Image Designer Archive

Message Edited by Tralmek on 01-21-2005 03:32 PM

I usually charge 20 k for stat migrations. The rest on tips. I've *only* gotten one complaint since the timers went down, and that guy complained saying that someone else would do them for 4k and I shouldn't charge so much.

I responded by telling him A) I am a MasterID and any other master of a skill treecan expect to be paid well because they *ARE* masters, they do it better and faster with more options than the novices, so they get tocharge more. That's how it works, b) you can get 4k for a basic mission, and you generally pay 15-30k for a buff. A stat migration is like a permanent buff (yes I know we can't take them to the extreme levels that the buffs can, but it does **perminately change** their base stats) and as such they really should not expect the stat migration to cost much less than a buff, and finally c) that he is of course free to price shop and if that other person is online that he may of course go find said person but he did have a bounty hunter waiting for him outside of the tent ready to fight him, and added, by the way, I love supply and demand. [I was the only MID on at the time and he really was being a jerk]. Between each point he yelled at me more, which is why the responses get increasingly chilly. I finally told him that I would notlower the price just because he complained at me, which he didquite vulgarly I might add.

He *then*complained he didn't have 20 k (ri-ight, sympathy? me? Now? No.If he had said that at the start rather than yelling, I would have probably charged him less, Ioften givefree migrations to people who are genuinely nice to me), and one of his friends in his group said he'd cover the cost. He thensaid many more vulgar things thatgenerally boiled down to "no, the ID person should charge less" and I finally told the groupI wouldn't ID him anyway and that I wasn't really sorry if he lost his fight because his stats weren't maximized right. I would even laugh (and I did). At the same time, though, the other people in the group were nice and tipped me well, despite my protests that they didn't need to (and they survived their fights).

My only mastery is ID, and the only way I get money is by IDing other people - I don't do ID for money alone,but it has turned into my main source of income. I had considered lowering the 20k until I met this fellow. In truth, most people tip me more than 20k anyway. I routinely get 50k, which is cool because I like giving some cash to newbs who tag me for being a helper, and grinding architect is expensive. Also, recently a couple of guilds have started paying me quite well to meet players with bounties on their heads outside of a salon for imaging work. I *always* ask for more money from these people, mostly because the timer goes up, but these people also are alwayswilling to pay well.

The point? Don't charge too little. I really think you are cutting yourself short if you charge too little. The fighters especially (even after solo groups were nerfed) usually have a lot of cash, mostly because they run around and kill things for *fun* and then get PAID for it. They have to spend the money on *something* and I, personally, would rather they spend it on me and myhard-earned ability to migrate stats and color their hair 256 different colors (remember we are theONLY non-macroible profession soitreally is a pain to get MID, especially since we have timers) than 200k for a large sized house that costs 9k a week in maintenanceand takes up six lots butonly holds 250 items (small house 2 lots, less than 3 k /week maint. and holds 150 items, I also do architect, and I have seen large houses go for that much) *or* 100k for the blue rug *or* the myraid of other things that go for insane prices in-game. Don't kid yourself, they have the money. Don't let the other players whine you into taking less when you *can't* go out randomly to do a mission and get more money, which IDers can't do.

Ok, not an ID, but i've visited often enough, I think to be helpful in this thread.

Of the three migrations I've done, one was from a guildie for free, and one involved an MID travelling quite a bit for it so I paid her 100K. The third charged me 15K.

For the myriad of haircuts, skin colorations, size changes, etc (I get bored with my toons all the time) they almost always say "What you think it's worth". Well, as a Master Ranger, Master Pistoleer, I charge 250K for one hour of my time regardless of the tracking results. So I split that up by 60 to find out my cost by the minute which comes out to 4166 credits per minute. So I pay at that rate (same thing when i am tipping Dancers/Musicians), and since I am picky about the choices I make (it's been said I am a bad decision maker) a single hairstyling can take 5-10 minutes, so I'll pay between 20-40K. And I will always pay travelling costs, or set up appointments for a later date if they aren't immediately available. Of course, when the ID is exceptionally friendly, I'll add in a tip to say thanks as well.