Artisan Archive
Thread: Pricing Question Control unit
Hello,
As a master Artisan/Novice Armorsmith I've had numerous amounts of /tells asking me how much for this that or the other. I'm on starsider.
I've made two control units for someone, but have no idea how much to charge for them because I've never sold them before. How much are these worth to a droid engineer? Or anyone else? And how is it suggested that people price out the things they craft?
Thanks
Gritten/Paine in game
My thoughts...
It seems there are three price ranges: (1) "things", such as resources, are all priced about 3 credits per unit and since everyone tries to sell resources in batches of 1000 units AND now that you can't slpit resources at the bazaar, you're stuckbuying 1000+ units for at least 3000 credits, (2) weapons seem to be priced at 9000 to 15000 regardless of quality. I've noted recently that the CDFE weapons (those that anyone can make) have come down in price, and (3)placeable units such asbuildings(and to a lesser degree harvesters) range anywherefrom a low of 15000up to 150000.
In other words, there seems to be norhyme orreason for how people are pricng their wares.
In addiiton, as soon as someone has something they don't want, they try to sell it at the bazaar, therefore, the bazaar is flooded with useless items.
Finally, I dont' know about you, but I haven't found an easy way to make money. It takes me many boreing surveying missions or long arduous explorer missions (and dieing several times) just to rake up 20000 credits over a weeks worth of playing. I'm not about to spend my hard earned money on things that, with a little more experience ina given area, I can craft myself.
My opinion...
Ovbiously, the more difficult an item is to craft and the higher in the food chain one must be in order to gain the more sought-after schematics, the more something is worth. In addition, one should price something at least as much as it cost them to make. Peope with harvesters must paymaintenance costs anddeposit power (that also has maintenance costs). I would suggest pricing an item 10 to 15 percent higher than what it costs to craft the item and then another 5 to 10 percent if it is a premium item (such as a laser rifle with high quality).
In addition, I would rather be (and hope to become known as) a player that has a good reputation for crafting quality merchandise and who sells or trades those items at a fair price. [If I ever get enough teaching xp, I hope to advance to one of the Master crafters.] I would almost rather sell and trade directly with other players in order to get to know them. If they like you and you're nice to them and if they feel they are getting a good deal, they'll seek you out when they want something else. (No, I am not a car salesman)
I would be interested in organizing such a pricing system and developing a reputable guild for crafting with anyone in the Kettamore Galaxy.
Hope this helps,
Ee'an Ledgor (all around good guy and soon-to-be Master of something)
Hereare someartisan mission tricks that I learned: 1) Be picky about the mission you take as far as price goes. Before I got Level IV pistol, I would hold out until a 800 credit or more mission popped up. Now that I have Level IV pistol, I get missions that are at least 1500 credits. 2) Fly between 2 cities to find resources for missions. After each resource change I would take readings of my home city and a nearby city. I would determine which items I could find easily when I jumped off the shuttle at each city and then I would only take missions for those resources. This has become a little moredifficult, now that I am getting higher paid missions, but only because they are asking for more specific resources. The biggest hassle is the shuttle wait. With that in mind, I can now make at least 12000 credits per hour.
To answer the question posed:
I seem to recall the control unit takes about 27 resources to make. I use the going rate for resources (about 3 per unit) times the number of resources used (27) as the base. I round up a bit to figure my crafting effort and the scarcity of the object ....this translates to 100 credits per control unit. I have sold them for much less to people who provide their services at a discount to me. These artisan components are not in great demand like other items and only certain classes need them, so you need to find your own niche here. Hope this helps.
I had some architect try to tell me I should sell him some for 25 credits each....I asked how much his heavy harvestors and homes were and that pretty much ended that conversation. There are more than a few people who want you to sell your product low while they want to sell theirs for the highest price possible (while lamenting the great cost and effort of building the object in question).
Bottom line, be fair, but firm.
Seriously?
I sell Electronics GP Modules and the like for 250 credits. Every module I place on the Bazaar sells within a couple days. I have never had to pick an unsold one up.
Along these lines
1) which master artisan items are most popular on the bazaar (I'm thinking of doing crates - but only if they do crates of 25 or it will be above limit)
2) what should I experiment on?
Wow, I'd never sell a control unit for 100 credits. I've sold all of mine (in large markets...Corellia/Naboo) for 600 or 700. Micro Sensor Suites can go for 1100to 1500.
2 Reasons for this: Supply and Convenience
Convenience: These components require so many different resources, that theybecome inconvenient for us to make (that, and we really don't get a whole lot of XP for them).
With a scarcity of Master Artisans out there, people in elite professions (Architects, Droid Engineers, etc...)have a hard time finding these components at all. It's not a matter of WHEN they find them...it's more a matter of IF they find them (and where).If they do find them, theywon't be caring too much about price. After all, they not only have to find a Master Artisan, but a Master Artisan who WANTS to take the time to make them.
Besides, most Master Architects I know have piles of cash laying around. They won't think twice at dropping 700 for a control unit.
I have been pricing my electronics components at 5cr/resource unit needed to make them, which I think is fair given that I keep the quality up between 750 and 980. However, other than one big sale, I have sold very few and only single units at a time. They would probably move at 3cr/unit, but I'd prefer to keep my stock for later use than sell that low. There are always powerups and repair tools to sell.