tips especially for the smaller drivers. The AE tools I had aren't available any more; they changed the design, so I can't really comment on their current line. I think I still have some replacement tips for my old AE wrenches floating around somewhere, in fact... Anyways, having the right tool for the job, and having good quality tools, is worth a lot to me. You pay your money and take your pick, I guess. I just wanted to let people know of another quality option.