30k-50K for pushing a combine button?!?!

[Dutchy]

Gaaaaaaaaah I can't believe what some people are charging for their combines!! Was looking for someone to upgrade my minor aug to a pure one since I didn't dare to take the risk on my 255+5% alchemy shammy... so contacted a few Master Poison Makers/Alchemists to see what they would charge for it if I supplied all the materials... 3 responces... all 30-50K =(
Another added he could try the inlay combine if I supplied the materials for it for 20K(!! I did 2 of m last night, both succesfull and was donated 5K, which I would consider fair).... From the shammy I asked I could (kind of) understand it since alchemy is expensive and he had mastery 3 + salvage 3.... But 30-50K for a combine with just a 300poison skill without any AA's? shhhhheeeeeessshh
People are going nuts... and for 50K an attempt.. I'll get my own poison making up to 300 next week when I have time lol (love my bf who's willing to borrow me his rogue for it since my account is full hehe)

But seriously.... does anyone pay these insane prizes just for another to push the combine button?

[Angelsyn]

Gaaaaaaaaah I can't believe what some people are charging for their combines!! Was looking for someone to upgrade my minor aug to a pure one since I didn't dare to take the risk on my 255+5% alchemy shammy... so contacted a few Master Poison Makers/Alchemists to see what they would charge for it if I supplied all the materials... 3 responces... all 30-50K =(
Another added he could try the inlay combine if I supplied the materials for it for 20K(!! I did 2 of m last night, both succesfull and was donated 5K, which I would consider fair).... From the shammy I asked I could (kind of) understand it since alchemy is expensive and he had mastery 3 + salvage 3.... But 30-50K for a combine with just a 300poison skill without any AA's? shhhhheeeeeessshh
People are going nuts... and for 50K an attempt.. I'll get my own poison making up to 300 next week when I have time lol (love my bf who's willing to borrow me his rogue for it since my account is full hehe)

But seriously.... does anyone pay these insane prizes just for another to push the combine button?

I typically do not charge people for doing Smithing Combines, especially if they're not trivial. I like to get spare parts if doing Magnetic combines, but I don't insist on it, for example.

The last time I got some Augs done (by a Poison Maker), he did 2 Kyanites for my Paladin and another Aug that I sold. He succeeded on all three combines and I ended up giving him the two spare White-Gold Inlays I had left over.

Anything more than 2k for a combine is stupid, IMHO.

[Footsore]

Well, I'm not saying 50K is reasonable, but on the other hand, have you looked at what the Shammy has for skillups past 275? Like 4 recipes all using draconic essence.

Maybe if you offered a stack of those instead of pp?

[mithridate]

Just for the record, a shammie has three drop (Mature Drake / Basilisk Saliva and Quicklime) and one forage / drop (Mature Silkworm) recipes after 275. Draconic Essence is used upto 275.

And for a stack of Mature Silkworms, I would definately offer my combining services. =)

[Moraganth]

Gaaaaaaaaah I can't believe what some people are charging for their combines!! Was looking for someone to upgrade my minor aug to a pure one since I didn't dare to take the risk on my 255+5% alchemy shammy... so contacted a few Master Poison Makers/Alchemists to see what they would charge for it if I supplied all the materials... 3 responces... all 30-50K =(
Another added he could try the inlay combine if I supplied the materials for it for 20K(!! I did 2 of m last night, both succesfull and was donated 5K, which I would consider fair).... From the shammy I asked I could (kind of) understand it since alchemy is expensive and he had mastery 3 + salvage 3.... But 30-50K for a combine with just a 300poison skill without any AA's? shhhhheeeeeessshh
People are going nuts... and for 50K an attempt.. I'll get my own poison making up to 300 next week when I have time lol (love my bf who's willing to borrow me his rogue for it since my account is full hehe)

But seriously.... does anyone pay these insane prizes just for another to push the combine button?

Hmm.. try looking at it this way...

Your supplying an aug, that's marked...normal bazaar prices on that part (my server, and in general):

if it's a stat aug (aug + slugworm) = 75-90k
if it's a gem aug (aug + trean fly) = 100-200k (very wide range for augs)

now, you want someone to upgrade that to make an aug with 2-3 times the value... so, you could invest 200k plus 100k or so for a scoriae (pickig the higher prices), then have an aug you could sell for 600k or more.

is it nuts for a tradeskiller (who's invested serious plat into getting their skil up to those levels already) to want to actually make plat for themselves, or should they be giving away 100's of k in plat.. just because...

Isn't it just as nuts for peolpe to think ts'ers should give them large amounts of plat just because they want it?

There is ALWAYS at least two sides to things.

The answer to your question is.. yes. People who are serious about gaining a top end ts item, and who actually know how much time, effort, and plat is put into raising a tradeskill up that high... usually have no qualms about paying well for combines.

[eqNichola]

30k-50K for pushing a combine button?!?!

If you just want a combine button pressed, you're welcome to press it yourself. What's that, you failed? Maybe you should pay to skillup a bit. Or wait, you could pay someone ELSE to skill up...

You're not paying for the combine. You're paying for the Alchemy skill behind it.

[Kakg]

You're not paying for the combine. You're paying for the Alchemy skill behind it.

Pretty much the same thing was said by Pablo Picasso when some one asked him why he charged $20k for a sketch which he only spent 5 mins drawing.

You are not paying for 5 minutes work but for 40 years of experience.

(not exact words as I'm writing this from memory)

[tnexus]

I won't charge anyone persay, but on certain combines such as inlay I'll take donations. I'm pretty stingy when it comes to who I do them for though. I'll refuse to do ones that are being done for profit unless I get part of the cut (which is never). Sure people can lie to me, but I check often in the bazaar after I do one to see what's new for sale. If I catch them reselling they're blackballed. If someone is charging 30k its because they're expecting you to resell it.

[KB1]

On my rogue if I know you are going to resell, Im gonna charge, if I know you are gonna use it, then I usually don't. Not making money off of my time and skill with any going to me. Same on my JC.

[Dutchy]

Some people are really missing my point here or are having difficulty reading.... like posted, I can understand it from the side of alchemy, which is insanely expensive and I'm still working on raising that skill myself just because I want to have all the in game skills maxxed out, I feel bad for al the shamans out there that they upped the trivials for adding affects to augments which made them lose their advantage and a higher chance of succes since they invested much more pp in getting their skill. But for the people who claim its a few hundred K to get the skill up that high and that thats why rogues are charging that much.... I'm sorry but poison making is not that expensive, and for the 50K charged (without any mastery or salvage AA's!!)I can max that skill, which I am currently working on. As for the people stating I don't understand that high end tradeskills take a lot of pp... missed the signature below my post?? I'm 300 in 5 skills, and 250+ in everything but poison making and tinkering at this moment since I dont have room for a gnome on my account. (not to mention 9 tradeskills 200-300 on alts which I normally dont mention since I have m double just on different races) I know how expensive tradeskills can get, but still I'm not charging this amount when I attempt combines. Can't see posion making to 300 taking me more than 50K.... and I don't think its realistic that people are charging more plat for 1 push of the combine button than it took to get their entire skill. Just my 2cp.

*Back to poison making... 172 skill and rising*

[Lokase]

Dutchy you can "Primal Scream" all you want, that is why this forum exists. I am sure you, as well as everyone else that is a high level tradeskiller, realizes that the EQ economy is a "free market".

If some tradeskillers charge 30-50k for their services then guess what, there is probably a market for it. If peeps pay the price the tradeskillers are asking why would they bring there prices down?

With more and more peeps taking their tradeskills higher the prices will eventually come down due to competition. Supply over demand is the basis of all free markets.

You may not agree with their pricing, that is your right, but you will not see prices drop until more competition comes into the market. I understand your need to rant but really, no one will change their prices if they are getting business.

In any case, good luck on your skill ups.

Cheers,


Plainswalker of the 70th Season
Quiet and stealthy, Lokase slips into the forest to resume the hunt.

[Liwsa]

I normally do not set a price UNLESS I know the person is going to sell it. I had one guy ask me for a combine and I did it for him. He was very polite and donated 500pp. The next day he tells me he sold the aug for 300k. I have no problem doing the combines for people but I really do not like making items for other people to sell. If they want to me to combine something for them to sell, donate an appropriate amount: 500pp from a 300k sale sigh(next aug he wants combined you can bet 50k up front or no dice).

Making items for a person for personal use is a HUGE difference then making items for someone to sell. IF you want to sell tradeskills items, do what the rest of us did, click click click and raise your own skill SO you can make the item to sell.

[Sylphan]

Suppose you have a 300-skill rogue as a bazaar mule. You have 8 augs currently for sale on that mule in the 300k to 600k range. And they DO sell... not every day, but a few per week. If you do a combine for someone, that's one less sale you get to make. This is true whether the person is using it themself or selling it.

So doing a combine for someone could cost you a lot of money. Some rogues are willing to give up 50k or more in expected profit just to be nice, but others will only do it if the fee is good.

[Wyvernwill]

Hmm... interesting scream here.

Any tradeskiller has to ask themselves why they are helping anyone out with tradeskill combines at all. Tradeskills are open to all, including Tinkering, Alchemy, Poisonmaking. Don't think those three are open? It's called do some work and level your own up then do the tradeskills. That's why we have 8 character slots.

If you're doing it because you want to be curteous and help someone get a better piece of equipment and decide you want to combine for free or whatever they donate, that's a personal decision.

Some people who have worked on tradeskills, especially the big two in smithing and tailoring, alchemy has gotten up there in difficulty and cost too now, knows that they have spent well over 500k over the coarse of skilling up. What's the difference if you sell your skill or sell your combined items. You are providing a service (in creating an item) whether it's from your own gathering or from someone else's. Charging 50k for a failure, I would say is pretty shallow. However, on a success, I can see no reason not to charge that much, especially on the stated items (Augments). If the person is selling it, they are still cutting a huge profit even after paying you. If the person bought it the whole way /shrug it's a bit of an added cost. If they farmed every part, you are talking about upwards of 500k profit margins... 50k out of that is a drop of water.

I'd like to agree that the cost they charge is sick and wrong, but I can't. I have been burned way too many times helping someone out only to have it bite me in the butt later seeing them sell it.

[Twistagain]

I think it's somewhat exhorbitant...but not overly so. I also believe that that cost should be lowered to a very low amount if one fails the combine. I don't see anything wrong with 10-20% of an items "worth" for a success...and a nominal fee (50p? 100p? Whatever seems reasonable for the couple of minutes of time) for a failure.

But, charging 30K for a failure would, to me, be akin to fixing me a cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant, after I've paid for it, and dropping it in the trash with no intent to make another. I'd ask for my money back...