The lack of low level gear at the AH is somewhat of a problem. But there are some ways around it, too. The good news is, you don't need fantastic gear anymore at low-mid levels because most of the experiencing is done in alliances. I do most of mine solo, but I was smart and saved all my past gear on mules so I have plenty to choose from (I just came back after 2 years away).
Still, you can buy low level sets, like leather (lv 7), and low level mail and robes from armor vendors in the starting cities. And the low level sets are really cheap. Same thing with lower level weapons. One other thing you can do is use Conquest Points to purchase gear. CP is so easy to come by, so you will soon find you have many more than you need. The gear isn't great, in fact some of it is bad. But its better than nothing, and you won't have much else to spend CP on, now that Warp Scrolls are so cheap.