When we started out with our most recent flock, we bought from a hatchery because we saw their magazine, which looked amazing. It had sooo many breeds, and a lot of them were indeed rare. We fell into the trap of thinking all our purchases would be as beautiful as the breed standard or illustrations showing the breed. (and yes, the other reason is because they were cheap,and you could buy how many ever you want.)
But, you can also buy from breeders in just the same way. People claim you can't buy a lot (umm, yeah, infact you often can't buy less than a dozen) that they aren't as easily found as breeders (it's called look around, ask around. Sure, chicken breeding isn't as big online as say dog breeding - But that's why we have places like this forum.) and that they are too expensive (only really good, rare breeds are. Most are sold in large amounts of eggs just as cheaply as getting hatchery quality.)
Then, there's the fact that breeders actually look for breed standard, a bird that is strong and healthy, and an environment that doesn't cage up thousands of hens just to lay eggs to sell. A lot of hatcheries have epidemics go through their eggs, bad genes, and weak birds who lay anyway, and may possibly look a little like the breed they are labelled as - So their eggs are sold. The birds who give you chicks in hatcheries aren't well cared for - There are too many for that. The birds you get from breeders are - It's what they are selling. (friendly, breed standard, strong, beautiful, hardy)
Plus, you know what your chick will look like when it grows up. In hatcheries, you don't.
I think most people go for hatcheries, though, for the same reason that they buy store meat, not local meat. It is out there, a large company, advertised all over, and promises any amount of whatever you want at a cheap price. And, some people don't care about how good it turns out - Just as long as it is real, and gives what they want. (in this case, eggs or meat.) It could be said the same for companies that sell your store eggs - They use leghorns. Why? Because they take little care, do well in confinements, lay an excellent amount of eggs (although the egg itself is horribly put together quite often, but usually just because of poor diet) and are easily replaced. If they used, say, Brahmas - They would get less eggs that are smaller, and have broody, loud, claustrophobic birds.
But on last note - I do agree that if you want something like an Easter Egger - Hatchery is the way to go.
Because of the mix in the birds, you can get a huge variety of color, body type, and egg color.
