whats the point of crafting...

[Thane]

The problem with this logic is the simple fact that most people would be buying/making this gear in order to make it easier for them to participate in the game's toughest battles... not to skip doing them entirely.

And the problem with that logic is that buying the gear beforehand would trivialize the content. And SE would have to prepare for that, so the content would have to be tuned even higher, since they'll expect you to gear yourself first. Again, crafters would be one or two steps behind the difficulty curve of said encounters.