Three are a lot of cookie cutter directories built on dropped domain but the number is not where near 99%. There are all kinds of quality directories out there, whether they are general, niche or regional.
Most of the customers we work with at phpLD, at least those that are asking questions in our forums or getting work done don't seem to fit into the "low quality" type. As I look through the Solicitations and Announcements on DP certainly there is a greater incidence of lower quality. I know about you guys, but it isn't too difficult for me to spot low quality, and hopefully others can also tell the difference. Most of the paid directories I submit to are rarely mentioned here or advertised.