That was the downfall of 2k1 in my opinion. You can just get every item in an hour. If I started a new account on 2k2, now that I know where everything is, and what I need to make it, I could probably have the best of everything in less than an hour.
Also... shouldn't better armor become LIGHTER? What is the point in having great armor, if it's going to weigh you down more than the lesser armor? There is no improvement to the armor other than protection?
If you look at how technology works, armor gets lighter and stronger, not heavier and stronger.
Perhaps this rarer armor would be lightweight with more protection.