Match or undercut?

[Aandaie]

I sell everything below what others sell it at, even bone chips or spiderling silk.
I want them to order the list by price, then come and buy mine. Its good business.

I never find it worth it to buy and sell for just a few pennies under someone else. If I see an item in the bazaar for 4 plat, with another guy selling for 3 plat 9 gold, I'll buy the four plat one just out of spite. But if its 4 plat and 2 or 3 plat, I'll buy the lower.

If someone bought out my stuff to sell higher, I'd love it. The only thing I want to do is sell my stuff.

Its all fair, just like in real life.

[Draggar]

Originally posted by Dawnlin
I miss the old days of EC sometimes.
/someone shouts, Selling stack of HQ cat pelts at T1 for 100pp, hail me!
/think WOOHOO!
/run to T1

You mean the days where the bazaar was in East Commons?

Oh, and I remember when they DIDN'T stack (I do not miss those days).

[Zacatac]

If we are talking about something I looted while hunting, then I'll often match the lowest price I find.

However, if we are talking about tradeskill made items, then it's highly dependant on just how much or how often I can actually make the items.

My BD cultural smithing for example, I have a set price. I don't care if you want to pay less. I don't care if you saw some guy last week with 1k lower price. I sell at these prices or I don't sell at all. I've been at 250 for a long time now and have no desire to make items over and over again for no other reason than to sell on the market if that market isn't going to pay what I want for my efforts.

On the other hand, way back when I was making Mistletoe cutting sickles, MST's or Solstice robes for skill ups, I'd often match the lowest price in order to sell the inventory. Knowing that I was going to be making more each week, every week, until I maxed skill.

[ZealSZ]

undercut if you want to sell

if I made some item, usually it's got some kind of profit margin on it, or it's going back to the vendor. I will price about 10-25% less than others on an item I actually crafted so that my items don't just sit in bazaar for days. As for tradeskill components, then I can price them at average cost or higher, since they'll sell a lot faster. of course, this is because I am tradeskilling for money- if others aren't I don't see why they are in bazaar in the first place.

[Dunthor Warsmith]

With most of the things I sell, I've found that they will sell. Its just a question of when. Sure, I can price it at 50%, and will probably get the sale pretty soon. But I can price it at my standard "full price", and it will take longer, maybe a few weeks, but it will sell.

I rarely hit the 80-item limit (at least not with items of significance), and my influx of "good" items is relatively slow, so if I sell it tomorrow or in two weeks from now, I'll still be getting the "next one to sell" in probaby the same amount of time. So I'll take the extra money from going "full price", rather than undercutting.

"Full price" varies as to what I determine it by - usually either what I consider it's "worth", or the mode price in the bazaar (historic or modern, depending on the item). If the "worth" is less than the mode price, I'll go with the mode price always. So most of the time I either match or price higher. Only exception is with something I've had for months, matching the lowest price(s), and I just want to finally get rid of - then I'll undercut by as much as I can stand (and it usually doesn't sell anyway, heh).

[Tinile]

It depends on the item, the quantity of them that I have, the speed in which I want to be rid of the items, etc. Most items I will not change price of if 1 person comes round with lower prices, as they will usually go away and my price will be fine and sell well.

[xasia steinfiller]

i match 90% of the time. i dont like adding to the allready high problem of buying tradeskill parts high and selling the end part for much less then cost.

[Cerpicio]

I usually match.

I *hate* (I can't stress that enough) when people sell items for an insignificant amount less than someone else. As someone else stated, I'll often buy the "more expensive" one out of spite.

Another thing that annoys me is when someone makes an absurd quantity of an item, then undercuts everyone. Fortunately they usually only do that once, and don't return when they sell out.


-- C.

[xaanru]

I typically match whatever the low price is, unless its somethign like 8 people are selling tae ew shields for 2500-3k, and one guy has one for 1200pp. In that case, I'd buy the 1200pp one, and match the next.

IF, however, someone UNDERCUTS me, I will undercut them back, until I drive their prices so low I KNOW they aren't making money, then hold mine there til they sell out. Then I return mine to normal.

Funny story, also on tae ew. I had 4 longswords up for sale for 2000 each. Some guy bought them all. I checked bazaar. Same guy now had TEN for sale, at 3500. Well, I went, made 6 more, and next time he wasn't in the bazaar, I put mine up for 2500 which was prevailing price at the moment. Check back later, and this guy has his for 2400. OK, undercutting me, bam, mine go to 2k. His go to 1999. Mine go to 1500, his to 1499. I ended up getting him to price his down at 499pp, in response to my 500pp price.

Then I ran over and started buying his. I got 6 of the 10, before he dropped trader.

Yes, thats right, I SOLD him 4 swords for 8k total. Then BOUGHT those same swords, plus two more, back from him, for under 3k.

This particular guy always bugged me, as I had often watched him corner the market on items (dropped ones) by buying ALL that came up for sale, and reselling at an inflated price. He had a corner on Centi LS for a long time. I guess he figured he could do the same on tae ew.

Oh, btw. I put the swords (my six, plus his six) back at 2500pp, and sold out in about a week and a half. Oddly enough, I've never seen him selling tae ew swords again.

[Silverfish]

Pricing by Conscience

My pricing method is both simple and infuriating to some folks. I price my goods by deciding what reasonability allows. Blue diamonds sell on Bristlebane for 600 plat. I sell them for 450 because I buy them off merchants for 262.5 and that's what I consider a fair markup for something I don't have to manipulate in any way. Golden Idols of Tunare sell for 1700 when I'm not around, but for 1250 when I am, because I can make them for about 250 plat, so a 500 percent markup seems more than fair. Same with Crucibles of Escape, which I sell for about the same markup.

I have been known to undercut, but the simple fact is that I don't undercut because I want to undercut, I undercut when I think the market is out of line. It's ludicrous to me that leather padding should sell for 30 or 40 plat each, considering a half hour of AEing in Everfrost can yield a stack of it. I get bombed by angry tells when I put a bunch of it up for 8 plat each, but I charge that much because charging 30 or 40 would make me feel like a price gouger. Besides, I figure that by reducing the cost for the budding smiths, I hold prices down on finished armors as well.

In short, I sell at the price I'd like to pay. To those who yell at me about ruining the market, I tell them simply that it's not about them. A strong economy benefits everyone.

SIlverfish

[Axterix EnObelix]

I'm with Xaanru, pretty much. I'll match the going rate or else charge a fair price if I believe the going rate is nuts, most of the time.

There are 2 exceptions to this. One is if I get an item and I just want to liquidate it. A resell, a find on a merchant whatever. I'll charge lower just to clear it out. The second is if someone starts to undercut me. Then I teach people how exactly the prisoner's dilemna works. They undercut me, I match them. They do it again, I undercut them. If they keep doing it, I'll undercut by greater amounts. Typically, they get the message after a while and leave the tinkering field.

You can match and we're all good. You can do a price you think is fair that's lower than mine, and I'll match it if I think it is worthwhile. But trying to get all the market...not a smart idea. The only advantage you have over any other person is the willingness to make less per item. Best be sure they aren't more willing than you before you start. Just like the Hungarian mob in the Usual Suspects.

Done something similiar to the Tae Ew sword thing. The guy didn't get his initial stock from me, but he did start a pricing war which me and a fellow tinkerer kept up until he lowered his prices into the gutter. Then I bought him out and resold his wares=)

[ZealSZ]

I'd love that situation.

if someone bought things I was selling all up for 2000 and put them all on another trader for 4000 I'd be happy because I sold everything.
Feel free to buy out my trader and put the equipment on yours with increased prices. You can't really corner the market because anyone with a tradeskill can always make more of whatever you sell, unless you can kick me and everyone else out of every zone the components drop in.

[Trixzie]

On some items I have a set price. If someone undercuts me fine. I will sell my stock eventually.

If I have just one of an item that I don't know the average price, I usually will start high and reduce as I see them come on the market.

Things I just want to sell quickly, I will usually undercut substantially.

[Melinia]

It's hard for me to say which I do. Normally I will check what the prices are for new items that I normally dont have in stock. I will set my price between the highest and lowest. Skins/ pelts/silks I will check everytime before going into trader to see what the average price is.
There are some items I try to keep in stock and will set my own price and will not fluctuate regardless of what everyone else is sell the item at.
Also, I have had days that I just want to empty my bags for new stock so I will cut all my prices in half to make room.

[Libbie]

I match prices. As a career tinker, I do my best to maintain a certain level of pricing of items with fellow career tinkers in the Bazaar. We're the ones putting up our gizmo and gadget stands nightly in hopes that someone will need a rebreather or a spyglass. By matching each other, we keep our prices up and ensure a decent profit for all. It might take a little longer, but we do sell them in the end.

It cheeses me off to see people undercut by large amounts on certain items. However, I also realize that these people are the fly-by-nighters who aren't in it for the long run. A lot of them started tradeskilling because of the new UI. A few of them don't have the patience to put their items out daily to sell. And as far as geerloks go (*shakes her head miserably*), people who bought them for the tribute points are now trying to offload them.

They might price their 20 rebreathers at maybe 10pp over cost. But you know what? The same night that person did that, I sold my one and only rebreather at twice the price.