as has been said, nubs (full name "magic nubs") are ingredients in building stones needed on the other island. they are only achieved by fighting monsters on taht island which are lvl 30 and higher. since there are only a limited number of those monsters, there are only a limited number of nubs. and we need all the nubs to build buildings on that new island. so yes... unless you've made over 6 million silvers, bought your boat, and can get to the island, you have no need for nubs.
as for your complaints about the market, i'd like to try and explain. the way the market works is that it only shows items for what people are willing to sell them for. and since people are selling lvl 30, lvl 50, even lvl 70 items, weapons, armour, etc... some of them are extremely expensive. you want some sort of limits for those under lvl 15... really, there are limits. nothing can be placed on market for more than 2500% (for non-subscribers), 3000% (for subs). yes, that's a lot. and yes, even weapons of really low levels sometimes cost a lot compared to the money you may have on the lvl you need them. it's about supply and demand. if too many people need them and buy all the "cheaper" ones of something, then only really expensive ones are left.
having said that, if you need stuff and don't have enough money, you have a number of options. in help, there's a section called "player sites"... in there you can find links to fansites that have many, many item, weapon, and armour recipes. often ingredients are cheaper than the weapon or armour itself, and you can go build it yourself. if that doesn't work, you can make a digger on your account (because they can make a lot more money than a fighter. to learn how to transfer money, search forum... you have to transfer using items on the market). one last option is to come in chat, ask someone to make what you need, and post it for cheaper. if you're polite, ask nicely, and don't ask newb-like questions, often people are willing to help.\
hope i answered your questions and concerns. if not, let me know.
--jason