Perhaps some of us just spent more time perfecting their tinks
Example: Grinding out 450 professions on multiple 19's, that shit took time. Dual AGM's on multiple toons, all done solo with no high level friends to carry. Even after geared, grinding out exalted with Silverwing to get the battle standard ( I still remember the feeling when I planted it the first time. Now it's next to meaningless). Actually farming for your Shadowfang (instead of paying irl $ to basically cheat). Yes it was all about getting in there and getting some hardcore PvP going, but for some of us the journey was as important as the pwnage.