Architect Archive
Thread: Houses on Bazaar trying to make a living
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Gavaksha
Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:05 am
#1
I'm thinking of doing some small houses specifically to put up on the Bazaar to see about generating revenue.
I wanted to poll the other Architects to get your feelings.
I know I get frustrated by trying to sell Master Furniture for legit prices and then see it on the bazaar for 300 cr. a pop. I don't want to trash the business of the larger profession by doing the same thing with houses.
The idea of selling them on the bazaar being, sell many at a low price vs. few at a high price.
I don't want to grief the other architects by undercutting radically, and the profit margin isn't that high, but I simply haven't been selling structures and am hemorrhaging credits on maintenance, etc. like there is no tomorrow.
I wanted to get everyone's opinion on this.
This boils down to simple economics, trying to make a living. That being said, economics affects every member of the profession my work impacts and so I don't want to go through everyone else's economy with a machete to make a living.
I want to be an Architect, not a resource merchant. And I'm having a really hard time being able to do that.
I am a solo operator, not part of a PA, Guild or anything else for support. Trying to be the Wookiee independent business man.
Thanks for your feedback,
Lowwa
Master Architect/Artisan
Free Spacer Designs/Gavaksha Structures
Sunrunner
I wanted to poll the other Architects to get your feelings.
I know I get frustrated by trying to sell Master Furniture for legit prices and then see it on the bazaar for 300 cr. a pop. I don't want to trash the business of the larger profession by doing the same thing with houses.
The idea of selling them on the bazaar being, sell many at a low price vs. few at a high price.
I don't want to grief the other architects by undercutting radically, and the profit margin isn't that high, but I simply haven't been selling structures and am hemorrhaging credits on maintenance, etc. like there is no tomorrow.
I wanted to get everyone's opinion on this.
This boils down to simple economics, trying to make a living. That being said, economics affects every member of the profession my work impacts and so I don't want to go through everyone else's economy with a machete to make a living.
I want to be an Architect, not a resource merchant. And I'm having a really hard time being able to do that.
I am a solo operator, not part of a PA, Guild or anything else for support. Trying to be the Wookiee independent business man.
Thanks for your feedback,
Lowwa
Master Architect/Artisan
Free Spacer Designs/Gavaksha Structures
Sunrunner
CoretDenvin
Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:09 am
#2
The most you can get for a small house is 6k on the bazaar. So my feeling is that if you can build a house for 6k and still have some room to actually MAKE a profit - more power to you.
But if you are selling houses at 6k and losing money on them - then I would probably shy away from the idea.
But if you are selling houses at 6k and losing money on them - then I would probably shy away from the idea.
Anthemion
Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:51 am
#3
I calculate 1.77 CPU for this plan. People have done this before, but the profits are thin. This will irritate some architects on your server since they will get people placing orders for 20 small houses insisting the price is 6k ea. 'cus I saw some on the bazzar at that price. We then say, "Well, then buy them from the bazzar. My price is 12k and 11k for 5 or more." 
sometimes customers will be very persistant trying to bring our price down.
sometimes customers will be very persistant trying to bring our price down.
Elissa_Ave
Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:20 am
#4
If you are mining your own materials then it wouldn't be too bad. Small profit margin as others have said yes, but I did this starting out as an architect doing my grind and I sold them like crazy. Gave me enough capital to continue grinding architectto master.
As far as how it will affect the market and other architects on your server, that will partly have to do with the going price for small houses. If you are selling them on the bazaar for 6k and the going price is 15k, that might be a little extreme. I am also a sole operatorarchitect, but I don't believe that hurts me as much since I mainly stick to mining my own resources. On Chilastra I sell them on my vendor at 6k, but I chose to not make my profit margin on them. That is more like a gimmick to get people in the door and they usually end up buying up my furniture vendor. Also, the going price for small houses on Chilastra is usually between 6k and 10k, but they are often on the bazaar for 5-6k as well.
This is just my opinion, but if you do a limited run of this, just to get you back on your feet, it shouldn't affect the market too badly. I wouldn't make it permanent, but you might try including the waypoint to your shop in the seller description of the house when you sell it on the bazaar. You could say something like "If you are looking for the furniture to outfit your new house, come see my vendor at (xxxx, xxxx)." That way it will help get your name out there. Plus if you keep a well stocked vendor you will get a lot of returning business. This works particularly well if you have a shop outsidea major starport and you put the houses on the bazaar in that city. People don't feel as inconvenienced to drive to a shop they know will be stocked with what they want vs. driving around all day.
Elissa
RHyperSpace Trading Inc.R
Master Architect/Master Artisan
Chilastra
Dvnce
Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:23 am
#5
If you have the means to keep your inventory up Placing a well stocked vendor in the right place = less work and more money. I have seen in many cases people being able to sell Just the resources and making more than the 6k.
I have a pretty well Stocked vendor and I am by far not the cheapest. but my Houses sell very good. ( I am finding most people have a hard time finding a well stocked vendor in the House market since most architects do furniture or harvesters.)
Pawlin
Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:21 pm
#6
Selling smalls on the bazaar won't make you much money for the time and effort. Before you resort to that, there may be other things you can do to help improve your business. And you may just need to give it some time.
How long have you been working as an Architect? It will take a few weeks to build up a business.
What do you sell? How much stock do you have on your vendor? Whereis your shop? Is it on the planetary map? Have you advertised at all?
These things will all have a big impact on your business.
Ewach
Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:40 pm
#7
Gavaksha wrote:
The idea of selling them on the bazaar being, sell many at a low price vs. few at a high price.
The flaw in your plan is concept of "selling many" - small houses are not a consumable item. Especially now that they do not even decay away if not maintained.
Cherokaa
Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:11 pm
#8
I agree with what's been stated earlier. A well stocked vendor full of all types of houses are a good thing and you'll rake in lots of cash as a lot of Archs just stick to furniture and harvs. If you have the houses they need, there's a good chance they'll buy them as some people really go out of their way to find the one they need/want.
alwayslost
Mon Feb 28, 2005 6:46 pm
#9
I did this on eclipse as part of the architect grind. I decided to do a few small houses and sell them on the bazaar for 6 K. In two or three days I think I sold about 20, and no house sat on the bazaar for more than 48 hours. But this is coming from a different perspective than what an established architect might do, for some honest reasons. I grinded architect harvesting my own resources. I sold houses long before I ever had a house of my own; since even a small naboo style 2 was one less harvester I could be harvesting from. The established architects have vendor maintenance, house maintenance, factory maintenance, storage maintenance, city income taxes, city property taxes; and the problem of selling so cheaply that demand outstrips their production capacities, and then customers are frustrated. I am moving into the "established group" and other than helping my guild out,I don't think selling them at 6 K is a long term proposition. But for a grinding crafter in the arch tree, selling those houses was a good way to offset the harvester costs. I did a lot of gungan head statues too; accumulating 99 K and 120 K of crafting xp in each of 4 columns by making small houses was too mind numbing to contemplate. But selling a small house for 6 K is a lot more return onyour resource acquisition cost than throwing away 3000 resources on a gungan head statue, so I would recommend selling the small houses on the bazaar. It will probably just be a temporary thing you do anyway. And remember, if the established architects thing you are ruining the market, they can buy those houses themselves and resell them on their vendors, which actually might be a way for everybody to be happy. Good luck with the arch grind.
Stl2aNgE
Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:35 am
#10
Do what you have to do to make your gaming experience better. If you need the cash, and it will help, do it. No one asked me what I thought about pricing or selling on the bazaar, and I havent asked no one about theirs. I sell what I want to, at the prices I want to, and thats good enough for me. Should be that way for anyone. You pay for the game, do what makes you happy playing it....LOL
SonOfAGhost
Tue Mar 01, 2005 4:43 pm
#11
I've been doing very well for my self using this method. On Bloodfin most resource sellers try to get 2+ CPU for resources regardless of quality which doesn't matter for houses. If it doesn't have at least 1 stat over 900 I refuse to pay more than 1 CPU, and if you look you can find it. Most architects seem to pay 2 or 3, that's why they sell smalls for 10-15k. Of course it gets even cheaper harvesting yourself, which you'd be a fool not to given the amount of resources we use. Anyway, buying all at 1 CPU lets me make roughly 3k each time I sell a house for 6k, and I can't keep the bazaar stocked they go so quick. I've been stocking 1 each of most types in Coronet and Theed and sold at least 75 in the last 24 hours. When you keep several on at once keep an eye on the emails when they sell. Whenever I see someone by several at once I email them asking if they need more. Most just want a few for storage but by contacting customers I've already got an order for 10 mediums from one guy and another contract for a new player city. Once I get to master (later today at this rate 
) I'll probably stop selling smalls entirely, except as part of a city package, to keep the market demand healthy for other novices coming up.
) I'll probably stop selling smalls entirely, except as part of a city package, to keep the market demand healthy for other novices coming up.
GogoDodo
Wed Mar 02, 2005 8:28 am
#12
something else you could also consider. Seek out some of the more establish master archs on your server and see if they would be interested in buying your small houses for resale. I've been MA for a very very long time and find making small houses to be, frankly, beneath me. The time and resources could be better put into larger stuff. But if a smaller arch came along and wanted to sell/supply small houses and medium harvestors then i'd be willing to either give him shop space or buy them for selling on my vendor.
Elissa_Ave
Wed Mar 02, 2005 11:06 am
#13
That's actually a great idea to combine efforts with another architect. I know many people have mentioned buying components from newbie architects, but I had never thought about setting up shop with another architect doing part of the crafting/selling.
I can say from experience right now, that after taking a month off from playing and trying to set my shop up again, that getting all the resources and time together to craft a full service offering is taking me forever. Having another architect take over part of the job like houses, factories, etc. would make it MUCH easier.
I love reading this board. You all are so creative with your ideas and suggestions!
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