| The following email references several posts I've | | | | posting things on the ah or selling their wares in trade |
| made on inscription in the past and how to defeat | | | | channel is time they are not farming. So while they |
| excessive goblins using a combination of selling | | | | may not be getting full market value for wares that |
| snowfall inks, selling armor vellum III's, getting farmers | | | | may or may not sell, they all realize that guaranteed |
| for herbs and selling cheap glyphs. Now, understand | | | | money is the safest way to farm. Which brings up a |
| that you can never technically 'defeat' someone in a | | | | idea I just had while writing the last sentance, the price |
| marketplace. Sure you can limit their sales or make | | | | on the auction house is only the "percieved" market |
| them increase their prices, but you can never truly | | | | value. As with all things, something is only worth what |
| defeat them. All you can do is use all the tools in your | | | | people are willing to pay for it. You have to realize, |
| toolbox to increase sales and not allow someone | | | | the only reason something costs as much as it does |
| else's actions to decrease your own. Basically the idea | | | | on WoW, is because someone made up the price and |
| was to diversify your inscription sales and change the | | | | other people agreed. Think about Darkmoon Cards |
| way you make profit from the profession. By making | | | | or Primordial Saronite. If no one will buy it for what its |
| glyph sales a smaller percentage of your overall profit | | | | "worth" then you have to sell for less than that to not |
| margin from milling it is possible to greatly increase | | | | be stuck with a lame duck product, which is something |
| your gold intake even with someone who uses | | | | all farmers dont want. |
| extreme goblin-like posting methods on your server. A | | | | Which leads me into my next bit. I guarantee Markco |
| note on how this went for my server; there really are | | | | does not buy all these mats w/o someone to sell them |
| no goblins left and I make the majority of my money | | | | to. If there werent tons of people wanting glyphs or |
| selling glyphs anywhere from 3 gold 50 silver to 60 | | | | armor vellums or inks then he would not sell them. In |
| gold with QA3. The ROI for a 10 gold stack of adder's | | | | fact he prolly had to recrtuit farmers just to keep up |
| tongue which I turn into a snowfall ink, 4 glyphs, and 4 | | | | with demand. It seems that alot of people dont |
| armor vellums comes out to around 70 gold on | | | | realize that you can make the armor vellums and |
| average per stack milled. If I were to go back to my | | | | weapon vellums for the exact same amount of inks of |
| anti-goblin posting I would see around 40 gold ROI, but | | | | the seas as you can the glyphs, and you get twice as |
| it's thanks to my anti-goblin methods that other | | | | much per ink and the only think it will cost you extra is |
| auctioneers had to increase their QA3 thresholds | | | | a parchment per vellum. This right here is a real big |
| which in turn allowed me to make more gold per glyph. | | | | reason the strategy will work because while there are |
| For a better understanding of opportunity costs with | | | | more people needing glyphs, there are enchanters that |
| inscription, please check out the podcast calltoauction. | | | | need these vellums for all the people wanting |
| Unfortunately, because this is such a hot topic, many | | | | enchants. So if they can get vellums for less than |
| comments are simply going to flame and ignore the | | | | anyone else THEY make money as well in which |
| reasoning behind the method. | | | | Markco becomes just like the farmer in the first |
| Here is the email I received from "A B", I left it entirely | | | | situation. He is gaining masses of money from a |
| unedited: | | | | generally untapped market, while people fight over |
| I'm sorry if this is a bit late for this post but I just have | | | | percentage points of profit in the glyph game. Ill use |
| to say what needs to be said about this particular | | | | some numbers from my server and show you from |
| subject. I think the "ney-sayers" do not realize a few | | | | Markco's side why it works. If the goblin buys how |
| things. They do not really realize the entire scope of | | | | many ever stacks of the top 3 herbs (lich, thorn adder) |
| what markco plans to do and which is why it will work | | | | for 15g he will get on average the mats for one |
| because most people dont get the concept of it. First | | | | snowfall ink and 6 InkotS. Lets say that they sell their |
| off it is very easy to get the herbs for that kind of gold | | | | snowfall ink for 10g and the 6 glyphs for 4g apiece. |
| from farmers. Farmers want their gold right now and | | | | Thats 34g per stack which is not bad. Let say |
| by putting it on the ah or spamming in trade they're | | | | another goblin comes along and another and they all |
| wasting one thing they thrive on: time. Time is what | | | | get to their glyph bottom of 3g so now with snowfall |
| makes the farmers farm well. They have an | | | | ink still for 10g thats just 28g per stack (still very |
| abundance more than the rest of us and they use it to | | | | profitable). Now let us watch markco destroy |
| spend getting mats for others. Yes, they could sell it | | | | snowfall inks and the price goes down to 5g per |
| all on the ah but a few things come into play there | | | | snowfall. Some of you are probably wishing that this |
| besides time. One, other people. When something | | | | was the price of inks on your server and it would |
| gets put on the ah for whatever gold, it can easily be | | | | definately make darkmoon cards much easier to get |
| undercut by Mr or Ms. John Q Farmalot and thus | | | | when I get to lvl 80 on new toons but I digress. The |
| making the first farmer not sell his herbs. Yeah he | | | | reason this has not and will not happen anytime soon |
| will still sell alot but it wont be all at once, and it wont be | | | | goes back to what I said earlier, people think its worth |
| in one day. Which brings me to why farmers want to | | | | more. This is where time plays a factor in this side of |
| sell for less, they can do it more often and | | | | the market as well. If people did not account for their |
| EVERYDAY. How many times have you had things | | | | time spent then snowfall inks would always equal a |
| come back to you in the mail cuz it was undercut | | | | stack of whatever and 6 glpyhs would equal a stack |
| drastically? The farmers know that risk and to them | | | | of whatever and gems would be the same amount as |
| it is math. Anyone can sell it for less than the 10g if | | | | gem cuts and transmutes would just be worth the |
| they wanted, but if the farmers sell directly no one | | | | mats and so on. Time is a great commodity in this |
| knows about that 10g price and that leaves the price | | | | game. The more you have the more success you |
| to be inflated. I can guarantee that one everyone's | | | | CAN have just because you are there more often. |
| server there are more farmers than you know about, | | | | Just like the person who always can raid because |
| selling for less than you consider "market price". Let | | | | he does not work nights will have better gear than the |
| me put it another way. If the farmer sells 100 stacks | | | | person who only can play when very few people are |
| a day for 10g he makes 1000g. He puts up the same | | | | on. So anyway back to my main point, all professions |
| 100 stacks on the ah for 15g(which im making 'fair | | | | are inflated by time. Now, let's say that Markco |
| market value') and another farmer comes around and | | | | evaluates time exactly as the goblins the only |
| undercuts him with his own 50 stacks. So now there | | | | difference would be the price at which he bought the |
| are 50 stacks of something that will be bought before | | | | beginning mats. And since he bought the mats for 2 |
| the first farmer even has his stacks looked at, and | | | | 3 the price, he can price all of his created items at 2/3 |
| thats if no one else undercuts before then as well. | | | | everyone elses prices and still see himself profitable. |
| So now for him to get the same margin that he | | | | And the goblins could not compete. Now you might |
| would have gotten for 100 stacks for 10g hell have to | | | | think that 5g a stack isnt that much of a difference in |
| sell 67 more stacks (at 15g) than the 50 that undercut | | | | price, and sure if you do just a few stacks a day it |
| him which means 117 stacks would have been bought | | | | really isn't. Let me sidetrack a bit and I'll tell you a |
| before he could equal the same amount of money he | | | | story. I first found this blog by watching Marcko's one |
| could have made just selling for 10g. Now let us say | | | | horribly quiet video when he started out with 5g and |
| that on any day only 100 stacks even sell at all off the | | | | made 40g in less than a week. And he did this buy |
| auction house, that means that 50 of his stacks would | | | | doing simple things, buying stuff for cheap that gave |
| not even sell. Meaning the next day he would only be | | | | profit and reselling it. The trick did not work just |
| able to post half of the stacks he could have already | | | | because that other people were stupid, it worked |
| sold. If he collects 100 stacks a day for seven days | | | | because of the sheer number of bids he did, and |
| straight he will guarantee 7000g if he sells it directly to | | | | auctions he sold. So think of that 5 gold per stack |
| someone like markco. Now with the other method | | | | difference that way. Five gold a day a stack is not |
| lets see what could happen. He collects 100 stacks | | | | much but imagine the farmer selling 100 stacks to him |
| posts for 15g nother person posts 50 stacks for less | | | | for 5g less than anyone else, 1000 stacks a day from |
| and the farmer only sells 50. So thats just 750g from | | | | multiple farmers. And that 5gold adds up quickly. It |
| that one day and 50 stacks that could not sell that will | | | | starts at 5 gold, then becomes 500, then becomes |
| go nowhere. Next day he goes collects another | | | | 5000g. But I will give you something to ponder on, |
| hundred and posts 15g a stack and gets undercut | | | | what if you just got those mats for 50s less than |
| again with 50 stacks. Same thing happens, only 50 of | | | | anyone else would you still think it worth it. What if |
| his sell so for two day total he has 1500g instead of | | | | you bought and used 100 stacks a day, 1000 stacks. |
| possible 2000g. Of course this is not likely to happen | | | | You need to realize that just because something |
| but you have to understand just how farmers think. | | | | dont give you oodles of gold per time you use it, it can |
| And its very simple time not farming is time wasted | | | | still easily be profitable. It is up to you to realize how |
| to the true farmers. Every moment they spend | | | | to do so. |