What is an acceptable donation?

[Kahmon]

I didn't master the crafts to make a profit thanks to the Bazaar. To me the loads of plat were a byproduct. I skilled up for self-satisfaction because I couldn't stand looking at my skills knowing that they could be better.

That said, I generally do combines for whatever anyone feels like donating as long as I'm not busy at the time. The exception is if it is a product I currently carry on my trader. In that case I expect about 20% of what I would have sold it for. For fails I never accept anything. They lost the materials so I see no reason for them to lose more plat too.

Kyros mentions charging for patterns on fails which makes sense if you have a GM book that requires spider drops. Those quests are tough to get groups for. Since I had the much easier drakes quest I don't see a need to myself. (somehow the first tell I always get when I put LFG up is for a Creator Mission)

For friends & guildies I never accept donations, and when the person seems to be scaping to get the materials Then I tend not to accept payment either. Those people need their plat more then I do. lol.

Meldstone combines people usually donate 1-2K for which I feel is fair since the people needing them tend to get their gear via raids and not have much that they need plat for.

[Oriaas]

For me its pretty simple since I have the best of both worlds. I am in a high end guild and I can pretty much make anything from any tradeskill. I make my own food and drink and with DoD I get to make my own armor again (4 Last Bloods wee!).

When I started, I started with exactly what any other barb warrior would start with. Some newbie food, a candle and a note. I made my first plat fishing in halas at night because I couldn't tell a polar bear from a hill when the sun went down. From there it went to tailoring armor to stay alive...to fletching arrows for pulls and eventually onto smithing for more respectable clothing.

I think I "grew up" the right way. I didn't start tradeskilling in order to make plat. I did it because at the time (6+ years ago) it was an alternative (and often cheaper) method of surviving. As time went on, I found (just like in real life) I don't like to be at anyone else's mercy. So it made sense to me to take up other tradeskills (like JC for rings and earrings). Eventually I learned a warrior has his limitations and I created some twinks for essentials (enchanting foraging etc).

Now, I am pretty self reliant. I make my own potions. I make my own armor (when I get the raid drop for augs). I make my own AAAAs. I still make my own food, drink and arrows. I feed my tribute via tradeskills.

I didn't start tradeskills to make plat, I started them to save plat. Very few people treat it that way nowadays. Sure I have dumped millions of plat into them...lots of people have. I have also put away millions of plat because of them. When I see someone shouting donating for a combine, I usually do it. If the person is nice and its for personal use, I generally refuse donations. If the person is a complete jackhole, thats another story.

I set up shop every few months and make a million plat...I don't think theres anyone that doesn't. For me thats great an all but after a night in the bazaar I am usually bored with it and I don't do it again for another few months. My satisfaction comes from giving someone something they couldn't get on their own. Most cases its probably something that gets passed onto someone else when its time is done. Thats pretty cool if you think about it.

A couple of nights ago I was bored so I actually put up LFG. I ended up in a creator group with a bunch of 65-67 level people. The cleric was 65 and she had a hard time healing me. Not because I was taking a beating but because she was used to healing tanks at 90% and having her cheals land when they are at 20%. She'd start healing when I was at 90% and if she was lucky it would land when I was 88%. So she started letting me get lower. She tossed a cheal when I was around 30% (took about 15 pulls ehe) and it only took me back up to around 75%. She was a bit flustered so I struck up a conversation with her in tells.

As the night went on she kept commenting how easy it was to heal me...I think at one point she called me a cleric's dream (/raar!). When all was said and done, I made her a full set of prestidigitase jewelry. All 5 pieces were upgrades...then I took her and got her her 55 aura and some xp while we waited on the named plant to pop. I think she eneded up with 7 upgrades in all.

I will probably never group with her again. In fact I will probably never even be in the same zone as her again, but thats ok. She's wearing stuff I helped her get. Stuff she probably wouldn't be wearing for a good while, without my help. All I got out of it was a "thank-you" and that was enough. She even got the crystals from the mission since I had no use for them.

Somewhere down the line she will remember where she got the items and how much they have helped her. And honestly thats about the biggest donation anyone can give you, even if you never hear from them again.

[Artemisia]

thanks everyone for your suggestions and advise.

And thank you Oriaas for the way you are ;-) it's people like you who are remembered and make Norrath special, just like I remember the barbarian who gaves me a Zaharns Coronet when in 2000 that was a uber item :-) never saw him again, but still remember his name.