Time is money, but people won't get it

Frankly, I'm curious about a typical behaviour of farmer/sellers. What's the point in spamming "WTS godly eternal shield" for 2 hours, sometimes editing the message in the hope of making it more attractive? They will sell the item for, say, 3-4k more than its real price, losing 2 hours of their short life. I can understand the spam if you cant find a buyer at all (though maybe specific forums like Ventari's sell could help you better), but there's so many people out there yelling for hours just to receive some more k.

Assume they wouldn't spend these 2 hours living their real life (heh, their choice): it's still ridiculous. Everyone knows a W/Mo with Healing-Smiting skills can farm the crap out of 2 hours. Solo, of course. That would mean drops and 10-15k total at least, not to mention Xp points if you're soloing in the right places. For the "hey wtf are you talking about" naysayers/skeptics I could add a little mpg of me doing that, but I bet it's not necessary...I figured out how to do it alone and don't consider myself a genius, so anyone can.

This is not a thread "for the sake of it", its a sincere wonder. If people understood this simple fact, we wouldn't have the trade AND the local chat channel always crowded with spammers.

Why the hell do we spend time out of our short lives playing video games anyways?

When I'm trying to sell something, I offer it for about 1/2 hour---maybe a total of 20 "spams" on the TRADE channel (since that's what it's for, after all, LOL!). If I receive no offers, I stash it again and go play. I might try again later the same day in a different place or maybe even the next day, all for the same amount of time/number of spams. If the item doesn't sell, I either put it up for sale in an online trade forum, salvage it (if it's a marginally good item) or sell it to the merchant.

And, well.....you're quite right, of course.

Some people just enjoy selling things, same as people enjoy farming. I sometimes enjoy selling and watching the market every now and then.

I sell everything for less than it's worth. I sold a gold Hale Fire Staff +10 Energy 11-22 +17HP yadda yadda yadda for 1plat last night. Gold is useless in this game...having it is bragging rights. I have enough for my end game armor just from playing through the missions and not spending money on junk I didn't need....someone else benefits from a drop that I recieved that I can't use...I got a plat for it I was happy enough to have only wasted 10 minutes selling it.

More than bragging rights, I'd say just vanity. Gold allows you to customize your character better, and maybe buy some godly shield/weapon for your PvE which is not so bad.

No one denies the fissure armor looks cool though.

I have 45plat just from playing the game the way it was meant to be played....I have like 10plat in materials in my storage...there is no reason to waste 3 hours haggling over 3-5plat...think about how much gold you've NOT been out getting in the 3 hours you sat in town trying to get an extra 3 plat for your mediocre weapon that YOU think is 'godly'?

Heh, I have a nice blue 11-22dmg staff that improves the casting speed and recharge time of my death magic. On top of that it has +25hp added. I got it for a few jawbones

I also don't see the point in buying GOLD items. I mean, if you look at the trades, you'll see people buying Gold items just because they are. I have yet to see anything that comes close to the effectiveness of my blue collectors staff.

Spending time in Lion's Arch spamming to the same people over and over is really just a waste of time, unless of course power trading is your thing.

Normally I just hop over there to do my business between missions, tombs runs, or whatever, and drop an ad in the trade channel while I deal with the merchants. If I make a sale that way, great! Otherwise my stuff will continue to sit in storage. I'm not in a hurry, and I can maximize my time this way.

Peace,
-CxE

I don't farm but I do often try to sell the decent drops. The thing I've noticed is that people are always trying to maximise margin rather than turnover. I'm happy if I sell something for maybe three or four times the price I'd get at the merchant. The way I look at it, the money over and above what the merchant would give me is my profit. Sure, I could get more for the items I sell but it would take much longer. I'll take many small profits over the single huge one thanks.

The thing I don't like about trade is that newer players aren't generally catered for. I often come across pretty good items that have requirements of 6 or 7 but no-one is looking to buy that sort of thing. It's a shame because I know that it is better than the stuff that newer players will have, and I'd quite happily give them a good price.

I have a guildie who does that, spamming trade for hours. The nice part though is if you don't mind getting only 50% he'll hold it on consignment and sell it for ya.

I have a few guildmates who just sit in Lion Arch and casually spam trades that they don't really care for. Their main goal is looking out for newbies fresh from missions. They've bought some neat items from there (such as 15% over 50%health fellblades, 15%always fellblades/crystal swords and a couple of magmas shields w/ constant 28 and 30 life), all for 100k or less. All these items can easily go for over 1000plat on Ventari sell.

1000plat....did you add a zero by accident?

No. You can sell each of those items for 1000 plats each on ventari sell. Try to post a sell of 15 above 50 fellblade or Magmas shield w/ constant 28 life, and you'll see what I mean.

1000plat = 1 million gold....if anybody is paying those prices for a silly item I feel incredibly sorry for them and the fact that they have no life outside of the room their computer sits in.

If you are skeptical, go to ventari sell and post this Magmas Shield: 16 armor, 30 life constant, -2 reduced damage (when enchanted). Post starting bid = 500 Plats and buyout=1000 Plats. You'll see people will jump on it fast.

1) I'm not going to promise an item I don't possess
2) I honestly don't care if that's the going rate...I simple stated that I felt bad for them.

1000 plat is one million gold, as in the maximum amount that your stash can hold. The most you can hold on your person is 100 plat, or 100,000 gold.


Are you SURE about selling a single item for 1000 PLAT?

You'll need mods' help for trade over 100k. Or you can do some sort of collaterals by using vigor/absorption runes, ectos or shards along with the 100k.