CapnZapp
Legend
Sorry but one +1 bonus is exactly worth as much as any other +1 bonus.Actually, I would say that you are very mistaken. The upgrade from +1 to +2 is HUGE in a bounded accuracy system where the PC's almost never gain any bonuses to attack. And, as far as utility goes, a +1 weapon, in a bounded accuracy system, is virtually priceless.
And in 5th edition you quickly reach the stage where you easily hit most foes, especially if you're good at minmaxing. (Note the edition was built that way and I'm not complaining).
I'm just saying that there is nothing special about going from +1 to +2.
In contrast, the difference between a non-magical axe and a +1 Axe or even a "+0 Axe" (some magical weapons do not give a plus bonus but still count as magical) is HUGE, since so very many monsters have resistance to non-magical blunt, slash and pierce damage.
It's easy to forget how very different 3rd edition was, especially in the now long-gone 3.0 ruleset. You could have a monster with "damage reduction 30/+2". This meant that the damage of any single weapon hit would be reduced by thirty (!!) unless delivered by a +2 or better weapon. That is not a per-turn reduction by the way, it really was per attack(!!). Clearly a boring +2 Longsword was MUCH more desirable than a +1 Flaming Longsword then. The pricing system in Sane can clearly be traced all the way back to 2000, despite these fundamental assumptions no longer holding.
In 5th edition, many gamers have concluded that all the damage reduction in the MM is mostly just fluff, since it is so easy to get hold of a magic weapon (even with zero shoppes!).
The point remains: there is only one notable level of weapon upgrade, and that is from non-magical to magical. Everything else is just gravy.
For instance, I would MUCH rather have an evocative Flame Tongue or Sunblade than an off-the-shelf +2 Longsword. What good does that extra +1 do me? Utility-based prices need to take that into account in order to reflect this edition's sensibilities.
The only reason to not price a +2 bonus at twice the amount of a +1 bonus is to reinforce rarity. That's why I have elected to keep the "bonus squared" pricing. But NOT starting at 0 gp, that just doesn't represent how 5th edition works.