First item on mages

As a mid main, I play mostly mages and on them I have to buy Echo as first item because it's very good and a need to have . But the issue is that it's made from expensive items 1300 lost chapter and 850 wand. It's easy to buy it when you are fed and ahead but if you are behind, you are stuck. Before with the older morelo you could buy 3 piece items that worked and it was a very good item compared to the one we have now. I honestly consider the items for Ap champs kind of limited to a kit if you don't buy almost every game the same items it's a lost. I would love too see more diversity in each mid laner's kit and I know riot try to do that but instead of adding one item and deleting another why not bring some old items back. I myself would like to play with dead fire grasp and not just on Nexus Blitz, nerf it or whatever but bring a little more diversity into it. Thanks!