If I knew more what you were trying to do, I could help a bit.
Primarily Im playing Pathfinder (Or D&D 3e). Rag if you want, my players don't want anything else.
The setting is a world JUST about moving into the industrial revolution (late 1700s about). So the point in time where serfdom is less common, and wages would just about start being a thing.
I want to move away from the player facing magic item system and go into a more organic worldbuilding magic item system.
The idea I have is to have 2 categories of magic items. Lesser (magic items that are easy enough to produce and would be seen in common life if rarely) and Greater (the rare and powerful kind of magic stuff made by great heroes and legends that are unique to produce each time).
I'm not going for a 100% matching realism, but I want it to 'feel' psuedo realistic (because I mean the economy will be changed by the introduction of magic).
For instance you likely couldn't sell a '+5' weapon at its exorbitant cost of thousands of gold pieces even if it took that much to make because it would be useless for everybody but a niche crowd. And outside of trade in other 'useless but for a niche crowd' items you would have to lowball the price.
The players are agents of the government (think sort of like constabulary) so id like it to feel logical within that framework of a logical salary and requsition costs.