Before Abyssea relics were the most egalitarian "elite" items to obtain as it it wasn't a matter of knowing the right people or being in the right shell as it was with kings gear. You could either run an LS, or if you didn't want to go that route grind out gil through crafting and fishing or whatever and buy all the currency + merc the fragment and attestations.

Sure it took years but it could be done by anyone, unlike items like the Adaberk or Ridill that were outright impossible to obtain for anyone not in the right clique.