We just happened to pop into this fully stocked crafts store

It's a pity the salesman wasn't more flexible, because he'd have made a good sale. But I believe in "fair" not "fleece." So much of the art in places such as these are "paint by numbers" by poorly paid workers happy to have a job. The Thankas religious paintings sold in Kathmandu, Nepal are often done in a similar fashion. The profit margins of such storefronts are likely huge.