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Okay, anyone who has GMed for any length of time knows that there is an issue with magic items. Namely, they get boring after a while. You find "just" another +2 longsword or "just" another cloak of elvenkind.
I mean, in The Hobbit, Bilbo finds Sting, an elven-enchanted magical dagger that works like a shortsword for him. It glows blue when orcs or goblins are near, and it is his signature weapon. He names it. He cares for it. It is one of his most prized possessions.
I have literally had PCs throw away a +1 shortsword when they found a better one and they couldn't sell it (the town they were in was too poor to afford it.) They just chucked it off a cliff!
I present to you, some ways of making your magic more interesting: give them story. Have an old sage tell the PCs about the sword they are getting for saving the day, or have the journal of the last days of the dwarf blacksmith racing to finish his masterpiece before the Orcs break the seige and gain access to the ancient dwarf stronghold:
Ways to do this:
1) Add skill bonuses to items. A skill bonus is the bonus squared *100gp to add to an item (or x1.5 that if it has another ability.) So, instead of a 2300 gp +1 longsword, you can give the PCs a Ceremonial blade of Kyonin. A +1 longsword that was mostly warn by elven diplomats as a status symbol. It gives the user a +2 competence bonus to diplomacy (drawn or sheathed.) It only costs 2900 GP so it doesn't break the 'recommended party loot per level' thing and it now has story.
2) Make "Almost" weapons. What sounds better, a +1 undeadbane greatclub, or "Skeleton-Smasher." When a northern Kellid barbarian-King ordered his high-priest to construct a weapon of disruption the priest tried as hard has he could. Alas, he was just too unskilled, and all his attempts resulted in undeadbane weapons. Every time he tried a new technique, it still resulted in undeadbane. He gave these'failures' out to his guardsmen, and faced his king, preparing to be executed, only to discover that his 'failures' had saved the town! These weapons are still in circulation today.
3)Don't let PCs buy equipment. Let's face it, PCs usually want to optimize the crap out of their characters, and so they'll go to towns and say rediculus stuff like "Now we are in this moderatly large town in Andoran, I'm gonna buy a +5 Vorpal sword!" Don't let them get away with that (I basically disallow the 'black market connections' rogue talent for this reason.) Give them what they want, but not EVERYTHING they want.
4)Give the PCs what they want, with a twist. So, if your PC makes an entire build around one weird thing (which some PCs are bound to do) don't just hand them all the magic gear they need to make their weird build work. After all, they are the ones who pigeonholed themselves. But, I'm also saying 'don't screw them over.'
I had a PC once who's entire build was around getting himself an elven curved blade. Well, he got a non-magical one, but was always whining for a magic one. Thing was, he had a +1 adamantine shortsword that he could have used, but instead of using it against golems or elementals or whatnot, he continued to use his curved blade (and sucked with it.) Eventually the party mage picked up craft arms and armor, and I had them find a masterworked curved blade so that it could be enchanted. I gave him what he needed, but not everything he wanted (at least, not right away.)
Here are some ideas that I just came up with on the spur of the meoment, to show you how easy it is. Captain Craes's memory +1 Ceremonial armor (Chillexian) that gives a +2 to knowledge:Nobility rolls, as it was worn by a captain of the guard who could never remember the names of all the nobles in his kingdom.
1750GP (armor+skill bonus (+2))
The Liar's Blade: Far from the blade of a thief as one might think, the liar's Blade is a +1 Greatsword forged for the son of a noble who wished to be a Paladin but simply lacked the calling. He enlisted his father's help to cheat on his final exam, which required him to lay his hands upon the wounded to cure them. On command as a standard action, the bearer of this sword can use the cure light wounds spell (as if cast by a first level caster) 1/day.
2840 GP (sword+1st level spell command word 1/day)
Cloak of Dwarvenkind: Crafted for the famous Dwarven Pathfinder Harsk by his own clan, this cloak was the pride of the Dwarves of Varisia. Forged by master dwarven archanist Zarukt Starhammer, who was determined to prove "That elves weren't the only ones who could make sneaking cloaks," it has proved useful in many of the ranger's adventures. This cloak of protection +2 also bestows a +5 bonus to stealth checks.
7750 GP (Cloak of protection+skill bonus (+5))
I haven't used all these rules yet but some ideas I've had to mitigate boring Items and single weapon dependancy:
1. Crystal Slots can be created on a weapon or item. Crystals are placed in the slots for magical effects. Unlike general magic crafting, crystals are varied and finding the one you want is rare. Mining within a leyline will get you crystals but the ones with the most interesting effects are the results of tragedy and myth. For example say that something like a Vorpal crystal needs to be forged using the fire of a Red Dragon. The crystals scale based on the level of the wielder. to kind of sheat thing through I also let Ioun stones be put into slots for effects.
2. I have two different products that introduce Rune feats. If it's important enough a player can spend a feat to add enhancement bonuses to their weapons/armor by inscribing and invoking runes on them. They can also get some saving throw defense this way. Some of the runes gain new abilities based on character level.
3. Inherent bonuses to by level. I tried playing this and didn't like it, mostly because depending the bonus it will totally disrupt class features, so I'm trying to find a better means of doing this.