A simple poll: who of you would not want to exchange your exto drops and gel drops on shards?
Currently 80% of materials are surprisingly useless. The shards, however (lowest level and supposedly most common material mind you) are in demand.
My beloved developers: I believe it was not supposed to be like this. I do not propose any particular solution, as you most likely have analyst team for such purposes.
I believe you wished your players to venture into the deadliest depths of dungeons to retrive mugs of misery, flame souls etc., not to discard most of materials (even most unique ones) and urinate out of sheer happiness due to good drop of shards.

Your devoted prayerette
Dziurka ;)