Playing Icewind dale (a 2e based game) I pay attention to the difference in cost for items with the same enchantment. So a +3 leather armor cost lower than a +3 studded leather armor.
It always bugged me that in 3.x there are choices that are always taken above the others, for example the breastplate reigning over all the other medium armors.
What if, for example, the chainmail can be enchanted with a 5% or 10% lower cost?. Would that improve variety or would make the chainmail the "you are doing it wrong if you don't take it" option?
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Wouldn't change a lot, having a lower cost, still doesn't change that an option is superior.
Just like if you said that a magical belt that doesn't give a stat bonus by default is 10% cheaper than a magical belt with stat...most players would still buy the magical belt with stat.
13th age did something that I enjoyed at least for weapons, armors etc...they all had the same price, what the armor looked like was up to you.
All light armor have the same stat, the same goes for medium, and heavy armor.
This is not a big enough problem to screw with the magic item economy.