Merchant Archive

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DesktopSaki wrote:

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darmokVtS wrote:

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Idallia wrote:
That's 6.67 cpu for the finished item,
[..]
How can I compete with this underselling?

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6.67 cpu is not underselling, you should try not to overpay for your ressources next time so you can compete with the smart crafters who do not overpay for their ressources (mining cost itself is somewhere around 0.5 cpu).

If you pay as you claim 8-10 cpu for inshift materials to miners, find yourself some new miners .

Message Edited by darmokVtS on 03-24-2005 08:47 PM

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Depends on your server. On Eclipse, the best stuff you can use for this is a copper that'll run you about 20 cpu. It had a not-very-long shift last summer and hasn't been topped since.

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Likewise. I use some Con 998 Aluminum that was self mined. It's about 5 months old, and we haven't had anything remotely close to its quality since then on Intrepid, so it would easily go for 6-8 cpu.

I'm with those that say this global search option should be tied to a level in the advertising tree. Seems like this search option should be a marketing advantage and therefore require some skin in the game to get it (i.e. skill points).

Message Edited by Kelloch on 03-25-2005 12:03 PM

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Kelloch wrote:
I'm with those that say this global search option should be tied to a level in the advertising tree. Seems like this sarch option should be a marketing advantage and therefore require some skin in the game to get it (i.e. skill points).

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I suspect most of the "price-gougers" are going to be people who were given their resources by guild or friends - or who have no concept of how costs-to-make go into price-to-sell. There are also those who don't research their competitors with an eye to keeping prices stable across the board; they look to undercut and "steal" business.
the latter folks will usually go out of business unless they can continue to find resources at rock bottom prices.

I am not really happy about being able to search on price. however... I do plan to use this implementation to see if my prices are indeed too high (tho I have been told they are not), and adjust accordingly.
Crafters, imho, should support each other, not undercut each other.

On the other hand, there are likely some vendors out there still hanging on to stuff that was crafted during the "grind a million professions to unlock" era, and they just want to unload the stuff...

as has been posted before, it will likely balance out, it's just painful at this time to see how little the profession is respected by the creators. Artisan skill indeed!!!! It should certainly be in the merchant tree!!!

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Idallia wrote:
I have to admit, I am very concerned this is going to drop prices to the point that crafting is not profitable. Already, some idiot was selling 99.8 repair tools for 2500 for a full crate, which would be right around cost if you harvested everything for it. That's 6.67 cpu for the finished item, when the metal used in it would probably sell for 8-10. Repair tools are fairly high margin item for me, which I thought was justified because a full crate lasts forever and they don't move that fast on the vendors. I sell a full crate of these for 22.5k. How can I compete with this underselling?

I am worried this "Feature" is going to make crafting unprofitable. What are you guys' thoughs?

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Now, I feel like I'm the bearer of bad news.

This guy who is selling his crates of repair tools for 2500 a crate isn't undercutting you. He has just lowered his profit margin and he will be able to more effectively compete in the marketplace.

I see that you've done the math and realized that this guy is selling his tools at around 6.67cpu. My question is what makes you think that is so low? If you were to put a heavy mineral harvestor down on a 75% spot (which is lower than what most people use) and the spawn was only live for seven days (which is shorter than most spawns), you would be able to pull that resource at a cost of 0.12cpu discounting power costs (which quickly fall to negligable). From the costs that you've named, you are selling these items at a rate of 60cpu. My question to you is why do you think that you are entitled to a markup of almost 50,000%? That is not a high margin. That is an astronomical one. It only becomes more overblown when you think of just how conservative this estimate is.

This merchant whoever he is has cut down on his profit margin to increase his volume, which is a much smarter move in the long run. He will be virtually guaranteed to sell out while others who keep their volume so high will be left holding inventory.

I personally do not think that this guy is the bad one in this situation. I know that you are worried about crafting becoming unprofitable, but I don't see how anyone with a markup of over 5,500% (which his is)is unprofitable.

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RamondChappell wrote:

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Idallia wrote:
I have to admit, I am very concerned this is going to drop prices to the point that crafting is not profitable. Already, some idiot was selling 99.8 repair tools for 2500 for a full crate, which would be right around cost if you harvested everything for it. That's 6.67 cpu for the finished item, when the metal used in it would probably sell for 8-10. Repair tools are fairly high margin item for me, which I thought was justified because a full crate lasts forever and they don't move that fast on the vendors. I sell a full crate of these for 22.5k. How can I compete with this underselling?

I am worried this "Feature" is going to make crafting unprofitable. What are you guys' thoughs?

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Now, I feel like I'm the bearer of bad news.

This guy who is selling his crates of repair tools for 2500 a crate isn't undercutting you. He has just lowered his profit margin and he will be able to more effectively compete in the marketplace.

I see that you've done the math and realized that this guy is selling his tools at around 6.67cpu. My question is what makes you think that is so low? If you were to put a heavy mineral harvestor down on a 75% spot (which is lower than what most people use) and the spawn was only live for seven days (which is shorter than most spawns), you would be able to pull that resource at a cost of 0.12cpu discounting power costs (which quickly fall to negligable). From the costs that you've named, you are selling these items at a rate of 60cpu. My question to you is why do you think that you are entitled to a markup of almost 50,000%? That is not a high margin. That is an astronomical one. It only becomes more overblown when you think of just how conservative this estimate is.

This merchant whoever he is has cut down on his profit margin to increase his volume, which is a much smarter move in the long run. He will be virtually guaranteed to sell out while others who keep their volume so high will be left holding inventory.

I personally do not think that this guy is the bad one in this situation. I know that you are worried about crafting becoming unprofitable, but I don't see how anyone with a markup of over 5,500% (which his is)is unprofitable.

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Idallia wrote:
I have to admit, I am very concerned this is going to drop prices to the point that crafting is not profitable. Already, some idiot was selling 99.8 repair tools for 2500 for a full crate, which would be right around cost if you harvested everything for it. That's 6.67 cpu for the finished item, when the metal used in it would probably sell for 8-10. Repair tools are fairly high margin item for me, which I thought was justified because a full crate lasts forever and they don't move that fast on the vendors. I sell a full crate of these for 22.5k. How can I compete with this underselling?

I am worried this "Feature" is going to make crafting unprofitable. What are you guys' thoughs?

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Chek this out, I have been selling 99% repair kits for 2k for ages.

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IstecOha wrote:

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Idallia wrote:
I have to admit, I am very concerned this is going to drop prices to the point that crafting is not profitable. Already, some idiot was selling 99.8 repair tools for 2500 for a full crate, which would be right around cost if you harvested everything for it. That's 6.67 cpu for the finished item, when the metal used in it would probably sell for 8-10. Repair tools are fairly high margin item for me, which I thought was justified because a full crate lasts forever and they don't move that fast on the vendors. I sell a full crate of these for 22.5k. How can I compete with this underselling?

I am worried this "Feature" is going to make crafting unprofitable. What are you guys' thoughs?

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Chek this out, I have been selling 99% repair kits for 2k for ages.

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Repair Kits or "crates" of repair kits. Big possible price difference there.
As to th 5,000% markup that might be a bit much if I just buy the kits from Joe Crafter and sell them
on my vendor but if I have to search out the material and do the learning and such to make the 99% tools
who is someone to say that I am "gouging" the customer because I want to make some credits with my time.
I have not recently done so but early on I chose Combat over crafting cause I could make more credits per hr.
Later with the Combat Rebalance ( Which started in Dec 2003 for those of you who are new here ) I found that I could do ok mining and selling as a Merchant so I moved my skillpoints there.

With the latest change It looks like I can drop most or all of merchant and go pickup some skills for whatever the final combat rebalance becomes.

-Indene-

P.S. History Lesson. Dec 2003 All creatures and the Creature Handler Profession was "balanced" in prep for an overall rebalance that was to come in just a few weeks. Fortunatly for me I chose to keep breathing while we wait.

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DedalusX wrote:

Free markets right themselve over time.

Buy his stock and resell it. =)

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There's no risk in this game, the market doesn't have to correct itself. I could probably sell at a loss for the rest of year and still be wealthy at the end of it.

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Elioi wrote:

All of a sudden Hiring was usefull? Man, people make it sound like dressing vendors or having an Ithorian made people buy more from a vendor. Heads up people - nothing in this change affected the usefullness of the hiring line. Now advertising got pretty hosed in effectiveness, and there is a good argument there, but hiring really has nothing to do with it since remote buying and insta delivery were removed.

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Actually the appearance of a shop has gotten me sales. I sell furniture for pete's sake. My shop better have SOME floor displays. And just because the shop/vendor appearance hasn't affected your purchases doesn't mean it didn't affect someone else's.