Armorsmith Archive

Thread: Pricing Post-CU Discussions

dazzla
Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:24 am
#1

Hi all,


As a fairly new Armoursmith I've been somewhat concerned over armour pricing and would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this subject.


I have yet to make layered armour so have only worried over prices for normal armour (not even close to capping on the resists either) made with advanced cores. I started off totally bemused about how other AS's could charge 200k or more for a suit of armour that takes only 4000 or so resource units to make. At 200k, if my Maths is correct, works out to 50cpu. Since I have harvested more than half my resources and have paid less than 10cpu for the rest I estimate my costs are about 25k per suit. I couldn't charge 50cpu so started off selling armour at 95k per suit.


After just a few hours of being on the galaxy wide bazaar search system my armour started flying off the vendors. Too quickly. I just couldn't keep the armour in stock, and as much as I enjoyed the sales it fast became too stressful to keep the vendors nicely stocked (by that I mean at least one item of each armour and part).


This morning I gave in and have ramped my prices up to around the 200k mark. I can't help but feel I'm overcharging the customer but this is my only option available to try and keep my vendors stocked (sure I could delist the vendors but then I wouldn't get any sales period!). It's a case of supply and demand - demand is just too high for my prices to stay reasonable.


I'm sure with time I'll come to understand that really I'm charging for my time (as I hand craft all my armour it takes a long time to make my armour) but at the moment I feel a bit ... help!?


Dworkin

Infinity's Ithy Armoursmith

RIS Certified
Kesslan
Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:42 am
#2

Well part of the reason some AS charge as much as we do. If their like me for example. I have something like 6 storage homes and 12 factories. That doesnt exactly leave me with alot of room for harvesters. Which means i wind up having to buy most of my resouces. And when it comes to things harvested from rangers. At least on Bria the prices can climb rather quickly.


That and yeah. I found ultimately due to supply & demand. And the ammount of time it takes to produce armor these days. I frankly just increased my prices. Not so muchbecause I wanted more money. But simply because. To be honest. It got bloody annoying that the stuff would sell out long before i could possibly restock. Besides it's a rather standard rule of buisiness and economy it seems. The more in demand an item is. The more expensive it gets. Especially when there are various restrictions on output etc. Just take Oil and gas prices for example.





Master Artisan, 12pt Master Weaponsmith, 12pt Master Armorsmith. R.I.S Certified, Rebel Faction Armor
Bothan Armory: -2070 -4517 Sanctuary Island - Corellia
Also at: -1395 -5820 Da'Vinci - Tatooine
Stealing your wallets since November 04
CaileSathinor
Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:46 am
#3

It's economics, really. If it's flying off the shelf, then you're priced too low or it's in high demand, or both. If restocking is a problem, find a happy medium and raise prices. I started selling factional at 750k a suit of layered and it just poofed within hours. I'm up to 1.5 mil a suit for layered, 1 mil for unlayered, and it's staying around a few days. Sure, it's priced more than I want, but it also means that I have to restock less and makes my life easier.



Valcyn's hawtest AS Caile Sathinor married to Naea
12 Point/+25 Assembly Master Armorsmith Retired Armorsmith Correspondent RIS Certified
Kesslan
Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:48 am
#4

Aye I priced mine about the same. And it seems to have found a happy medium. It still sells -VERY- well. But it wont sell out faster than I make it _most_ days.



Master Artisan, 12pt Master Weaponsmith, 12pt Master Armorsmith. R.I.S Certified, Rebel Faction Armor
Bothan Armory: -2070 -4517 Sanctuary Island - Corellia
Also at: -1395 -5820 Da'Vinci - Tatooine
Stealing your wallets since November 04
Ancho
Wed Jun 29, 2005 11:17 am
#5

Only use the finest Bothan bristley hide and charge for it in the same price range.



- J





Jarveth - Building the Bowcaster since August 2003
JW Bowcaster and Mastercraft Armor & Weaponry | RIS enabled
Solaris, Naboo (-4010, 6116) - Weapons | Kashyykian Armor
"(I think he's flipping mad)" -- Origins
freedomwarrior
Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:30 am
#6

Dazzla,



Allthough I do agree with you, there are other factors to take into play. For instance, to keep making cores in a fashion to stay semi stocked takes a ton of bristley hide for example on adv battle armor. It takes roughly 45k for a full run of cores. If you price your merchandise too low, you will go through the available stock of hides you have in no time and then be making subpar armor before the next good spawn hits. Most chilly armorsmiths have found a happy medium to where they are still making a good profit while still maintaining a semblance of sanity.


I think that if our resources were back down where they were pre cu, you wouldnt see 225k to 325k for armors. I feel bad about charging 225k for recon armor which prior to the cu i was selling for 100k a set. However, I dont want to run out of good primary resources prior to the next spawn like lok leather, naboo bristley and dant wooly. I find that on chilly, our respawn time of good hides is around 1 good spawn every 3 months or so. I judge this into my pricing scheme. I also price storage costs for materials into my equation, as well as factory run times, power costs, etc. Not to mention the cost for my time. Thats the biggest cost as I see it to the armor making, with the factory crate colors being borked.





-Ackire-

THE Retired
dMaster Armorsmithd
Located on the wonderful Planet of Naboo
Now located at -3256 3748, outside of Theed
-=X=-

Ancho
Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:37 am
#7

Based on Kesslan's exposure to the Bria's market post-CU, I decided to price at 500k for my Kashyyykan suits (unlayered). Other Brian armorsmiths have priced lower, but I got to looking at the armor (and I do price compare each week), and while the protection is getting there at a lower price, the condition is nearly 10k lower than my own.


For now, I am not adjusting the price.


- J



Jarveth - Building the Bowcaster since August 2003
JW Bowcaster and Mastercraft Armor & Weaponry | RIS enabled
Solaris, Naboo (-4010, 6116) - Weapons | Kashyykian Armor
"(I think he's flipping mad)" -- Origins
BigfootKC
Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:52 am
#8


------------------------------------------------------|
| Segment | Core | Tailor | Final |
-------------|-----------|--------|----------|--------|
Named(100) | | 1870 | | |
-------------|-----------|--------|----------|--------|
Semi Rare(50)| | | | 530 |
-------------|-----------|--------|----------|--------|
Unnamed(10) | 1155 | 880 | | |
-------------|-----------|--------|----------|--------|
Junk(3) | | | 450 | |
-------------|-----------|--------|----------|--------|


i worked out this scheme, it might be off on your server but wit the new resource reqs i think i can justify it...

on the x-axis is the stuff made and on the y-axis is the resource required along with the price for it, multiply the numbers and add it up...
Cores: 187000+8800
Segments: 11550
Tailor components: 1350
Final combine: 26500
TOTAL: 235200

i sell the suits at 300k at capped stats, and its selling very well.

The 100cpu is based on resource kits at 3mill each.



Poti's Protection ~"~ Armor with no artificial additives of any kind!


Find me on Tatooine, near Bestine in Mos Bahamut (-1691 -6540)
Valeriann
Fri Jul 01, 2005 8:54 pm
#9

Speaking from a non-millionaire point of view, it'd be nice if your average player could afford armor... Not everyone has a mil to drop on armor. Even if the armor isn't "the best", i'm sure it would sell if it were priced right.


I play on 8 servers & have asked a lot of people about armor post CU, people aren't buying it. Sure, the people that play A LOT can afford it, but by and large, the majority of people i've come across can't afford it.


I don't need to hear the "free market economy" lecture. No matter what you price it at, someone will be able to afford it & be willing to buy it. For the OTHER 90% of the people that play the game (who actually PLAY the game, not mindlessly grind missions for creds), we'd like to buy as well.


Like i tried to point out to another poster who just didn't get it, not everyone playes the game 24/7 & has millions in their bank. It's ok to make armor that isn't the best. You're not soiling your rep, your broadening your customer base. On one server just last night i picked up a set of Padded for 100k. It wasn't the best by any means (3200 res) but it was what that character could afford. I didn't think less of the AS. he had another vendor with the good stuff, 450k for 7k res.


So, a humble request from the "average" player, sell some armor that we can afford.


freedomwarrior
Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:24 pm
#10






Valeriann wrote:

Speaking from a non-millionaire point of view, it'd be nice if your average player could afford armor... Not everyone has a mil to drop on armor. Even if the armor isn't "the best", i'm sure it would sell if it were priced right.


I play on 8 servers & have asked a lot of people about armor post CU, people aren't buying it. Sure, the people that play A LOT can afford it, but by and large, the majority of people i've come across can't afford it.


I don't need to hear the "free market economy" lecture. No matter what you price it at, someone will be able to afford it & be willing to buy it. For the OTHER 90% of the people that play the game (who actually PLAY the game, not mindlessly grind missions for creds), we'd like to buy as well.


Like i tried to point out to another poster who just didn't get it, not everyone playes the game 24/7 & has millions in their bank. It's ok to make armor that isn't the best. You're not soiling your rep, your broadening your customer base. On one server just last night i picked up a set of Padded for 100k. It wasn't the best by any means (3200 res) but it was what that character could afford. I didn't think less of the AS. he had another vendor with the good stuff, 450k for 7k res.


So, a humble request from the "average" player, sell some armor that we can afford.








I would normally agree with you, but as a mass productionist(is this a word) of armor, its just hard for me to make suits like your talking about. In a perfect world that would be great, but on chilly at least, I find that armors like this just sit there. I actually did make up 5 suits of armor with 3515 stats on it, and priced it at 150k for a complete suit. Guess what, this was done when cu hit and the armor is still sitting on my vendor. But, the mass production of my high end armor sells like hotcakes. I sell 10 to 12 mil a night, and to alot of newer customers. On a side note, 225k for recon, 275k for battle, and 325k for assault isnt a high price for anyone to afford. You can make that kind of money in 30 minutes of space missions.



-Ackire-

THE Retired
dMaster Armorsmithd
Located on the wonderful Planet of Naboo
Now located at -3256 3748, outside of Theed
-=X=-

Zabava
Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:16 pm
#11

Well, I think any new AS starts like that. I't a good idea tomake very simple and very cheap armor to build a customerbase.I started with cheap low HAM kinetic composite . After three weeks or so, I realised that I'm tired , trying to keep my vendor stocked. So ,my prices comes up. Now I prefer to make hi-end armor and sell it for a good money .


Don't forget - you are playing a game too, not just serving a community. You suppose to have fun.




<

Zabava Rus +++++ Jedi in red

gggggggggggggggggggggg

Ma-ma Rus +++++ Imperial AS
Zabava
Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:17 pm
#12


Well, I think any new AS starts like that. I't a good idea tomake very simple and very cheap armor to build a customerbase.I started with cheap low HAM kinetic composite . After three weeks or so, I realised that I'm tired , trying to keep my vendor stocked. So ,my prices comes up. Now I prefer to make hi-end armor and sell it for a good money .


Don't forget - you are playing a game too, not just serving a community. You suppose to have fun.




<

Zabava Rus +++++ Jedi in red

gggggggggggggggggggggg

Ma-ma Rus +++++ Imperial AS
JeCy
Fri Jul 01, 2005 11:34 pm
#13

my prices.. i know servers vary.. but what the hell here they are..


Non layer. near caped suits 275k (yes wookie suits are the same.. even though they take a bit more.. i feel sorry for the furballs as noone makes them stuff)


helms+legs 50k


chest 80k


mabari and ubese,wookie120k


Nonlayer faction.. 750k



faction qaud layer 1.25k

Qaud layer suits 900k


chests 300k


legs+helm 150k

(yes faction is same price.. but what ever.. this is what i charge : )


I dont sell bracers+bicpets+boots+gloves seperate. If they want um buy a suit. i hate having mis matched peices and parts that noone is ever gonna buy cuase its one blue padded bracer.. or what ever. When asked im trandoisan i dont need boots or gloves i say i dont include them in my pricing.. which i dont. 30 hide and 25 metal and 2 cloths come out to be nothing..If i do have gloves and boots sperate which i do from time to time i sell um for 1k each.. im not discounting 2k cuase you dont need um.( i usally ad in a repair kit, a PSG or a stim D or sometimes a few things in my suits anyway, soo 99% of the time noone says anything. sell um on the bazzar or destroy um i say.. though some just offer um back. /shrug



Soo far ive had very ferw complants on prices and lots of complements on a great vendor (i try to keep nearly 100 suits stocked along with lots of different colors to chose from. i did have someone tell me the other day i was way over piced on RIS.. i told him 1.5 mill if he brought me the stuff.. (i hate making RIS you ever noticed everyone wants this stuff for free?? I now just tell people sorry i dont make RIS, they say thanks and are on there way with out a 20 min conversaion of why its expensive) This someone said someone would make him a +365 suit for 500k (then why are you asking me?? ROFL) yea my qaudlayer flys off the shelves at 900k and that isnt even health moded, (which is broken and caped at +350) I told him what i tell all the others that say that.. who is it?? ill go buy some Have a nice day...


I check the vendor search alot and when people tell me stuff i know they are full of it.. or its a freind of theres soo that doesnt count anyway. I give away armor all the time (to freinds) Ive been a smith since launch and ive heard every excuse, con in the book.. Like this one person telling me about 3 weeks ago.. i have this uber hide (leather from endor) yes it was really nice.. like 950 average for shock+oq.. Well i cap recon with just decent hides.. its no problem for me. I said sure ill buy it 20cpu (my flat fee on anything i buy hides/meat/bone) they laughed and said its the best since launch.. I said thats fine but it doesnt help me make better armor.. (and i have 300k of nice leathery that i can cap recon) I said 20 cpu take it of leave it.. basically. they said they would keep it and some sorta comment like ill be sorry.. /shrug if it was naboo bristly i wouldnt have been even having the converstaion and would ahve given them there price. Anyway im way off topic now.. : )


those are the prices.. hope they help


Je'Cy
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