Getting My Sea Legs Back

I have been absent and for that I apologise. I guess I feel a little overwhelmed and slightly irrelevant/redundant when it comes to blogging about gold. Once you create a blog with a narrow minded moniker it leaves you with few options to pursue for blog content. I know, I know...excuses. I am a perpetual procrastinator at times. I need to set some goals...

First goal (for now)- "Write something on my blog every day if possible. No excuses!"

I will do my best.

Quick tip- Roll three jewelcrafters. Have one do metas, one do blues, and one save all daily tokens for epic cuts when they come. If Blizzard decides to change the way epic patterns are purchased (i.e. pyrium powder) then those tokens can always be used to purchase a ton of Chimera's Eyes to be sold or traded for patterns or raw gems.

It's been a hard day's night!

Here is what 100,000 gold, maximum preparation, seven hours of in-game work, and overcoming the odds can get you-

Realm first 525 enchanter!

Realm first 525 scribe!

...on the same toon.

I will reveal my strategy and all obstacles encountered in my next post.  Thanks everyone (all seven six of you, lol) for stopping buy.

I'm baaaaaaack! I'm back in the saddle again!

Quick update to let you all know that I am back from Iraq and looking forward to fast internet in which to post new gold making ideas.  Maybe not "new" but certainly profitable ones lol.  Thanks for your patience!

There he is! There he is! It's the Great Pumpkin!

Sometimes you just get lucky!

4 [point] Zero [dot] Won!

What a difference a day makes!  I lost track of my earnings after 20k.  Auditor is broken and that was my compass for such things.  I was confused about the transmute cool-down.  I thought it was going away.  My two transmute masters were kinda flapping today.  Oh well.  I completely bought out every Eternal and Frost orb right before the servers went down.  I have made that gold back in spades since then.

Here is a late tip but possibly valid for the upcoming expansion:  I was unable to get into the game so I went and purchased the $3 online AH.  I was able to post over 150+ auctions while waiting for the patch to do its thing.  I was also able to see what materials were going for.  Color me a fan!  I can see myself in the DFW Airport lounge in Dallas on my way home, watching and selling glyphs on my Ipod Touch via WiFi.  Go tech!

The Guide

Part One – Getting Started

There are many gold guides out here.  My ambition for this project is to explain mechanics, strategies, and lessons learned.  I understand that there a many things dealing with WoW’s AH economy that are elementary, implied, or taken for granted.  I would like to say up front that I am not here to insult anyone’s intelligence.  All of my discussions in this guide are my own opinions and are the result of person al experiences in the game, World of Warcraft, and are not taken from any other source unless otherwise stated.

Now it is time for some assumptions.  I will assume that you have at least one character that is level 80 and you have additional toons that are at least level 65 (65 is the minimum level required to max out your professions to 450).  There are a few things you need to consider (expansion planning) if you want to be ready for Cataclysm.  You need to make sure your gathering toon(s) is/are level 80.  This will allow the character to gather high level nodes and mobs to get the resources to support your profession tool box. 

I recommend having gathering toons that wear plate and have at least entry level (blue) crafted gear.  The combination that I use is a DK with Mining and Engineering (engineers gather gas clouds) and another plate wearer (warrior or paladin) with Herbalism and Skinning.  These two toons will be able to gather any raw materials you will need to support your other profession.  I want you guys and gals to realize that I am not proposing that you all become farmers to support your auction house game.  These two toons will help you get a jump-start in Cataclysm and are 100% voluntary.

The other professions- Tailoring, Leatherworking, Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Jewelcrafting, Inscription, and Enchanting.  These professions will make your wares that you will sell via the trade channel and the AH.  The are many ways that you can distribute these professions.  Some people like to pair professions that support one another.  This is something you must decide for yourself.  I will mention what I do as an example of how to maximize your profits.

Toon 1- Mining and Engineering.

Toon 2- Herbalism and Skinning.

Toon 3-Tailoring and Alchemy.

Toon 4- Leatherworking and Alchemy.

Toon 5- Blacksmithing and Alchemy.

Toon 6- Jewelcrafting and Alchemy.

Toon 7- Inscription and Alchemy.

Toon 8- Enchanting and Alchemy.

Toon 9- Jewelcrafting and Alchemy.

Toon 10- Jewelcrafting and Alchemy.

The total is eight alchemists, three jewelcrafters and one of everything else.  Why so many alchemists?  They get to transmute things.  All eight of them should be transmute masters.  That is a whopping eight transmutes a day (not including procs).  The Jewelcrafters will have a cool down as well.  They will also be able to get patterns three times as fast.  Like I said before this is just a suggestion, you must play how you like to play.

The time investment is insane I know.  This example is something that you can set goals towards.  You do not have to scramble to get to this point if you are a casual player.  Setting aside some time each day or weekend to level your alt toons will eventually get you more workers for your AH business.  I would also like to mention that I am not done leveling 10 toons with respect to this set-up.  I will share my achievements toward this goal as I write this blog.

This is all for now.  The next section of the guide will focus on add-ons, space, and stock.  Till next time!

8 Alchemists = Win

Ferengi Proverb of the day-

45.  Profit has limits. Loss has none.

An Old Proverb-

“A stitch in time saves nine.”

A little effort expended sooner to fix a small problem, prevents it from becoming a larger problem requiring a lot of effort to fix later; A little preparation can eliminate the need for repairs later; consistency (achieving a set rhythm) is better than trying to rush ahead.  Courtesy of Wiktionary.

Made up Proverb of the Day-

“A terrible tale of loss in the gold making game will yield you nothing but torment if shared with the trade channel. “ (true story)

Fickle Flaying

55. Always sell at the highest possible profit.

Current market values for this post: Borean Leather- 50s, Heavy Borean Leather- 6g, Frozen Orb- 29g, Arctic Fur- 43g, Icy Dragonscale- 1.5g, Icescale Leg Armor- 110g, and Heavy Borean Armor Kit- 64g.

My math:
(6x) Borean Leather = (1) Heavy Borean Leather
(1) Arctic Fur = (10) Heavy Borean Leather
(10) Borean Leather = 60g
Cost analysis of Arctic Fur is 30g > 43g

Example 1:
Icescale Leg Armor- AH Cost breakdown. (2) Arctic Fur for 86g, (2) icy Dragonscale for 3g, and (1) Frozen Orb for 29g = 118g investment.
Current market value- 110g with a net loss of 8g. The cost (2) Arctic Furs when they are purchased with (10) Heavy Borean Leather from Braeg Stoutbeard is 92g; with a net gain of 18g (19.5% profit).

Example 2:
The net gain of selling the (20) Heavy Borean Leather on the AH instead of using them to make the Icescale Leg Armor is 60g (100% profit).

Example 3:
The net gain of using (20) Heavy Borean Leather to make (5) Heavy Borean Armor Kits is 260g (530%).

I will be honest here. I hate Leatherworking. Skinning/LW were the last two professions I leveled based on previous experiences with them.

I like to keep it simple so I will always sell whatever sells the best in regards to LW.  I recommend that you watch the value of Heavy Borean Leather closely.  Example 3 clearly shows were the profit lies in LW but as long as you are making a profit it is safe to place your eggs in multiple baskets.

I find that waiting for opportunity to knock is the best course of action. When I accumulate the raw materials for making epic leg armors from doing daily dungeons and questing/dailies then I make and sell them. It is hard to beat 530% profit but offering more wares certainly gets your name known on the server.

Goblin tip-  Don't be caught dead with a Gnomish Army Knife...

Gnome tip-  Don't be caught dead with a Goblin...

 

I would like to thank The Undermine Journal for providing my statistical data.

 

Coming soon- More Diversa Aurophobia!

NOT Coming Soon- A Leatherworking guide...

 

Real-Life Tips-  A Gnome in your yard is money that you spent to put a Gnome in your yard.  Think about it...