Why do people do this.

I just went into Beetletun and the first thing I saw was "WTS awesome healing ankh" So I asked for the stats and he shows me the item. It was a collector item. Yes collector items have nice stats...but you know why not advertise what you really have. I mean if you look on the buy forum people have said they would consider buying a collector item. The point being they know what they are getting. I seem to see an influx of people trying to "make a buck" in ways I would not waste my time. I just do not understand these people...its not like gold can get you anything better than you can find or use collectors to get. The only thing you truely need gold for is your armor.

Now I did not ask how much the guy wanted because I was kind of disgusted and felt that he was trying to catch an unexpecting noob and soak him/her for a plat or so.

I also did not feel like getting into it with the guy so I just said "nice but my healing is not that high" even though it only has a 9 req healing it was a good out for me (monk is secondary) and no conflict arose.

Anyhow I attached a screen shot of a collector item with the same stats as the one the guy was trying to sell. So if you are new to the game check it out so you know the stats of the collector items of this type. Then if you want to pay for it then at least you are an informed consumer.

So your bothered by the fact that he didnt outright say it was collectors Item? Or the fact he didnt say what it was besides "awesome"?

Probably the guy should have advertised it as "WTS Healing Ankh collector's item". I have NO problem buying collector's items. It saves me having to go get the stuff, find the collector and get it.

Exactly what Aniewiel said. And also in the past I have seen some people try to get a plat or more for that stuff.

Meh... Ill pay more than a plat or 2 for the higher end ones just to not go and fetch it. Anyway seem just a bit much "nit picking" to me.

Might as well as people to use trade channel instead of All. ^_^

I junked my healing, divine and protector items in the merchant because i ran out of space.
Wow, people really must be strapped for cash nowadays.

I have so little time to get to play and most of it is taken up with missions/quests. I don't get the luxury of going to find the top-of-the-market collector items. With a 3 year old and a full time job, I am more than happy to pay someone to go get that perfect Domination Staff I see a collector making.

Indeed ... some collector items are in so difficult places and require rarely dropping items that I often end up buying anyway, because I don't want to spend hours hunting for them. It's easier to buy some of the collector items than to go pick them up yourself ...

Wands and focuses aren't an issue, really, but other collector's items, and especially quest items, can be nuisances-

Should you upgrade them unaware that they are what they are, your upgrade is now lost, because you can't salvage them.

Should you buy them for the chance to salvage the upgrade, you just got ripped off. (Buying the upgrade itself is generally a better idea anyway.)

Although, I'll admit, it's probably best if buyers just didn't let eye-catcher words such as, "leet/uber/godly/awesome" get to them, considering what game they're playing.

Actually you can salvage collector's items. It was in one of the updates.

I had a few 20/20 healing ankhs a player paid me with for a fortitude mod. I sold them for a few plat each even though I mentioned they were collector items. I don't think people should have to say they are collector items at all. If someone is happy to pay for something they find useful, where is the problem? The buyer may not have the ability to go to the collector in Snake Dance with 5 items to get it and it's a useful service the seller provides them.

I'd buy a reasonably priced collectors item if it was something I was after. Thanks to the drop rate of some of the items and the location of some of the collectors, I'd actually prefer it.

Well it would seem that there is a general consensus that this is resonable. I guess I just am too taken aback by all the scams I have seen here and on so many games that I just dont like to pay for items that I can get myself. So if people want to pay that for items that a little time and effort will get you for yourself then so be it.

Take care

Just mention it's a collector's item (unless it's a focus, shield or wand - those can't carry upgrades anyway), and it should be fine. Those people trying to get innocent people to pay outrageous prices for the collector items are usually foiled by the fact they're not gold, not even purple. 1k-2k is something people are willing to pay instead of going through the hassle of collecting the items and tracking down the collector themselves.

I'll usually tell someone that it's a collector's item while they are looking at it, or when they ask to see it. But I rarely put it in the advertisement, and you know why? Many players seem to have a bias that collector's items suck, and that only gold or purple items are worth anything... I even felt that way my first time through the game, until I got into the Maguuma Jungles and the items started being worth the effort.

There's also those who say, "it's not worth that. I'll just get one myself," not realizing how really hard it is for a non-farmer to actually get 5 Alpine Seed drops and then get to the collector in the far east of Mineral Springs, or how far away in the game timewise that actually is from where they currently are... for players just arriving in Lion's Arch with only a 9 req in a given attribute, paying only 3k for an item like that is a steal, as it could easily take them another 100 hours before they even get to the area of the game where those collector's items drop, let alone do the work to get it.

Hardcore players who burn through the PvE missions and typical farmer-types can get to them much easier, so yeah they might think it's a ripoff. If a high lvl player is looking at my item and wondering if it's worth the cost, I'll usually tell them what items it needs and where to get it. Sometimes upon hearing what they have to do, they change their mind and 3k doesn't seem like such a ripoff anymore.

If it's a max 20/20 collector's item or one that gives built-in energy or health bonuses, that is an awesome item, regardless of whether it came from a collector or not. Certainly there are rare items out there that are arguably better with their inherent stats (mod upgrades don't count, as they can be added to collector's items too)... but they are rare. The fact that the standard max collector staves/melee/bows can have any 2 upgrades added on top of their inherent bonuses is not to be considered lightly, imho.

Just make collectors items appear green, like rare items appear gold. Problem solved.

Whats the current farming rate / h?

If its above 5k/h, people selling collectors items are scamming themselves...

That ankh is a POS, it'll get your team killed real quick in fissure or uw.

There's a 20/20 Ankh, too.

Couldn't agree more! I bought a collector's focus from someone in Lion's Arch back when I was level 12 (for 2.5K I think). I used the thing right up until level 20, and it was definitely worth the money. I am currently gathering a set from the desert for myself (different attributes for fun), and it does take some time to do.

I have just switched to an Earth PVE build, and wanted to snag the collectors items as a cheap way to get kit to work with it. Here's how it went (bear in mind I already have all desert locations unlocked):
Start: Decide to get collectors items. Look up relevant collectors and required items (5 Crusty Lodestones, 5 Azure Crests). Guildie has stones, so result! Start trying to buy Crests for 100g.
0:20: Fail to get any crests (even offering 1.5K for 5), so decide to go farm drakes with guildies.
0:30: Get a couple of mates together and roll out of Elona to hunt
0:45: After a spectacular run of luck get 5 crests in one run
0:50: Get first collector item (easy as outside Augury) head over to Dunes to get second
1:00: Try to run out from Dunes to the second collector. No dice. Decide to do something else for a bit.

Now I know the power-players will accuse me of not being a good farmer etc, and I'm not. Good farmers only wield Gold status symbols anyway .However for someone just wanting to PVE for fun the collectors items are great pieces of kit that do take real time to get. 3K each is just not a lot of money for them, especially for the benefit offered. Is a max dmg clean bow worth a middling purple item? Yes, I think it is.

Just my 0.02.

Az

PS: As I am going to be out in the desert this week collecting items if anyone needs anything and wants to pay a reasonable amount for my time let me know and I can pick you up some!