tots are fun, first and foremost they are an "event"
Now if your worried about new players let's take a look shall we.
My account is 118 days old.
IN bank over all accounts (yes I run 4 accounts): roughly 10 mil
Samp gear nearly done just need to burn hammers for weapons including totem, near all 70's resists, 45 HCI,15 DCI (I use heart of the lion), 110 DI
Mage gear is pratically complete only missing arcane shield. all 70 resists 100% LRC, 45 lmc, 48 SDI, MR 5
Now let's look at assets
3 castles: (sold 1 with gold got my totem)
7 keeps: (Gave away most of them to guildies so when I ask if anyone wants a keep nobody in my guild does)
ML arties: I have so many I give them away, at least till cub
stealable arties and deco: I have so many of these I am begging my guildies to come take them away....
The next time someone says it's too hard to start and play here are simply lazy and want to be given things. These are the players we loose! Anyone who puts the effort in and gains the rewards "themselves" gives them a feeling of accomplishment and will continue to play, combine that with getting involved with a guild and playing with people....
If you take away the fun of getting things, either alone or with a group of friends, by basically handing them out you remove all the fun of playing at all.
Lastly
Keeping a tight reign on what is available is what helps an economy
Look at Heartwood fletching kits when the pub hit everyone was doing them. Some were selling some were buying, but the prices stabilized around 2kk each for a few weeks and are still falling, last I saw they were going for 1kk each. the reason ltots are worth something is because of their limited availability, so leave it be.