Remember that divine casters don't need 8 hours of rest.

Although nearly everyone I play with swears by the Ring of Sustenance, I end up almost never using one. Not sure why, it's not like I play a lot of arcane casters.

Items I do use:

Heward's Handy Haversack: I don't think I've ever created a character past about 5th level or so that didn't spring for one of these, and few characters get played that far without at least trying to acquire one. It's just so darn useful for toting stuff you might actually need. Sure, a bad of holding is better for hauling loot, but the haversack is where you stick all your spare potions, oddball tools, extra rations, rope, odd bits of treasure, extra waterskin, bedroll, backup weapons, etc.

Quiver of Ehlonna: Similar to the Haversack, though I rarely use this until fairly high level. Forget the obvious use for archers, where else does an archmage store his extra wands, staves, metamagic rods and the like?

Various mobility enhancing items. Boots of Springing and Striding, Wings of Flying, Ring of Jump, all those sorts of things. Mobility is a great asset on the battlefield, and can be darn useful for avoiding battle in the first place, not to mention circumventing traps and the like.

Ring of Sustenance. If my character can spend 2500 gp on a magic item, that's where it's going. I'll buy it before I buy anything else. Unless he's undead or some such.

Not really a magic item, but it's awesome so I'll say it anyways. Mithral Armor. The ability to turn things like full plates into medium armour is sick. The fact that you get other bonuses beyond that is just icing. Turning medium armour into light is almost as awesome, especially for character restricted to light armour, or those that want more movement.

Beyond those two, it's very character specific.

See, I've found that you'll probably burn through that wand in about the time it takes to gain 2 levels (the time it takes to knock a wand out of the good use category), and it keeps your party from resting as often in an adventure. Let's go with a 5th level character, got a wand of MM that deals 3-12 damage per round (not to shabby, kills an enemy wizard or sorcerer in 3-4 hits), without wasting a spell slot. Now, once you get to about...level 9 or so, you don't want the wand of Magic Missle anymore, you're right, then you want healing wands, because you're damage dealing capacity needs to be significantly better than a Magic Missle can possibly do (ergo, needing staff's at that point).

Ring of Protection, Amulet of Natural Armor, (Gloves of Dexterity)... Combined with either some longlasting Mage Armour Spells or Elven Chain - there is nothing out there that beats high AC at reasonable prices.
1/4 to 1/2 the starting gold goes into either a magic weapon or a bulkward of wands plus some highpowered scrolls.

Everburning Torch


this is one of those items that EVERYBODY always wishes they'd bought back in town, yet never does...

Hehe, I always buy crapload of them when I have extra cash... so darn useful for various misc stuff,and they are just too awesome with ring of telekinesis... Want to see deeper into dungeon ? Levitate one torch ahead, while rest of the party is behind within sphere of invisibility (just make sure cleric gets out of his damn armor so he doesn't make noise enough to wake up dragon). Assassin hiding in shadows ? Np, just scatter your two dozen of torches around, and he'll find himself with no shadows to hide in Not sure how deep well is ? Chunk one down the damn thing and watch regretfully as your 110 gold pieces slowly get out of your sight...

No normal DM would EVER allow item that carries permanent Mage Armor spell...

Mage Hand + Everburning Torch = win

Glassteel orb + Glowing Orb spell cast by cleric = Everburning Torch, eat your heart out.

Even Deeper Darkness isn't going to do anything against that, unless you metamagicicise it to make it act like a 5th-level spell.

yeah, but those arent things you can get at the first town you see as a 1st-level character

therefore, i win