Weaponsmith Archive

I specialize in sliced pistols and melee weapons, though I also sell a small amount of unsliced weapons. I typically destroy any damage slice under 25% and any speed slice under 29-30%. However, I price my sliced weapons to compensate for the destroyed inventory:

For speed slices, I charge 500 credits for each percentage over 20 (just an arbiturary starting point I picked). So, a 30% speed slice would add 5000 credits to the base price.

For damage slices, I have a scale. For 25-29%, I charge 1.5 times the base price, plus 1,000 credits for each % above 20. So, a 25% damage slice would be base price x 1.5, plus 5000 credits.

For 30-33% slices, I charge 3 times base rate, plus 2,000 credits for each percentage above 30. For 34% damage slices I charge 4 times base rate, and for 35% damage slices I charge 5 times base rate.

Note, this is for pistols and melee weapons. If you're selling sliced heavy weapons, you might not want to sell speed slices so cheaply because a speed slice on a heavy weapon is valued more than a damage slice.

I do a brisk business, and about 90% of my sales are sliced weapons. In fact, I'm thinking of closing down my unsliced weapon vendors and selling just sliced weapons. Also, I take the time to list the type of slice and the percentage outcome of the slice in the description field when I post a weapon on my vendor, so the customer can easily see what kind of slice they're getting.

Slim Vargo, Corbantis

Do you have any formula for how you price sliced weapons?

Which slices do you don't even sell and destroy instead (I am thinking of destroying all dam slice below 20% and speed slice below 25%)?

Was thinking of 2-3 x normal price for speed slices below 30% (actually multiply with perc./10 28% is 2.8 x normal price)

For damage slice 3-4 x normal price (1+ perc/10, 28% slice is 1+2.8=3.8 x price)

If above 30% even higher, maybe instead 4-5 x price or so (maybe 10 x price for a perfect 35% slice)

What is your opinion?

EdoWar,

That would mean you probably destroy half your stock of sliced weapons. Not sure your prices would cover that compared to if you sell unsliced. Many of my customer buy several weapons (I even sell weapons in 5 crates to make it easier) so you would loose some unsliced sales as well.

Here is one pricing scheme I am thinking of:

25-29% damage slice: 3 x base price + 0.1 for each percent above 25%, a 28% dam slice is 3.3 x normal price

39-34% damage slice: 4 x base price + 0.2 for percent above 30%, 33% dam slice is 4.6 x normal price

For speed slices multiplier 2 and 3 (33% speed slice is 3.6 x normal price) instead

Note: My prices for unsliced weapons are pretty low compared to other ws.

Question is if it would be possible to sell the "bad slices" cheap. if that is possible then price on the good slices could be lower.

But I am thinking of making my sliced weapons my high quality sales (high price). if people think it is to expensive they are free to buy my unsliced weapons and slice them.

Hehe.. you guys are too cheap..

I price my sliced weapons based on the amount of weapons they usually buy when they gonna go get them sliced..

A lot of customers buy 4-5 weapons just to go get them sliced, if they buy a Laser Rifle (my price 10K) that would cost them 40-50K, so I tripple the price of my weapons.

A sliced Laser Rifle costs 30K, My sliced T21's costs 90K etc etc.. I also filter away the really crappy slices.
Adding prices based on % just takes too much time when restocking the vendor.

The customers who do not want to buy several guns to get that perfect slice are prepared to pay the higher price for the pre-sliced weapon, those who can not afford are welcome to find a slicer and slice the weapons themself.

This has worked well for me, and my sliced wendor really need to be restocked this weekend.

Bermag,

I think it works out to about 40%my stock, but maybe I've just gotten lucky on slices up to now. I must note, though, that my prices for unsliced weapons tends to be higher than average, so that helps to cover the difference as well.

The reason I don't bother trying to sell anything less than 25% damage and 29-30% speed is because, well, they never sell. They just sit on my vendor. And the sad fact is, a weapon with a subpar slice is worth less than an unsliced weapon, because an unsliced weapon at least holds out the promise of a getting a good slice. I decided it was better to be known for having high quality slices than trying to sell every crappy slice result at a discount.

However, I may reevaluate my pricing structure upward to better cover my inventory loss. If I decide to close down my unsliced weapons vendor (which only accounts for about 10% of my sales, probably due to my higher prices), then I'll probably raise my prices for the sliced weapons.

Slim Vargo, Corbantis

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EdOWar wrote:

The reason I don't bother trying to sell anything less than 25% damage and 29-30% speed is because, well, they never sell. They just sit on my vendor. And the sad fact is, a weapon with a subpar slice is worth less than an unsliced weapon, because an unsliced weapon at least holds out the promise of a getting a good slice. I decided it was better to be known for having high quality slices than trying to sell every crappy slice result at a discount.

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Sell them on the bazaar in a popular city. I haven't had any problem getting rid of older or poorly sliced weapons that way. I even wrote in the sale description that they were already sliced, and they still sold fine.

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Kielker wrote:

Sell them on the bazaar in a popular city. I haven't had any problem getting rid of older or poorly sliced weapons that way. I even wrote in the sale description that they were already sliced, and they still sold fine.

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Good suggestion. I did consider this, as at least I'd get 3K for them. However, all of my weapons have a brand marking in the name field, {VP} for Vargo & Prophet. So I didn't want that brand to become associated with bargin basement weapons or subpar slices.For the sakeof building brand recognition and loyalty, I'd rather take the hit and destroy a weapon that gets a subpar slice. Like I said, though, I'll probably raise my prices some if I shift over to selling only sliced weapons, to make up for the loss in inventory.

Slim Vargo, Corbantis