LJHalfbreed

Ok. Thanks everyone for your help!

Hi!

How are you?

I am fine.

After getting the powerup and beating the game of the Unpossible Market, I have decided to delve deeper into the game mechanics.

Which is, quite humorously, the exact opposite of what people desire. I'm terrible at the maths, and have difficulty counting past twelve without removing my socks and shoes.

However, now that the new VEATS have been out for a bit, and some of us number crunchers (ok... YOU numbercrunchers)like having an easy-to-reference guide for all things related to the main numbers behind powers, their datum, and standardization thereof.

Unfortunately, Iakona has taken a leave of absence, and not all of this information is easy to reference in that awesome other-reference on the web, Red Tomax' City of Data.

So, I'm running numbers to learn more about the game. Feel free to laugh or cry or whatever.

So, in the spirit of Iakona's previous endeavours (located here), I now present to you,

the SPIDER.

Most of the information is cross-referenced throughout each sheet, but I'm afraid my main strengths lie within the evil Excel, and not so much OOO's Calc. I've left all of Iakona's commentary in, and added my own to explain some of the various numbers/calcs/formulae/etc.

However, I've tried to make two separate versions available. One usable through Excel, the other through Calc. Some minor problems might reside on either, but hey, at least I got both drop-downs to work correctly.

So, without further ado, for all you number-types out there, I humbly present to you the new SPIDER worksheet for Power Data Standardization. Or somesuch.

SPIDER 1.2, Excel 2003 style
SPIDER 1.2, OOO style

I'd advise using the excel version, but I'll try to learn more about how calc works so I can have both running. Unfortunately, due to the data involved, googledocs seems to hate any sort of uploading of the file, and tends to crash when cut-n-pasting past a certain filesize.


INSTRUCTIONS
As per Iakona's setup (found here) all you really have to do is punch in the desired level, and then choose the 'class' you wish to view from the drop down. The sheet should auto-populate everything relatively quickly, and allow you to view such things as the average melee damage of a lvl35 archvillain or a lvl 50 Controller, or almost anything you wish. Keep in mind that some things aren't meant to be over 50, so some errors may crop up.

Again, nearly all of the actual information for these numbers can be found in Iakona's original thread (here), but as this is mainly an update/upgrade to Iakona's work, I feel it unnecessary to parrot everything everyone said in that previous thread.

Please contact me via this thread or by PM to let me know if there's any problems with the shared files above, or if you have any suggestions or comments.




The Caveat
To put it quickly and simply, if it works and you like it, credit goes to Iakona. If it's all yucky and broken and don't work right, blame LJHalfbreed.

Thanks for your time, and happy CoX'ing!

LIES!

*clicks on report-post-to-moderator button*


( )

Anybody? Please?

I swear I'll use the information for good, not evil! I'll even post everything I use it for (including my excel sheet) so that way other people can use it!



Please?

Anybody have any updated information on PDS in general, especially now with the new VEATs, changes to stalkers, blahblahblah?

I can't seem to find anywhere that would have this stuff, including Red Tomax's site or Paragonwiki.

Is the Attribute Modifiers part coming back? I've run into something that suddenly requires knowing some of these accursed numbers, and I'm shocked to see it gone. Or broken. Or otherwise filling up my screen with weird SQL errors.

Or am I looking in the wrong place?

how do stalker use wentworth? ???

heh, just kidding. Nice guide. Thanks for taking the time!

I recently created a guide for the markets, which I had Ex Libris move here. Peterpeter also added it to the list of market guides post, stickied in the market forum.

It's titled Your Market and You! - A Guide

Thanks, and I hope it's useful!

That's the issue. I know I got a purple drop from a non-50 enemy. So is there a hidden rule where an LT/Boss counts as an extra level or two? ie: lvl 49 LT drops lvl 50, lvl 49 Boss drops lvl 51?

See, that's the confusing thing. I know I got a purple from some a lvl 49 boss (someone on team was a 50), and I know I got one on the LGTF the other day while lackeyed to a 50. So I don't know if those are glitches or the way they're supposed to work, or what. I was under the impression that it was 'only lvl 50 characters can get them, from lvl 50+ enemies that drop recipes', but my own personal experence has proved it to be slightly different.

Should I just change it to what the devs say it *should* be? (ie: cut-n-paste from the forums/paragonwiki/whatever)

[ QUOTE ]
I think Sam Solo is probably closer to the average Joe that you are targeting this guide to. It will explain to him why things are the way they are and what he needs to do to increase his understanding of the market.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, this was originally targeted against those people that come on the market forum to complain that stuff costs too much or whatever. They generally shoot down each constructive 'hey this is what I did' post with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and blame everything from secret market cabals keeping sale prices down, to secret market cabals keeping buy prices up, to evil players, and whatever. (see my 'UNPOSSIBLE!' post for more)

Either way, good point, as I added Sam (who is relatively gender neutral!) and thanked you for the suggestion.

Sam solo is in. Any other changes/advice?

I'll go ahead and put in Sam Solo, but to explain, I chose those 4 because they pointed out the extremes for solo inf, solo prestige, teaming inf/prestige, and non-fighting.

Either way, i'll slap him in so you non-farming solo types don't feel left out.

Now, all I need to do is get a mod to move this into the 'guides' section, and I'll be set because I was too dumb from cutting-and-pasting to realize I posted it in the market forum until 12:14am, almost 6 hours after I posted the dang thing!

*facepalm*

Can I get some help from a mod?

Change made, Thanks Fulmens! First draft I think I had a likening to a 5-rowed slot machine, but I guess I forgotted it in copy-n-pasting like a madperson. Either way, was a definite error on my part.

TL;DR version:

Learn to market. Either you can use the market to keep yourself rolling in inf (or special IOs), or you can use the market to waste all your inf foolishly. If you don't learn, you won't get anywhere.

FINAL SUMMARY:

The market is there. The market is yours. As long as you use it wisely, it ca benefit you greatly at nearly any level, on either side. Use it foolishly, and expect to be broke.


Please read up on the various market-related guides and the postings in the Market forum for more on using the market to make yourself rich, and hear these same ideas from other people who are much better at explaining it (and demonstrating it, and finding out better ways to do it) than I can. Forum-goer peterpeter has collected links to many useful market guides, available here .
Thanks for reading!



Edited to include:
- 'Sam Solo', as per WoefulKnight's helpful suggestion
- Reference to 'Rodney the Red', the character with full salvage/recipe inventories, as per Space_Goat's helpful suggestion

PART FOUR: THE SQUEAKY WHEEL NEEDS TO LRN2MRKT.
Answers to commonly asked questions, gripes, and complaints about the marketplaces.


Q: 100 Million? Seriously? I’ll NEVER get that much to get that recipe, and I really really REALLY need it!

A: Effort is key in this game. Whether you’re a crazy person simultaneously running 8 different TV farms by octo-boxing, or a casual player that gets to spend maybe 30 minutes a week actually fighting badguys, the end result is essentially the same. The more effort you put into gaining inf/recipes/etc, the greater your returns will be. The reward system is a hybrid of a grindstone and a slot machine. The faster you grind with the less people, the greater the rewards, and the more chances you have at pulling that imaginary slot handle for a chance at the jackpot.


Q: But that’s not fair! I wanted to play my nice teaming defender, not be forced into playing some Fire/Kin or Fire/Psy!

A: That’s the point, you don’t have to. You can work the market in other ways to gain the inf you need sometimes even quicker. Magic salvage can sometimes go for quite a bit, why not focus on those badguys? If you like to team, why not try to join (or start your own) TFs, SFs and Trials? Sure, you wont see the direct influx of rewards that a solo farmer would, but that same solo farmer won’t see the pool B, C, and D drops you will. In fact, one of the easiest ways to get inf on your way to 50 is to run those TF/SFs and Trials nobody else wants to run. Many of the multi-million-inf recipes are available as drops from Pool C!


Q: But that’s not fair! I don’t have the time to spend doing TFs/SFs/Trials, and I can’t exemplar down to run lowbie missions because I’m trying to hit 50! I need that danged recipe!!!

A: No, you don’t *need* anything. Sure, many recipes, especially when slotted as sets, give great bonuses to your player. However, you don’t NEED those recipes. For every 50mil enhancement, there’s a much cheaper generic IO that can go in that slot. Or you can try a different IO set with different bonuses. You don’t NEED IO sets, you WANT them. Just like you WANT them, other people WANT them. So, to be truly fair, the game is set up to allow the person with the most effort (and yes, sometimes luck) to have the best chance of getting those items available on the market.


Q: You don’t get it! IT’S NOT FAIR! We wouldn’t even be having this problem if they just merged Wentworth’s and the Black Market!

A: No, we’d still have this problem. If people don’t want to supply, and just want to demand, and nobody wants to be patient and everyone is afraid that nobody is never going to do anything but farm missions, those prices will go higher and higher. Eventually, someone will get smart, and focus on fulfilling those demands, and rake in oodles of inf because other people are lazy/don’t have time/greedy/etc. If you would rather complain about the price, than paying the price, or trying to get one yourself, it’s YOUR fault.


Q: WHATEVER! You’re trying to tell me it’s ok for Luck Charms to go for 100k? You’re insane!

A: I personally don’t care what is going for what. Luck charms are in high demand for both set recipes AND generic IOs for people doing their crafting badges. Luck Charms also happen to be a relatively easy-to-get magic salvage from lower-level baddies. So, I’d probably get in on that ‘action’, and take a lowbie (or even exemp/malefactor down) and go hunt some low level CoT. I’d end up helping to supply that demand, and would be getting almost 100k a pop for each time I did. If I was lucky enough to get just 11, I would have earned more than 1million on that character just using the market and selling stuff I really don’t want. What you’re failing to see is that this isn’t a PROBLEM for everyone. For many, it’s an OPPORTUNITY.


Q. Oh, opportunity? Like those opportunistic flippers that continually buy stuff off the market, and relist it at a higher price, creating their own monopoly?

A: Again, you can either fight this by undercutting their prices (bid for 1 over their pre-flip, or 1 under their post-flip) or flooding their inventory by concentrating on selling that exact same product, whether to other bidders, or them directly. Granted, it might be outside the abilities of a single person (especially if dealing with a collusion formed from a few different players), but it’s still possible. Or, you can wait for it to collapse upon itself and fall back to the equilibrium price (the ‘normal’ price where supply directly meets demand). Or, just avoid it altogether and create your own personal supply or find a different thing you want. You don’t NEED anything off the market, you only WANT it. Once you are able to differentiate between a NEED and a WANT, you’ll be better off, trust me.


Q: Wants? Needs? How does my own personal feelings have any effect on the marketplace when I don’t have enough time to make money, and when I do, I’ve got all these monopolies fighting against me? Forget this! I’m just gonna hoard all I get and not sell nothing! I don’t need your market!!!

A: You’re correct, and this is again, part of the stylings of a ‘free market system’ like what we have here. If consumers continually find prices for things outside of their reach, they’ll find alternate stuff to fill it. That means they’ll buy alternate goods (if they exist), do without, or in some cases, make their own. If the prices stay stuck up high, with no buyers, eventually SOMEONE is going to break, and relist as lower. Then the market will start functioning again on that new lower price. Or, nobody will buy them, and the monopolizing sellers will lose out big.


Q: This whole thing is stupid. If they just sold the recipes and salvage from vendors, we wouldn’t even be having this problem.

A: You’re correct, and there’d be little reason to have a market. You’d be able to buy whatever you wanted, when you wanted, for the price you wanted, and so would everyone else, and then the devs would be annoyed that all their work and effort would be for nothing, and everyone would complain that inventions are terrible and much doom would be called. Then the devs would probably secretly revamp everything and stealth-nerf half the items, or worse, re-balance the enemies and powers to take in the effect of each person having as many LotG+rech, and +regen/recov procs that they can hold. Then your average newbie would be wondering why every single power in their tray takes a minute to recharge, because the devs expect everyone to have 5 LotG recharges slotted. Not exactly the best case scenario.


Q: Why do you keep badgering me about this? This whole market is stupid anyway! All it is is fake monopoly money that doesn’t have any real value! Why, all we’re doing is creating it out of thin air whenever we defeat a bad guy!

A: As mentioned before, an item is only worth what someone will pay for it. We use money in the real world as an easy go-between for what we are, in effect, trading things for. Instead of a straight barter economy, where we would trade a good for a good, or a service for a service, or various combos of each, we use currency as a ‘placeholder’ of sorts. My skill at making 10 widgets an hour is equal to 10 square coins. Jane’s ability of creating 12 pairs of socks an hour is equal to 10 square coins. In a barter system, unless Jane wanted widgets, I couldn’t get any socks off of her, even if I offered dozens and dozens. She doesn’t want or need any widgets. She DOES need apples. I don’t have any. So we gotta find our own people to trade with, such as a sockmaker that needs widgets. However, in a monetary system, our currency acts as a media of exchange, so we don’t’ need to translate widgets to socks. I can just give her square coins according to her pricing to buy some socks off her, and she can take those coins and use them to go buy some apples off someone else. In short, currency gives us a baseline of sorts to measure values and worth of goods/services against. I can say ‘I’ll buy these socks for 2 coins’ and if we come to an agreement, a purchase is made. Hooray for money!

Now, the way this translates to CoX is simple. Our ‘inf’ is effectively our currency, and it acts as a medium of exchange for us. We can argue about the semantics of how much a ‘Catch a Breath’ is worth in measures of ‘Sturdy’, or or we can say ‘the blues are worth X inf, the oranges are worth Y inf’. Everyone understands ‘inf’, not everyone understands ‘3/4s of a sturdy is equal to 2.8416 catch a breaths). Inf is our money in CoX, and it keeps everyone a bit more sane as a result.

All that being said, dear questioner, we are not creating our inf out of ‘thin air’. That implies it has no worth or value to anyone due to it being so easy to create more of. We treat inf as an immaterial 'good', but that doesn't mean it's easy for everyone to create in the same amount of _time_. Yes, we could feasibly all go out right now with our favorite character and beat up a single badguy and get 'something out of thin air', but we spent our TIME doing so. How many attacks did it take you to defeat that mob? Could you have defeated other mobs at the same time? Were you fighting greens, whites, reds, or purples? Could you do it faster, against more enemies of higher level, for longer amounts of time? How long? How fast? How many? That's the discrepancy we have. Some people are able to make inf as long as they are able to stay awake (unless they're part of an evil RMT scheme ), some people choose to socialize, some people would rather build prestige, and so on. As said earlier, in this game, time is inf.


Q: That’s a bunch of crap! I’m a casual player, and I don’t have time to be wasting all day every day with market crap when I’m playing this game to PLAY. This kind of crap is exactly why I’ll never have any fun at the game, because people like you keep screwing with the prices keeping us casual players out of the market. <long string of expletives>

A: Using tips outlined here, and tips explained in-depth in the market forum, you can easily turn 10-15 minutes a week into ‘free inf income’ from the drop results of your other playsessions. However, keep in mind that if you don’t even have 10-15 minutes a week for market usage, your playstyle might be too casual, preventing you from even seeing/enjoying the bonuses from sets, let alone getting the inf/recipes needed to create sets. I highly recommend sticking with low-level (but still useful) generic IOs in the 25-30 range. At 25, they almost have enough zing of a white SO, but have the added benefit of *never* needing to be replaced like SOs do, plus they can run pretty cheap when crafters trying for badges need to ‘dump’ their inventory. That right there will save you gobs and gobs and gobs of inf over the lifetime of your character. If you don’t have the time for even that, again, your casual play might just be too casual for the market period.


Q: You’re not even listening! It’s YOUR fault that this market is all screwed up! I used to be able to get anything I wanted super cheap! Now you and all your dang friends are screwing up the prices on everything now! You’re ruining the market because I can’t get what I want cheap! I’ll show you! I’ll go ahead and farm my own stuff and force you guys to pay high prices for it because you’re too lazy to get it, then I’ll turn around and use all that inf to buy that stupid dumb 100 mil enh I want! [u]Then we’ll see who knows what about the market![u]

A: And *that*, ladies and gentlemen, is how this market is supposed to work. Good luck!

5.) Slow and steady catches the worm.
Sorry to mix clichés, but both of these go hand in hand, at least as far as the market is concerned. Patience and planning early are huge factors in using the market. In fact, this was mentioned in some of our previous ‘rules’, but it deserves special attention here. For every eagle-eyed computer-chair commodities maven in the game, there’s at least one person that could care less about the intricacies of our marketplaces. For every impatient trader selling juicy morsels for a single inf a piece to quickly free up transaction slots, there’s a ‘flipper’ capitalizing on the opportunity and relisting it for half a million and making an easy buck.
What does this boil down to?
Keeping your bids and posts open longer mean that (within reason) you have a much better chance of getting items or sales. Generally speaking, you’ll see more market activity during weekends than weekdays. You’ll also see more activity according to both in-game and out-of-game events, such as holidays and special events. It’s up to you to take these into account when buying and selling items on the market.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A BUYER: Every time we get an influx of inf to the markets (whether from more people playing during a holiday event, or a new issue is released, or it’s a double XP weekend), prices will spike sharply due to the demand from players returning, more inf entering the marketplace, and so on. The market might be dead Wednesday morning at 4AM, but be rocking Friday at 8pm. If a new low-level area (or new AT or Powerset) is released, expect low-level recipes and salvage supplies to increase. Looking at the big picture, and planning ahead, you can save yourself time, hassle, and inf. If you know you want X recipe that starts being available at lvl 30, you might want to start putting in bids as early as lvl 25. If you see a particular recipe going for an amount of inf you don’t think you’ll ever get, see if there’s a similar recipe from a different set going for cheaper. If you know a new powerset is coming out, wait for that issue to hit before buying pricey low-level salvage/items. If you pay an extra ton of inf for an item because you want it now instead of planning ahead and buying it ‘slower’ but cheaper, it’s YOUR fault.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A SELLER: You don’t have to sell an item for less than the ‘going rate’ if you don’t want to. If you see an item going for around 50k, sometimes higher and lower, you can post your item for 50k, and can usually expect to see it sold. Even for items that hardly ever sell, you’d be surprised what eventually gets bought just by putting it up long enough for the ‘right price’. Pay attention to what’s going on in and out of the game, along with things coming up (new issues, etc) and make sure you don’t get stuck with a bunch of items that are suddenly worthless. Alternatively, if you know that something is going to happen in your favor (such as doubleXP), you can plan on selling your items faster, and for more. If you go broke or continually take losses on your sales because you’re not paying attention, you don’t care, or you’re impatient, it’s YOUR fault


.
[u]SECTION SUMMARY:[u] The market can be a scary place for the uninitiated, but with a little foresight, planning, patience, and knowledge, you can do your part to make the economy grow, while increasing your bankroll, your characters strength, or both.

4.) If they demand a supply, supply the demand.
Chances are that the devs won’t ever stop drops and rewards. Those TFs will probably always be there, just like those mobs probably always will be (barring the game closing!). However, people DO get tired of beating up those same mobs, or running those same TFs, or similar. This means that eventually, the supply of some of the more difficult to get items will dwindle to low levels, while the demand will increase the price to match. Conversely, when a new TF is created, the market fills with extra supply, driving the prices back down. You’ll also see this when new ATs/powersets are added, as players go through the beginning content again, flushing the ‘low-level item’ market with new supply.

However, if nobody is doing anything to create supply (running TFs, defeating mobs, etc) the market prices go way way up. If nobody is doing anything to create demand (simply giving up entirely on IOs, finishing up each and every character on an account, quitting, etc), market prices will go way down. The laws of supply and demand count especially true for Pool B/C/D recipes, as they are awarded with a level equal to the receiver. A lvl 20 character will get a lvl 20 recipe. A lvl 50 character will get a lvl 50 recipe, even if they are exemplared/malefactored for the SF/TF/Trial, so lower level recipes will sometimes be a lot more scarce than lvl 50s, because players are more likely to use their highbies to re-run all those TF/SF/Trials

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A BUYER: The reason why you see that lvl 30 Numina Proc going for millions upon millions is because a.) any player can slot it, b.) it gives a healthy, useful bonus, c.) it can only be obtained from TFs/SFs, and, most importantly, d.) it can only be gotten by a lvl 30 character. So, for all the reason’s you want it, there’s a bunch of other people that want it for both similar and different reasons. If a lvl 50 recipe goes for much, much less than a lower-level recipe, it is in your best interests to purchase the one most worth your time. If you are bidding lower prices for items that are obviously much harder to obtain and never getting any buys, or paying ‘exorbitant’ amounts for those same items and leaving yourself penniless even if other-level items would serve you just as well, it’s YOUR fault.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO THE SELLER: Research the drops, see what goes for big amounts on the market, and capitalize on the issue. If you see certain level items go for more than others, focus on getting them, and raking in a huge profit in return. By exemplaring/malefactoring down to the correct level (either through a TF/SF/Trial, a flashback mission, or just for some fun with a lower-level friend), and focusing on those particular drops, you can meet the demand and make tons of inf. Concentrate on bringing the correct level characters to TFs/SFs/Trials to capitalize on the chance of getting a ‘low level Pool C’. Finally, for those particular enemies that drop salvage that you know goes for relatively high amounts, you might want to try creating a build specifically to combat their strengths and weaknesses, and concentrate on missions/street-sweeping/TF/SF/flashbacks that incorporate those enemies. You can even start up an ‘All Market Consortium’ SG that specifically focuses on those things and helps each other get those TFs/Trials/Flashbacks/Street-sweeps done. It has been said that the risk of a faceplant or teamwipe can pale in comparison to the right reward. If you’re dealing in items nobody wants to buy, and refuse to obtain those items people want, it’s YOUR fault.

3.) People can be lazy, which is why convenience costs.
Much like convenience stores that charge extra premiums on staples such as bread and milk, you can find users that are willing to pay more for a completed enhancement than have to spend the time and effort for creating the same one for themselves, for cheaper. Why? It’s convenient! With one transaction, they can have the item they want, instead of having to search for, bid upon, and finally buy the recipe, then buy the salvage (which may include MORE market work), then run to the worktable and make sure they have enough inf left over to cover the crafting cost. In addition, if a recipe requires a piece of rare salvage, you can usually expect to see that cost transfer over to the finished enhancement, either dropping the recipe price, increasing the finished enh price, or both.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A BUYER: If you’re looking for bargains, you can check the price between both the recipe itself and the created enhancement, including the prices of the salvage involved. Sometimes prices are high due to the salvage, sometimes high because people just don’t even bother to check! If you don’t mind the extra few moments of buying, selling, and other work, you can shave off sometimes millions off the cost of a pre-crafted enhancement, and rake in the savings by crafting it yourself. Keep in mind that any salvage you gather during your ‘beat the heck out of enemies’ sessions can be saved and used for these times, so you can further drop the total cost to a mere shadow of the completed enhancement. If you’re going broke impatiently buying crafted enhancements for a premium over what the cost of a recipe+salvage+craftcost would be, and they’re all available cheap, it’s YOUR fault.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A SELLER: You have a choice between selling the recipe, or selling the created enhancement. Depending on the swing of the market, and if you have the salvage already, it can be extremely profitable to craft it yourself and sell it. Some recipes, although in high demand, use very cheap salvage, and you can turn a tidy profit by creating these for consumption by the ‘lazy masses’, just by buying up the recipes and selling the created item. If you are going broke selling recipes for 5k, when you have the salvage to craft them, and the crafted enhancement is going for ten or even a thousand times your expense of salvage+recipe+craftcost, it’s YOUR fault.

2.) It’s only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Say what you want about fair/correct pricing, or deviation between redside and blueside supply pools, or complaints about availability of various options, or angry ‘flippers’, or the world being against you, but the only reason someone will pay 100 million for an item in the market is because someone out there wants it enough to value it at 100 million (or even more).

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A BUYER: If you want an item, you can either bid low, and hope that eventually, through attrition or luck, you will eventually get your item. It might take hours or days or months, but you MIGHT (some will say ‘should’) actually get it. Or, you can see what they’re currently going for, and bid in that range and wait patiently. You’ll have a chance of getting it, as long as the supply/demand moves in your favor. Or, if you desperately cannot live without it and must have it yesterday, bid as much as you possibly can. The faster you want something, the more you should expect to bid for it in order to get it. If you want an item, but you can’t handle waiting for someone to fill your bid (or if you’re just bidding too low according to the demand for it) it’s YOUR fault.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A SELLER: If it’s taking up your transaction spaces, re-post it as lower. If nobody seems to be buying the item (no open bids, no recent transactions), you might even want to toss it to a quartermaster. However, if you see from the postings that there ARE transactions being posted and completed, you might simply need to wait. You can even go for quick sales by bidding as low as possible with open standing bids available to make sure you sell. If there are open standing bids, and your item is not selling, be patient and see if it still gets sold. On the other hand, sometimes if you post something with a high bid, you *can* find buyers, even if it takes longer than you’re willing to wait. If you post an item for a price that others aren’t willing to meet within your timeframe, either repost it lower to get it sold, or it’s YOUR fault.

1.) Knowledge is Power.
Don’t just jump into the market buying and selling willy-nilly and expect to end up a multi-billionaire or only spending pocket change. Research the prices, consider what or how you’re going to approach, and alternate avenues for your intended goal.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A BUYER: Check the market for previous listings. See if there’s a similar recipe a few levels higher or lower that you could still use, that might be going even cheaper. If going for enhancements, check both the recipe prices (including salvage!) against the completed enhancement. If you see a lot of transactions often for an item, consider sneaking in a low-ball bid to see if you can score a deal. If you go entirely broke impatiently spending 20 million on a lvl 40 recipe when there’s an available 39,41,25,50,etc. enhancement of the same type, just as sufficient for your particular needs and selling for much less, it’s YOUR fault.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO A SELLER: Check the market for previous listings. If there’s no previous bids, check similar recipes a few levels higher/lower to determine your starting bid. Keep in mind that some recipes generally sell for more and faster than others. Determine what you would feel is a fair price, and post it as that. Sometimes you have to be patient (extremely patient redside!). If you want quick turnover, post it really low, even for 1 inf! If you post something so high it never gets sold like the others on the market, or so low that you feel like you got taken on the deal, it’s YOUR fault.

PART 3: … AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT.

Explaining how to use the ideas and information above to better prepare yourself for entering the marketplace and getting the items you want (or selling what you have) without losing your shirt in the process, or "h0ly cRuD, I @M R1CH!!!!oneoneeleven"

5.) I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, And I want it [u]now[u]. *guitar riff*

Face it. Many of us would rather have it now, than have it later, even if it would cost us double. I know of a few people that would gladly pay anywhere from 5x to 100x the normal 'going rate' for an item just to make sure they got it at the time they wanted it. An enh selling for an opening bid of 100 mil will only get sold if someone decides they actually WANT it enough to justify spending the 100 mil. When dealing with high-demand items, or low-supply items, the very fact that an item is up for bidding can send the price skyrocketing past the normal 'equilibrium price'. Sure, if you wished, you could place a bid for what you would honestly think it is worth to you, but if someone else wants it more than you, and bids much higher than you, it could be a long time, if ever, that you get to actually win your much lower bid.

Conversely, some sellers are so anxious to clear their inventory, they’ll sell their loot for tiny amounts, even as low as a single inf. So, instead of leaving a bid for say, 10k on a rare item, and waiting a day, they’ll post it for 1inf, and get it snatched up immediately by a low-ball bid of 1k, and be totally happy with it because it frees up that transaction slot for another sale.

SUMMARY: Some recipes are in such high demand and low supply, that money (inf) ceases to be an object. Such recipes, whether due to their usability, or being a key component in a specialized build, or similar, will generally skyrocket their prices into the stratosphere, costing tens, and even hundreds, of millions of inf. Alternately, some items, whether by seller anxious to complete a sale, seller ignorance, or similar, can go for extremely small amounts, allowing low-ball bidders to get deals of a lifetime.

The baseline rule is ‘An item is worth exactly how much someone is willing to pay for it, no matter how much the previous person paid for it’. Due to the way the market works, a buyer’s or seller’s lack of patience will have [u]extremely[u] expensive results.