You are reffering of course to the PLAYER driven auction house, (because npc shops are still the same).
The market changed, some quests were nerfed and so on, you are not really meant to equip r95 gear on 95 anyway, so don't worry much, get into a clan with active ppl, do instances, buy low/sell high, etc, and you will be able to get gear that way eventually. (The social aspect is what keeps the game fun in my opinion)