I run into it time and time again, especially lately. The Gaian economy has been unstable, and some of those items you've always been questing for seem more attainable than ever before. (Likewise, some just continue to rise with no end in sight.)
But lets focus for a minute on those items that cause you to wonder just exactly how they are so inexpensive. We all know that it's supply and demand along with market saturation blahblahblah, but I'm curious as to which items tickle your fancy without breaking your bank. Who knows, maybe you'll find some new items in this thread that you'll just have to have after this.
In the Ruhk - I find the background scenery in this one to be superb largely in it's wonder. It looks like it's been taken straight out of a Disney film, and then they added some extra poses for kicks. 20k?
Apep Cobra Armor - It's a struggle to match and the items are very detailed. To make it harder, it's a very stylized item. But I'd consider the art in this one to be some of the highest quality pieces on Gaia today. Around 200k? When similar sets are up to 500k or more?
Nautilus Raiment - I would have assumed that steampunk/nautical sets would be astronomically high by now. This is one of those items I kicked myself for not buying when it started to rise in price. It matches easily, and makes you look way cooler. When I saw one for 600k, it was an impulse buy that I've never looked back on.
Gogh Reed - At one point, this item was a big deal. As the most expansive EI ever, it continued to amaze with every evolution. When the finale came, it skyrocketed in price to over a million. Back then, that was a lot - especially if you had bought it when it was first released for around 200k. Obviously it's not as new and cool anymore, but some of the earlier versions stabilized around 800k. It's got multiple poses that cover almost any color in the book, and by my standards, still a worthwhile pickup.
So that's my list, at least so far and off the top of my head. Enlighten me - which items rock your world without the hefty cost?