i think there is a table somewhere that tells you what GP value of loot an encounter should drop, youll wanna drop gear that they can use but perhaps not 100% talored to the builds. if your players wanna get exactly what they want 100% of the time they should take crafting, otherwise the loot is to be usefull but not eactly for them
Use a generator like Nethys's excellent site:
Archives of Nethys
Let them buy and sell as they wish, in a city that can afford the items or not.
When in doubt, go to the Gamemastering Page and award gems and coin based on the "Treasure Values by Encounter" table.
Linnorm Treasure Horde.
Something I've started doing is not to hand out or dropping loot everytime they fight something/finish an encounter/do anything a la: "you slay the basilisk, in it's belly you find the mona lisa"
but instead keep a tally of their loot from encounter to encounter and then give them rewards at later times of a rough value equal to what they've "earned" so far.
ex: they've fought several minotaurs in this labyrinth (3 encounters), but found nothing but rusted axes and loincloth that smells of ox, after defeating the Master Minotaur they take one of his horns as a trophy.
when they return to the village there is much rejoicing, they get treated to a grand feast (maybe one of the characters gets laid).
The local wizard teams up with the high priest of the county and with the help of a master craftsman they carve runes and images into the horn and enchant it to summon magical bulls and to confuse foes (3/day).
the local nobility gives them a (symbolic but substantial) reward.
so they get a pile of gold and a magic item - but after the adventure is concluded. Also more oppertunities for making the rewards fit the setting fluff.
ie: random +X things are boring, magical stuff made from trophies you've collected yourself is cool.
Edit: this also allows you to give out more powerful gear instead of many small things.
ex: after a long and hard quest (with many challanging encounter) they reach the holy ruins of [insert lore here] and they reclaim the fabled Holy Avenger from the dragons hoard. When they return to the church their paladin is entrusted with it to wield against the darkness, the rest of the party is sworn that if he ever falls they must reclaim the sword and deliver it to the church so a new champion can be found.
Another trick is to have them employed by someone or have a wealthy patron, and when they return from their mission they get their pay (based on the encounters they've survived).
Just showet then with +1 items that way they can Trade for what they want, within reason, when they get out of the pyramid.