Since when were there non-rune colored armors?

I was doing some exploring in Elona, Istan specifically, when a corsair dropped a purple armor. I picked it up and IDed it hoping to get a nice rune, and instead found nothing, no runes, no insignias. In my 1 1/2 years of playing I have never seen a purple or higher colored armor contain nothing whatsoever. It makes me wonder, what's the point of it being purple then, in not for the minute increase in sale value?

I've never seen armor that was colored blue purple or gold without a rune or insignia. You get a screenie?

That reminds me of a time when a guildie Id'd a gold vertebraker in Urgoz and it was completely clean. I think it's just uncommon for them to contain nothing not a bug or something more serious. You just were unlucky, least it wasn't gold.

I've gotten clean golds before, both weapons and armor pieces

I could take one, but it wouldn't hold much weight because you can salvage stuff of armor drops and still have the armor, just without the runes.

It just happens sometimes. I get a couple empties every year.

I think that's been happening since Factions came out.

Nope they changed that in an update so that when you salvage a non ided gold it automatically gets destroyed.

No he/she means you can ID an item then strip it of its mods so a screenie wouldn't mean anything.

Then return it to the Armour Store for a refund.

I've also had this happen to me, very strange indeed.... hmmmm....

It's something that's been happening for awhile. Not sure if it's a bug or not. Anyways it happens, just move on.