I think that the success of the "Calicchio - Reeves" with commercial players in California has much to do with location. Players could go into each shop, consult, try various horns and mouthpieces until they found just the right combination for them. The products were good, but the ability to provide personal attention put them "over the top."
With Calicchio now in Tulsa, some of that "advantage" may be lost.
On the East Coast, in a different time, others like Stork/Bach/Giardinelli may have enjoyed similar advantages.
Now, with the internet, such advantages have diminished. Look at GR, out there in "no man's land" geographically, "consulting" with would be mpc purchasers and growing at a rapid pace. While it's still a plus to walk in and try a number of pieces, the information age has reduced the importance. Players are now more likely to seek a particular horn from a distant source and match it with a mpc from an equally distant source.
Thank you, internet. Curse you, internet.
Dave