XI had an actual economy, crafting classes that required an actual investment of time to level to a profitable stage, money that wasn't thrown at your face... etc...

This game can not support non-binding armor. It's too easy for anyone to level all their crafts to max and push out HQ gear as quickly as they get their hands on the materials. If you allowed people to buy something off the market, use it, and then turn around and toss it right back up you would end up with a market filled to the brim with stuff selling at rock bottom prices.

The only thing barely supporting the crafted/tradable gear economy right now is the fact that once an item is taken out of circulation it isn't going to be put back.

Hell if you got rid of bonding the vanity market would crash entirely as you would simply grab something, glamour it 5 seconds later and then toss it right back up on the board.