Look and name,, yes !! Country of origin ?? Rarely that is a consideration but with the Chinese products/arts everywhere you look ,,many see the Made in China and assume lower quality no matter what !!
I would say it would be a wise thing if you can hold on to the discontinued pieces !! Like I said above,, if this designer has a dedicated following seems like a win/win situation to me !!~ But if his/her popularity slows down and many times it will,, sell them quickly !! Unless you plan on a personal collection for yourself !! Items like this will go in cycles,, one day good,,next day,,not so much !!