Matsume, no one is arguing that the wards are going to drop to exactly 1/10th of what they are now. But you seem to be avidly arguing that they won't change at all, which is just as absurd.

People have mentioned it numerous times, economies are driven by supply and demand, no one makes lowbie gear, so the few people who do are free to charge whatever they can get away with.

For someone who's sig is full of their ffxi crafting savvy you sure complain a lot about not being able to find something that anyone who spent 30 minutes at a craft could make.

If you don't want to spend 200k for a level 8 item, spend ~3k for it's component pieces, 1k for the weathered tool for it's required craft and put it together yourself... at level one you should have no issue making it. Or see if you have a friend who can make it... you do have friends... right?