Might come back - A few questionsFollow

My friend and I have been playing Everquest off an on, him for four or five years, me for two. We recently left for about a year, to try other games (WoW, FFXI), but these turned out to be sorely lacking in comparison. So, we're looking to come back to Everquest, maybe.

This time around, we were going to start completely fresh. New accounts, new servers, everything, just so we weren't tempted to go back. Is this really a viable option anymore? Is there support in the market, as far as obtaining plat and equipment, for a pair of fresh, new players? I also hear that the Drakkin zones have been designed with this particular approach in mind, a fresh 1 to 75 playthrough. How well designed are the zones? The quests? The race? I would bet everyone and their sister is playing one at the moment, though...

Any input would be much appreciated, thanks.