Curse

Eldin · Mar 09, 2007, 03:41 AM // 03:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Priest Of Sin

Since everyone is adding little tips and such, I've found a good way to make money is to sell your purples (from chest runs and stuff) to people just starting out. Like i'll sell a req 11 FDS with 13%^50 and a +20 mod for 1k or so. Things I wouldn't normally be able to sell to the normal populace, I can sell to those just starting out in Ascalon. Or Shing Jea. But I haven't found much luck in Kamadan.

NOTE: Newb is not an insult. Noob is an insult. Newb means that they're just starting, Noob means that they suck at life.

Example:
Me: Selling req 7 11-22 FDS, 13^50, +20hp! Pst me.
Newb: Is that good? How much do you want for it?
Me: 1k. Is that too much? I could go to 800g, if you only had that much.
Newb: I've only got 300g...
Me: That'll work fine. Dump me on your friend's list in case you strike it rich and wanna buy some great items

Newb: thanks!

In most cases, the "newb" will whisper you again quite alot later, but this time he'll have more gold and experience. He'll need very nice items, and you can charge him slightly less than the market price. In many cases I've had them give me more for an item, simply because I was nice to them when they were starting out. Basically, my method involves building a customer base that will always buy from you, because they trust you.

A good example of friendly chat. A shame not many people are like this. Most trades end with:

"ty"
"yw"
*both forget each other*

But that poor newb is broke now!

Oh well.

Spazzer · Mar 11, 2007, 07:33 AM // 07:33

Thank you for this guide, Rusty! I have now realized the error of my ways, and it's already starting to show!

Terror Shield, here I come!

therangereminem · Mar 11, 2007, 02:57 PM // 14:57

okkk anyone notice the post above is false you cant have that many bags lol some pople like to show they are so good at something and not hide it so well lol

Frazzy · Mar 11, 2007, 03:11 PM // 15:11

Thanks xRustyx! Great guide! But next time can you please post something out of the obvious??

Spazzer · Mar 11, 2007, 07:33 PM // 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by therangereminem

okkk anyone notice the post above is false you cant have that many bags lol some pople like to show they are so good at something and not hide it so well lol

Surely someone as observant as you would have noticed that those are two separate images. I have been so successful that I have had to create a whole new mule just to hold my character's armors!

I did make a mistake tho, it's actually a Tormented Shield, not a Terror Shield. But I'm almost there. B| Selling polite.

Ahab The Great · Mar 11, 2007, 10:08 PM // 22:08

well....i made the incredibly daft mistake (who can blame me i had no idea of the market value neither could i check it myself tbh WHERE does one find out these specifics?) of selling my mini kuunavang for 40k, when it is work 100k + 10 ecto at LEAST.
also the dumb mistake of selling Varesh for 9k.
finally i have also had luck selling other things to peeps, but who knows, it is relaly a luck thing. depends.
NICE GUIDE BUT WHERE ARE THE TIPS

Craero · Mar 11, 2007, 10:29 PM // 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ahab The Great

well....i made the incredibly daft mistake (who can blame me i had no idea of the market value neither could i check it myself tbh WHERE does one find out these specifics?) of selling my mini kuunavang for 40k, when it is work 100k + 10 ecto at LEAST.
also the dumb mistake of selling Varesh for 9k.
finally i have also had luck selling other things to peeps, but who knows, it is relaly a luck thing. depends.
NICE GUIDE BUT WHERE ARE THE TIPS

You always could tryPrice Check

Eldin · Mar 13, 2007, 12:03 AM // 00:03

Rusty, how often do you plan to put a new article? Weekly?

Just wondering. I've had faublous luck in my last two new UW runs, and this run I got no greens. I feel empty inside... :\

Domon Kasho · Mar 13, 2007, 01:02 AM // 01:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hockster

Scamm? /sigh

i lawled for about 5 minutes at this.

xRustyx · Mar 13, 2007, 05:07 AM // 05:07

Just a heads up to people waiting for the next guide, it should be up tomorrow or the day after.

snapple · Mar 13, 2007, 07:37 AM // 07:37

very nice guide. I usualy can't be bothered to sell anything less than a high-end item, but with these pointers in mind I think I actually might put some time in makin those extra g's

Arya Nibelrund · Mar 13, 2007, 10:40 AM // 10:40

Always knew you were a good pve-er!!!

The Herbalizer · Mar 14, 2007, 02:47 PM // 14:47

Hope im allowed to post this. Ill add more when I can be bothered.

Where To Find Good Deals
There is no point sitting in Yaks Bend District 1 all day expecting to find good deals. The best places (for me) to get great deals are; Lions Arch American District 1, GuildWarsGuru Auctions and GuildWarsGuru Sell & High End. Some people like Ascalon and Droknars Forge but for me I always found them a waste of time.

Lions Arch American District 1
Lions Arch seems to be the trade capital of Guild Wars. There are way more people selling their items their than anywhere else in Guild Wars. Why American server though? I have accounts on both servers and for me all of my good deals occured on the American server. Yes, you can get good deals on the European server but I have got way more good deals on the American server. Also it is alot busier on the American server. I prefer District 1 over say District 2 simply because more people are there. More people equals the possibility of good deals.

GuildWarsGuru Auction
GWG Auctions is great if you are wanting to pick up bargains. There are items which sell for way under their real value and it is much more relaxed than having to sit in Lions Arch reading the spam. The best deal I ever got was on GWG Auctions which led to a profit of 8233% more than what I paid for it. Selling high end items on there is not recommended as it is infested with fake bidders who ruin many high end auctions. For selling low-mid end items it is great as people sometimes pay more on there. There is one trader on there who sells items for alot more than they are worth and he is able to do this regularly.

GuildWarsGuru Sell & High End
An okay way of getting nice deals. I have only really picked up unusual items which are very specialist and only collectors would be interested in. Most people dont want them or are unaware of their rarity so it is possible to get them very cheap. Also if people list items with a low buyout you can take it and hope noone else bids or meet up in game as soon as possible to conduct the trade. If no buyout price is listed then you can enquire about it and hope they have a low price in mind.

Your Customers
As Malice said spamming ultra rare or specialist items for sale in-game wont do you much good. Most of the Guild Wars players dont have millions upon millions of gold to spend on a single item or dont appreciate an items rarity. The best place to sell them is either on GuildWarsGuru High End or through contacts you have made. If you know who can afford to buy that low req 15>50 Crystalline Sword you can save yourself alot of time. If you know people who collect a certain skin then you can contact them whenever you obtain a nice version of that skin. This was more true back in Guild Wars' golden age of trading when there were tons of item collectors who wanted specific skinned items. Spamming items worth many millions in-game also will lead to a ton of abuse being directed at you. I have had to sit with Do Not Disturb on due to people calling me every insult imaginable.

Language & Presentation
The way you speak and present yourself is everything. Try when spamming to keep it neat and tidy, i.e. :-

WTS: Gold Chaos Axe Req 8 15>50 3/1 Vamp +30HP

or

WTS: Gold Chaos Axe Req 8 15>50 3/1 Vamp +30HP < Insert Price >

I have had numerous problems trying to get good deals while wearing FOW armour. It gives off the image that you are rich and have alot of gold available. For example, when someone says to me, "Offer", and I give them a price they reply, "You can pay more, you are rich as you have FOW Armour". Thats why I prefer to use either 1.5k or 15k Armours while trying to get good deals. Also if someone wants 40k for something and you want to try and pretend you only have 30k as you are poor its alot more believable if you are not wearing a high end set of armour. This is unethical but certainly not illegal or banworthy. If you want to develop a good reputation amongst other traders it is advisable not to do this to them.

When people ask you to offer a price I either usually give them a low price or ask them to give me a price. Something like, "Sorry I do not know how much the item is worth, do you have a price in mind?" Works wonders sometimes.

Knowing The Value Of Items
I cant stress how important this is. I have had friends who think they can dabble in the power trading game and lost millions because of their lack of preparation. Read the Ventaris Sell section of GWG daily to build up an idea of what stuff is worth. Some people specialise in certain items i.e. shields. Although in time you would want to be able to know the value of most items. If you think you might be able to sell an item for 10k more but are not 100% certain of its value it would not be worth buying it as you could quite easily lose gold. You wouldnt buy try and get rich from trading cars, actions figures, antiques etc if you had not thoroughly researched them so dont buy items when you are uncertain of their value.

It might also be worth knowing the value of unusual or nerfed items as they can sell for alot of gold. Most players have no clue what a Swamp Club is yet they can sell for hundreds of thousands of gold and whenever they appear for sale they are usually way undervalued. With these items they will only really appeal to a collector of them so spamming them for sale in Lions Arch is not a great idea. Your best bet would be through contacts or GWG High End.

When To Buy & Sell
Usually just before a new chapter is released items become harder to sell and their value decrease. After the chapter is release their value usually decreases further. Therefore if you have no desire to keep the item try and sell it way before a chapter is released. This will minimise the amount of gold you could lose.

When a new item or chapter is released the items tend to sell for alot of gold. However, as the weeks go buy they fall in price drastically. If you pick up an item cheaply during this period try and sell as soon as possible as it could fall in price. Take for example the Elemental Sword which was selling for hundreds of ecto when Nightfall was released however as the weeks went buy it fell alot in price.

Ahab The Great · Mar 14, 2007, 03:18 PM // 15:18

what is this GWG Auction and High-End bla-di-bla? Is it available in Europe distro or just in American area?

The Herbalizer · Mar 14, 2007, 03:36 PM // 15:36

GuildWarsGuru High End http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/f...play.php?f=212

GuildWarsGuru Sell http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/f...splay.php?f=38

GuildWarsGuru Auction http://www.guildwarsguru.com/auction/

Can be done anywhere as you can use International Districts

Levi Garett · Mar 14, 2007, 04:20 PM // 16:20

I've found the best way to sell stuff is to cover the most ground possible.

Example:

LA AD1, Spam WTS XXX Items 1-2X
Zone to LA AD2, Spam WTS XXX 1-2X
Zone to LA AD3
....done with all LA Dists....
Zone to Droks AD1, Spam
Zone to Droks AD2, Spam
....done with all Droks Dists...
Zone to Ascalon AD1, Spam
....done with all Ascalon Dists...
Zone to KC AD1
....keep hitting all the major cities/districts

Coverage is key. I hit every major city. Henge (yep there's usually only like 10 ppl there, but these are the players that are PLAYING the game and most of the time actually need stuff and can afford it), Ascalon, Droks, LA, Amnoon in Tyria....KC, HvH, etc. in Factions....Etc Etc.

Sitting in LA AD1 and spamming cannot be efficient for low/mid range items/mats/mods. Consider that 90% of the people in LA AD1 are selling, not buying. 7% more were put in that city because it's the busiest "active district", and the last 3% came there to actually buy something. Odds are that 3% are looking for something specific and you probablly aren't selling it.

High end items-go ahead and spam away in LA AD1-or better yet just post them on Guru.

Just my $0.02 and I hope it helps.

I've given up on selling I/G for the most part. Guru FTW, and even then selling stuff is getting almost pointless. Merchant FTW!

Akhilleus · Mar 14, 2007, 08:43 PM // 20:43

i disagree with some of the points rusty made, particularly about spamming WTSes; something i generally frown upon.
furthermore, the lack of mentions toward points later posted by malice and herb make me wonder.
though i will compliment the approach taken to humor involving the guide.

ive always thought the single most important thing in trading is knowing the relationship of an items value and its sell time. by propperly balancing your commission percentage, and expentant sell-times, you can accuratly predict how much an item will sell for, and when you can expect to sell it by, with a pretty high degree of accuracy. which is important for both minimizing potential market flucation-based losses, and ending up with items you have no use for, and cant sell for profit (the WORST type of investment available).

onerabbit · Mar 14, 2007, 11:41 PM // 23:41

if your looking out for deals, i tend to find night time good, as sellers get desperate and lower there price.

xRustyx · Mar 15, 2007, 01:45 AM // 01:45

Quote:

i disagree with some of the points rusty made, particularly about spamming WTSes; something i generally frown upon.
furthermore, the lack of mentions toward points later posted by malice and herb make me wonder.
though i will compliment the approach taken to humor involving the guide.

You did read the whole guide and realize this was a bi-weekly/monthly guide right? That means there will be many more parts to the guide that will cover all the aspects of merchanting. Obviously I'm not going to post a 30 page guide that covers all of merchanting because your eyes would explode.

As for the W T S, as I have already explained it is one of the methods that I use, and while some may frown upon it, it is not illegal or an exploit. I am not actively encouraging it, but I am not discouraging it either. Besides it makes no difference as you can tell from first districts of every popular town.

The Herbalizer · Mar 15, 2007, 02:28 AM // 02:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by xRustyx

You did read the whole guide and realize this was a bi-weekly/monthly guide right? That means there will be many more parts to the guide that will cover all the aspects of merchanting. Obviously I'm not going to post a 30 page guide that covers all of merchanting because your eyes would explode.

As for the W T S, as I have already explained it is one of the methods that I use, and while some may frown upon it, it is not illegal or an exploit. I am not actively encouraging it, but I am not discouraging it either. Besides it makes no difference as you can tell from first districts of every popular town.

You can just copy and paste all my posts if you want any of it or I can delete them as you said you will update the guide.

Although not illegal trading ethics is everything. To my knowledge I never spammed items in local intentionally except possibly in my newb power trading days when I didnt know better. It doesnt look very professional. Ill expand on this further: -

Reputation & Trading Ethics
At the end of the day you will get alot further in the power trading game if you come accross as professional and have good trading ethics. People are much more will to listen to you or contact you if they know you are professional and have good trading ethics. If people see you hardcore spamming up local and breaking Anet's rules and annoying people they may wonder what other rules you are willing to break. There are certain traders who I am not willing to give the time of day due to them having an awful reputation whether it be selling gold on ebay or messing me about in trades. You are more likely to be able to shift that 500 ecto item to people if they "like" or get on well with you. I have seen how that minor disliking of someone can turn into a big hate and before you know it whole groups of people are hating on someone.

Carrying on bidding after an auction has ended or a buyout has been taken can give you a bad reputation too. A disgruntled player can complain to all who would hear him and before you know it alot of people think your a poor power trader.

People building up trust in you and in them can work wonders for making gold. You can share knowledge and help each other in making gold i.e. hooking them up with someone who would buy their item.

Ill admit spamming local isnt exactly the crime of the century but it wont help your image. I saw a well known trader doing it the other day and I did think less of them after that.