Merchant Archive
Thread: Medical Master needs advice.
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uofwi92
Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:04 am
#14
I know this advice may not be the most popular, but I opened up an alt character account. Originally, it was for Master Dancer / Master Musician to give me mind buffs on call.
That left enough skill points, though, to be 4 0 0 4 merchant. I sell all kinds of med supplies through this alt character. Now, she spends 95% of her time minding the store, and almost never entertains any more... /shrug
If you REALLY love doing both, you can - you just have to shell out a little extra every month for it...
That left enough skill points, though, to be 4 0 0 4 merchant. I sell all kinds of med supplies through this alt character. Now, she spends 95% of her time minding the store, and almost never entertains any more... /shrug
If you REALLY love doing both, you can - you just have to shell out a little extra every month for it...
Wire3k
Tue Aug 24, 2004 1:36 pm
#15
uofwi92 wrote:
I know this advice may not be the most popular, but I opened up an alt character account. Originally, it was for Master Dancer / Master Musician to give me mind buffs on call.
That left enough skill points, though, to be 4 0 0 4 merchant. I sell all kinds of med supplies through this alt character. Now, she spends 95% of her time minding the store, and almost never entertains any more... /shrug
If you REALLY love doing both, you can - you just have to shell out a little extra every month for it...
Alt accounts are very common among anyone with merchant skills. I have 3 accounts myself because I choose to do that.
Very soon - I suspect I'll cancel all 3. I do not like the direction SOE is pushing the game where they force people to do this instead of it being an option, even though it wouldn't personally affect my ability to do what I do.
I'm just tired of being shoved tighter and tighter into a box - that's not the way the game is designed, that's not I want to see in the folks around me - more cookie cutter templates because fewer and fewer choices are presented.
MaDuece
Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:16 pm
#16
Like it or not, you have to make a choice. You can't be everything and do everything. You have to set you priorities. You have already stated that your priorities are to keep both of your elite medical professions regardless of what happens. So stick with your guns and adapt.
My best suggestion is to go wholesale. Anyone that thinks that this will involve a significant pay cut I think is disillusioned to the amount of value of your goods. Forget the consignment idea since the game mechanics doesn't support this method.
Go to the trade forum and post your situation. I think you will be pleasently surpised at how many merchants will actually buy your goods in bulk. Exchanges can be made by offers on their vendors. Don't think so much about lowering your price. Think more about the true value of your goods and how much they are actually worth to you as a crafter.
As for the customer relations issue: I'm sure you also do buffs. Have crates of your goods available when you do. I think you'll find that customers who are most loyal will return to you and deal with your prices vs a reseller regardless of the hassle. They will just simply want to buy goods per purchase if they can afford it.
However, you essentially gave up the option to run your own store and dealing with your own set of customers when you gave up your skills to keep your vendor.
Ikooga
Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:42 pm
#17
There are ways to handle this.
- Merchant places a vendor for the Doc (or other non-merchant).
- Docoffers the stuff to the vendor for 1 credit each (why 1 credit? more to that later), or drops it in a backpack in the house (merchant has admin of course).
- Doc writes an email to the merchant that theres new stuff to be restocked, also the prices it should be sold.
- Merchant takes it/buys itand restocks the vender a few times per week (should be agreed on how often/when).
- Merchant does /mailsave from time to time.
- uses a program that zips only the *.mail files that are from the vendor thats rented (I'm sure there's a program like that somewhere, just have to find it, otherwise its easily written in 5 minutes if you know a bit about programing and file accessing)
- adds that file to an account they both have the password on SWG Mail so the Doc can check on the mails (you can skip the last step and just add all mails here, if you don't care if the Doc has access to all your mails)
- Merchant gives the Doc the money from the sales, minus his provision (can be checked on that site).
Yes its more complicated than its now. Yes its reduces your profit, compared to selling yourself. But both sides win here (compared to if they don't work together):
Doc:
- gets a vendor which he wouldn't have otherwise, and therefor makes it hard to sell anything
- gets a entry on the planet map, making more people find the shop(if the merchant has Advertise 3)
- reduced Vendor fees (okok )
)- if the merchant is nice and pays 1 credit maintanence in the house the doc even gets a 20% reduction on his house maintanence
Merchant:
- Earns money for not too much work. Yes it is work, you'll have to restock the vendor from time to time, and transfer money, but I doubt anyone seriously expects you to work for free.
Why 1 credit offer to vendor?
I would not buy the stuff in advance. I would pay the money after the sale. Why? Because otherwise I have the full risk if stuff doesn't sell. I wouldhave the risk if the prices asked are just too high. I'm no expert on Medical Stuff so i don't know whats a fair price for a crate of 25 Stamina-Enhance-D Pack with +850 and 3h duration... So i won't buy it for 180k and sell it for 200k because we agreed on a 10% for me, and the doc sais "Sell it for 200k".
I'll take it and offer it for 200k, if/when it sells,then i'll tip 180k to the doc. If the doc wants a banktip i would subtract the 5%, and banktip 171,428 credits (180,000 divided by 1.05).
Its not purely about trust, but I get the money when/ifit sells, not before, and so are you.
Ok, now scream "Yeah but how do I know that you give me all the money?"... well check the vendor, You know what you gave me, you know whats there.
Make the math, if you don't trust me to send you all emails.
That I'll actually will tip you, well you would have to trust me on this, but I would not ruin my reputation over a few credits, so if you really fear that, then better invest the Skillpoints and get the vendor skills yourself, because I think our buisness relationship wouldn't work out anyway for long.
SierraTaz
Tue Aug 24, 2004 9:01 pm
#18
I have been reading up on this since I caught wind of this information a few months back.
As far as I'm concerned everyone is right!
I have 2 accounts, One Uber combat toon and one Doc/Musician. It's pretty common knowledge that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. What I'm trying to say is that my chosen profeesion was a "Loot Whore" I needed somewhere to sell my loot, i.e. vendors. Since I dropped Artisian I have been crafting Stim's and Buff's and selling them also. Now with the nerf and the upcoming "Macro loop" nerf you are going to have a ton of pissed off Doc's that wont buff, or will charge 30k for a set of buffs. Not only that but a large # of Doc's not able to sell what they craft , which...IMO will lead to more Professions selling their items (buff's anf loot included) on the trade forums for 2 to 3 times what they are worth.
So as u can see from my Sig. I will be losing 4 vendors that I worked hard to get and maintain which again is not a big loss for me... I have plenty of storage. I'm sure we will all enjoy paying even more money in an already screwed economy.
At least we all get to hang out here a little more often.
"Camaroan has won the auction of 935 str, 11000 dur 32 use Enhance Action pack for 100k credits. Sorry i can't deliver that though"
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