This weekend I was trying to repair some bike's wheel, some spokes (4) were broken and needed to be changed, I called the bike shop and the guy told me he doesn't keep a stock of spare parts anymore. That he would have to order them by a box of 100 for me. If I let him repair the wheel (having only minor damages) it would cost me more than to buy a new one.
Alternatively, you could learn to do it yourself, though you do need a truing stand. If you live in a large metro area, there are places like LA's Bike Kitchen, where expensive tools like truing stands are available free for use (donations highly encouraged), and volunteers will tell you how to fix it yourself.
It is a useful skill to learn, and instructions are available online. You don't even need a truing stand, just leave the wheel in the frame and use the brake blocks as a guide. It's not ideal, but it's workable, and the price is right.
I wonder if the shop owner stopped carrying repairs because customers are so used to the "disposable everything", that they just assume repair is alwas impossible, and anyone who offers to do it is some sort of scam artist.
Of course,