Two things (and yes, I'll be referencing FFXI, just deal with it):

1.) Imo, the problem with stats is that they come in such high quantities. If they were lowered, you'd notice a difference when you put just a few points into something rather than dozens of points. Case in point, the peacock charm provided 10 accuracy, and was generally worth millions of gil because you noticed the difference in accuracy.

1.) Regarding crafted vs. dropped gear, this is why I loved abjuration gear. It was comprised of a piece of cursed gear that could only be made by a high-level crafter, and then uncursed by the abjuration that was a (sometimes) rare drop from a high-level NM. Why aren't items like these implemented?