Our GM is taking a kind of median approach to magic items in the Scarred Lands; if we're doing things in "civilization" (in cities and against modern-day organizations), the amount of magic items is reduced significantly. If we're out rummaging through ancient cities or people who've just looted a bunch of ancient cities, the normal DMG rules apply.
It's only recently that our PCs have had a lot of money on hand and have wanted to start buying the kind of items we just can't find anywhere else. Since our group's centered in Shelzar (and our wizard is a wondrous items artisan himself), finding someone who
can do the work isn't too difficult...but because it's Shelzar, the price for doing that work ranges anywhere from 50% over the listed market value ("friend" prices) to two or three times market value.
Everyone gripes about the markup, of course, but they're paying it anyway. Generally things that the party wizard can't make, like magic armor or rings or tattoos. We've also traded away or sold magic items brought back from various adventures that we have no immediate use for, generally to NPCs who can build or procure items we want (or give us a good introduction to people who can).
So, no stores with racks full of +1 weapons for sale in our game, but commissioning items or upgrades to items is fairly common among the wealthy and the adventuring set. A few inquiries will generally point the demanding in the direction of the supply.
It's had some other interesting consequences: there's a lot of in-character interest in continuing to poke around cities that were old when the Empire of Flame was in full swing, for example. In sort of a D&D analogue to Dillinger's observation that he robbed banks because that's where they keep the money, we're becoming awfully adept at looting ancient ruins.
And Milo the wizard has become aware that his constant poverty (all those new spells and raw materials for new items cost him dearly) could be solved by taking a few commissions from NPCs and charging similarly exorbitant prices, so he's looking into becoming an established name among the other item-builders of Shelzar so he can be on the winning side of the price-gouging equation.
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it's easier than learning how to manage his money properly
ryan
Thanks. I assumed that I would find it in a Scarred Lands specific book, like the Ghelspad Campaign setting. I keep forgetting that while SSS likes to promote the "other" books (R&R, CC, etc.) as setting independant, there is a wealth of Scarred Lands info within. 
