Any other spineless tradeskillers out there?

[Fallwell]

Like many other fine virtual craftsman of Norrath, I began my tradeskilling career to escape the borish monotony of spawn camps. As I sat on the warmed earth from hours of....

Sit
Sit
Sit
Stand, press F2
Stand, press 1
...<repeat>

....I visualized myself, a cleric of medium build and not overly handsome stature REMADE into a Striking Gift from the Prime Healer to all of Human-Kind!! Outfitted with the pale rose glory of Salubrious Heraldic!! I would become king of my people and the envy of all!!

HuH?
Oh,

Sit
Sit
Sit
Stand, press F2
Stand, press 1
...<repeat>

So I began my journey one day soon after. Seemingly 10 million hours later (perhaps slightly more) I have become a GM Smith! I rushed out and made my glorious pink armor and to my surprise......my face is still un-remarkable and Antonius Bayle won't kiss my ring. Once more, I have no money in the bank, a bunch of stripped alts and a pain in my stomach from eating too much summoned bread.....I needed to make some cash...

To make a long story slightly longer, but not too long as to be too long to read in too short of time.....I discovered that I am a spineless wimp, who cowers at the very first suggestion of an offer (no matter how ridiculous) for my beautiful creations.

Me- "Burfleboop 25k"
They-" I'll trade you 6 spider silks and an enchanted silver bar for it, and can you throw in a br"
Me-" YES YES....PLEASE!!!"

Ok, perhaps I'm not that bad. Do any of you feel uncomfotable when it comes to negotiating prices? Or cave in and regret it later?

Regards,
~Fall

I'm very comfortable negotiating pricing.

Then again I am usually the buyer.

For selling... I do it in bazaar and am AFK so I don't have to negotiate.


The key to never having any regrets, is never selling under what you think it is worth.

[Kronepsis]

I hate negotiating most of the time...

It especially kicks in when someone only offers to pay for a finished product at the price of the components or less.

Hello clueless one! Heard about something called a failure? :P

My response to those folks is essentially "Please don't bother me" if they refuse to comprehend tradeskill failure rates.

I'm nicer to the ones that realize that I DO want to make some profit out of it. :P I have very little amounts of tradeskill items in stock nowadays, but what little I have is usually so near the break even rate that I shoot down anyone who tries to get a "better deal" (since a "better deal" would involve losing more money than gaining money). It REALLY stinks when I fail two to three Three-sheet Koada`Dal combines in a row, let alone Celestial Temper combines.

[eqNichola]

For selling... I do it in bazaar and am AFK so I don't have to negotiate.

I have just recently changed my baz mule's /afk message; it now begins

*PLEASE NOTE I AM ACTUALLY AFK AND CANNOT REPLY TO TELLS*

because it just amazed me how many people would carry on a one-sided negotiation with me at 4am while I was tucked up in bed.

[Verdandi]

Do any of you feel uncomfortable when it comes to negotiating prices?

Definitely. I've gotten much better at it than when I first started selling smithed wares on a large scale, but it can still be difficult. At first I had to do a LOT of educating about the enormous costs of skilling up smithing and the risk inherent in every attempt, as a way to justify turning down inadequate offers. Nowadays my skin has thickened a little and I'm not afraid to be short with people who are quite clearly not interested in striking a fair price. I've also been able to buy the things I want most dearly, so I'm more willing to give people an extra discount for being friendly or roleplaying or if they just seem like really nice folks who are a bit strapped for cash. I also give huge discounts to half elves since I've only found one on the server who is 45+ and worships The Tribunal :P

[Cigarskunk]

HECK NO!

After all of the time, plat and most especially, all of those tens of thousands of clicks on that @#$% mouse - I know what my time, skill and materials are worth and I'm not about to have some d00d convince me that the 80 hours of farming and clicking, the 10k plat it cost in components to skill up and the several hundred or several thousand plat in raw materials for this finished peice (plus failures) is only worth a rusty dagger and 5 plat.

[RehabbKorntool]

because it just amazed me how many people would carry on a one-sided negotiation with me at 4am while I was tucked up in bed.

ROFL, funny you mentioned that happens to me all the time. In fact, just this weekend I saw in my /tell window

soandso tells you, Give you 6k for the Crimson Darkscale Bracer.

soandso tells you, ok 7500 for the Crimson Darkscale Bracer.

someotherperson tells you, take a trade for random item ?

soandso tells you, 9k for the bracer, thats all I have take it or leave it.

Looks over at /trader window soandso has purchaced a Crimson Darkscale Bracer for 10k.

soandso if you are reading this, I honestly was AFK

[kiztent]

Re: Any other spineless tradeskillers out there?

Ok, perhaps I'm not that bad. Do any of you feel uncomfotable when it comes to negotiating prices? Or cave in and regret it later?

I used to, but then I realized the people negotiating me down are trying to screw me over. Given the choice, I'd rather not sell. Ideally I'd like to screw them over.

Taking a hard line on negotiation became easier once I took this point of view.

Plus you have to watch the market. I got grief over hobgoblins surprises for 2k, then I asked for the price of a range slot item with those stats. If you could show me a better one cheaper, we'd talk lower price. No one could, and I've held the price (and I've only seen two other sellers which helps). If you are a smith, ask people selling the Skyshrine multiquests how much they are charging, and use that for a price basis on your stuff (like if a SS bracer is 2k and you are trying to sell your bracers for 12k, don't expect a lot of business, contratrywise, if people are trying to buy at 2k, and a SS MQ is 12k, tell them to get bent and buy a SS MQ if they don't like your prices).

Of course, I keep a separate trading mule with 78 slots of 'stuff', and I don't mind holding 3 e. marr imbued plate arms for months at 1500pp each. Eventually a desperate half elf paladin will come along and buy one

[burnttoastv]

Ahhh, negotiation. I always hated it but you do learn. How to read a person? Always seemed the first opening line on price by you or them was the most important part, preferably them to show thier hand first since I'm the one who's willing to sell. If I have to list the price first, what's a decent price that they will still be willing to negotiate down on and won't insult them and have them turn away?

After doing this it seemed best to me to just decide on my price and stick with it if I wanted to make that much off of it. If I want to sell it quicker I have to be willing to sacrifice.

I have learned that people willing to pay straight coin seem rare and ARE the preferred customer, if I don't recognize an item that someone wants to trade for one of my made goodies I don't take it as it just fills up my mule all the faster with stuff and I have no idea how fast it will sell, Rangers will sell thier souls (at least prePOP) over Thunderbolts but never seem to have coin (but lots of stuff they are willing to trade!).