The Bazaar tradeskill market is shifting

[Thicket Tundrabog]

Have you noticed the shift in the Bazaar economy?

Example: Blue Diamonds

In the heyday of blue diamonds, they cost 2000pp each or more. Blue diamonds became a more common drop, and the Bazaar price plummeted. It didn't happen immediately, but eventually blue diamonds were selling for 300 - 400pp each. Now prices are going up and fewer people are selling blue diamonds. Blue diamonds are seldom priced below 400pp each.

Example: Velium blocks, bricks and pieces

I used to bottom feed and buy bricks for 20pp or less, and pieces for 12pp or less. They don't sell for that low a price anymore and there are fewer for sale.

Example: Kaladim Constitutionals

When I skilled up to 250, I sold KCs for 20pp each. They were a good moneymaker so I kept making them. The price drifted downwards to 12pp each. Recently, prices have risen again. I'm selling occasionally at 15pp, but also at 20pp each. Again, there are fewer of these for sale in the Bazaar.

I think we are seeing another fundamental shift in the Everquest market. My opinion is that there is much more plat out there. Plat is valued less, and time is valued more. Fewer people bother to sell lower value tradeskill components and goods. If they do, they raise prices. Plat rich folks buy at the higher prices.

I also see prices rising at the top end of the market. I bought ornate leather wristbands for 45k many months ago. I've watched prices rise to 70k, then 100k and most recently to 120k. Some people can afford the higher prices, and there appears to always be a market for the rarer high end gear.

How I'm adjusting to the changing market.

- Vendor-mine blue diamonds for personal use. They continue to be common vendor fodder.
- Farm velium for personal use. It's unlikely that Bazaar velium prices will come down anytime. Note that the enchanted velium recipe for smithing up to 222 has probably contributed to the shortage of velium in the Bazaar.
- Continue to make KC's and sell them for increasingly higher prices.
- Watch for good stuff when vendor mining blue diamonds, and sell for increasingly higher Bazaar prices.

Thicket

[Liwsa]

As more and more of the higher end folks max out their trade skills you will see less and less completed products on the market thus opening it up for the lower up and coming trade skillers to sell their products to get pp to skill up or for the high end trade skillers who are willing to still put in their time and energy to make the completed products to sell them.

Some folks like to get out there and kill for their pp while others would rather click for their pp. To each their own. For a healthy economy BOTH sets of folks MUST exist.

[Sanna]

Six months ago, Halas 10 were selling on Sullon for 4.5p apiece. Now, the rate is 12-15p.

Everything cycles. Just go with the flow. (And be happy for it ^_^)


-- Sanna

[Arghargh]

When I started making misteltoe cutting sickles, they went for over 3kpp each. Then traders in the bazaar got cutthroat with everyone trying to undercut each other, and prices crashed to about 900pp. Now they're going of a steady 1800pp. I haven't seen any price variation in two weeks. Similarly, with qeynos afternoon tea, they had been driven down to 12.5pp, and are now pretty steady at 25pp.

Arghargh Grumble, Darkblood
64 Ogre Shaman of Rallos Zek

200 Alchemy
200 Baking
250 Blacksmithing
250 Brewing
200 Fishing
200 Fletching
200 Jewelry
200 Pottery
170 Tailoring

[eniamn]

halas pies down to 2.5 pp on luclin. i did a batch sale of 240 for 600pp to get out of bazaar. wish they sold for even 5pp and i would get cash from this point.

[Zopharr]

Part of it for supplies now is also changes in hunting grounds as more of the characters in the game advance.

I remember how PoJ--a great source of BDs--used to be packed. When I went there three weeks ago to solo some High Guardians with my SK during an odd hour I had, the place was virtually empty. Last time I was in Velks, there were four folks there - one monk/healer pair, and two other 65 folks hunting for velium.

Same thing for a lot of other items. Electrified copper, which used to be easy to get at 100ppa brick, is now 400-1k a brick on my server as fewer folks are exping in PoS, only going to the desert to get heads and bones for the BoT key quest. Pure rain dropped from 3k to under 1k as folks moved to BoT for exp (but is now rising as folks are going to elementals).

Most of the crazy tradeskilling for Aide Grimel is over with now, so less stuff is coming on the market. But as more players move on to elementals, fewer supplies for the Luclin and PoP armors are coming in as well.

[Maevenniia]

Don’t forget LdoN’s influence. People who had little time would often opt to tradeskill or farm components for sale in bazaar, but now will jump into LdoN and do a dungeon. Less supply = rising prices.

[splunge]

Yah i blame LDoN. More people are doing LDoN then grinding in the planes.
Notice all the smithing tempers and their ourtageous prices.
But it doesnt explain the Blue Diamonds, since they drop in LDoN as well. *shrug*

[Aeght]

Because of the pace of LDoN, there really is no other practical option than having a MasterLooter.

This means many drops that might otherwise be rolled for and sold in the bazaar now are going to merchants.

There definitely is a draw away from other hunting zones though... Went to look for a group in Dreadlands yesterday and there were only 3 others in the zone.... that got up to about 6 at peak hours... eerie...

[Arghargh]

LDoN can be a good source for blue diamonds. I always make a point of asking the ML if I can buy the BD's rather than let them be sold to a merchant. Besides, merchants only pay about 223pp for BDs, and I can usually buy them form the group for that. BD had been down to 300pp in the bazaar, but have crept up to 600-800pp of late.

200 Alchemy
200 Baking
250 Blacksmithing
250 Brewing
200 Fishing
200 Fletching
200 Jewelry
200 Pottery
170 Tailoring

[Idara]

Another point to consider is that a lot of the high level peeps skilled up as rapidly as possible to do the Aid Grimel quest and flooded the market with their wares. But they don't do tradeskilling for fun, so even some of the people I know who CAN make their own Misty Thicket Picnics and Grobbs Liquidized Meats, won't do it because they don't want to "waste" the time. For them, getting their skills up was simply means to an end, not useful in and of itself.

[Eatbugs]

The bazaar prices for blue diamonds lately seem to be composed of equal parts optimism and sheer wishful thinking - if I need blue diamonds (a rare occurence, I usually farm my own) I can almost always find them on LDoN merchants for ~260pp apiece. I don't know anyone who buys them for the 500pp or so they usually appear at in the bazaar.

[Cerpicio]

As a GM Tinkering Gnome, I've also noticed a lot fewer items from PoI for sale. This started when LDoN was released because they'd rather do an adventure than hunt in PoI. This will make it harder for young tinkers to skill up, and will probably drive up the prizes of high-end items (collapsed kits, anizok's devices) which require coiled springs from PoI.


-- C.

[Marteeny]

It is now a daily thing for me to go to all 5 LDoN camps, buy up any BD's and put them on my trader. I have'nt had any last more than 2 days at 350pp. it's only 80-90pp profit each, but it starts to add up over time. Very little effort involved as well. I can also sell black sapphires and jacinth rather quickly as well.

[Calabar]

I have to agree that LDoN has changed the face of Norrath. I know that I haven’t gone to a dungeon for XP since the expansion came out. Adventures are simply a lot more appealing than going to the planes or going to a dungeon. I have a regular group of four characters and so many people have grouped with us over the past weeks that there’s often a line to fill those last two spots. We get our adventure, buff up, zone in, reach our goal in less than an hour and head back out. The XP is good, the general drops are good, the named drops are often useable by group members and I’m earning points to buy better armor than I ever expected to own. Unless someone needs a specific drop, such as for a quest, there’s no reason to do anything but LDoN adventures. I suppose for variety it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go hunting in different zones, but my friends and I have yet to get bored.

And as someone else mentioned, we always have a main looter. He or she sells everything off, except for magic items, and splits the cash. They usually save the temper supplies for me, but everything else ends up on the merchant. So I’m not at all surprised to here that the availability of supplies is dropping in the bazaar. It’ll be interesting to see if this continues. I expect a lot of people may get bored with LDoN, but then Sony may also add in LDoN expansions, which might draw players back. As I said, it should be interesting.