Charging for combines

[Mahgnillig]

I just wondered how much other people choose to charge for a combine that will not get them a skill-up.

I always do combines for friends/guildies/ex-guildies for free, but what if a complete stranger asks for a combine? What is a reasonable rate to charge for your services, bearing in mind that by hitting that button for them, it's one less bow that you may have sold on the market, or one more that will go straight into the bazaar.

[Cigarskunk]

Depends - if it's an item under 100plat and the person actually has everything on them right then and there and (most importantly) doesn't come off as a total d00d, I'll bang it out for free.

(Remember kids, always group with someone when combining thier materials just incase it fails.)

Above that, it depends on how easy they make it for me and how popular the item is - if it's a slow moving item, then around 25% or less depending on how nicely they ask and how much they look like they can afford. If it's a hot ticket item, then up to 50-100% the value of the materials or simply extra materials if they're hard to find components (read inno cams/grease for non-planer fletcher like myself).

[Osprey]

I have only gotten two types of combine requests - thunderbolts and nightmarewood. (The skill up part doesn't matter for me - I'm at 250.)

For a thunderbolt, I charge 5k for a success, failures are free.

For a nightmarewood, I charge 1k for a success.

My reasoning is this: usually I have to do a lot more work on a thunderbolt. I have to go to faydark, run around a lot, do intermediate combines, etc. It's mostly my time that's the factor here.

Nightmarewood are pretty easy tho - the worst they can do is forget the plane So it's easy money for me. Sure they may turn around and sell it, but that's fine. I still got a nice cut with no work.

[Maena Bowyer]

Just my 2 cents...

My take? 2x parts, and the first success with those parts is yours. This is a valid offer for any combine, including those using storebought parts. (Except the first time I try any particular set of parts, then just bring me a set, and if I succeed it's yours)

However, my prices for all items using storebought parts is less than 2x cost, so using the 2x parts offer would be... foolish.


Failing that, I also accept payment on success. I *try* to charge right around the cost of 1 set of parts. (admittedly more for BFT's, as let's face it, they're a pain)

[Mahlig]

Personally, I do not nor would not charge anything. That said, bear in mind that I am not a GM at any skill. I have not gone through the headache that many of you have. But I would not charge for combines provided they provide all the ingredients.

[Figg]

i am mainly a tailor, and found that my standard fee of 500p per success on 200+ recipies is recieved well. if i have to do extra sub combines its 1k. if my fletching alt gets requests i will probably charge the same (woody ranger fletcher). i always will accept tradeskill supplies at my buy prices in exchange (in otherwords, just because trader_01 in bazaar is selling a tradeskill component for 500p doesn't necasarily mean i would buy at that price). i haven't found anyone that objected to my fees or exchange rates yet except a few lamers that were like "dude! u r ubar lewt tradzman! just click my stuff free! it dont cost nuttin to click a button"
hehe im sure we all get a few of those

[RangerKeaianea]

I do charge for high end items. 1kpp for Nightmarewood and 3kpp for BFTs. I would not charge for bows made with all store bought materials. I would charge if I was asked to make a run of a specific arrow type (not that this has ever happened. =p).

[Lithledana]

I told a person the other day I would charge for a nightmare combine. Not a lot, I was thinking 1k and I see that is the going rate. When i was still 202 skill I didn't (and I was 3 for 4 on them amazingly) but having spent so much cash and time to get my current skill I can't just do it free anymore.

Another consideration, there are people who collect the items to make and sell the bows, to do free combines for other people undermines the economy of the people trying to make money through their tradeskill.

[Wolfypaw]

Remember -- the policy you set for making something like nightmarewood compound bows is the same policy you should expect from the person making the cams for you.

If a friend makes cams, I expect them to do so for free. In exchange, I'll usually give them any other tradeskill drops I've collected recently I don't need myself.

If a friend comes to me and asks me to make a couple of bows and is providing the parts, it's free.

However, if it's not a friend, I don't do it for free. Furthermore, I don't go to my tinker friends and ask them to make cams, then sell the cams in the baz. I use the cams myself. I don't expect friends to collect a bunch of supplies then sell the results of the combines that I did.

[Mahgnillig]

Thanks for the ideas folks

Mainly I was wondering about high-end combines such as BFTs and planar bows which have a high chance of being sold on at a profit on the back of my skill. Mostly I only make them for friends that I know are going to use the item for their own person, rather than sell it. Anything that's store bought I'd probably do for free anyway

[Varrak]

Wolfypaw stated: Remember -- the policy you set for making something like nightmarewood compound bows is the same policy you should expect from the person making the cams for you.
Yep, just dumped a ****load of bow profits into getting my tinker up to 220 Tinkering, it wasn't paying a tinker, it was FINDING one when I needed

[Lilosh]

I told someone in Pok that I would do the Nightwood Combine for 200p, success or fail.

He proceeded to argue with me for almost an hour that I should hit combine for free, and charge on a success.


After explaining to him that It would take time out of my day to log to my fletcher, run her to PoK fletching shop, and then do the reverse, he was still arguing.

At one point, the argument moved into OOC, and there were 7-8 people agreeing with me. One person casually mentioned that if he were 200+ he would do free combines, but even he agreed that it wasnt standard policy.

After much arguing, just to get this guy off of my case, I offered him a "Nothing for a fail, 1k for a success", and he still thought it was a raw deal.


What a waste of time.


*sigh*

-Lilosh

[Serenya]

I have to admit I'm not sure what to do with this. It came up for the first time last night. I had just made two bows and dropped one on my merchant when I saw someone looking for a master fletcher. I sent him a tell, and he wanted to know what it took to make a nightmare. I told him, and he then asked if I would combine it if he got the parts. I agreed, but I have to admit I'm sortof wondering if I should have. T

otal stranger, and I didn't tell him a charge for a success. Of course, he didn't have the parts yet, and no guarantees I'll ever hook up with him, since I'm not about to hang around just to hit combine for free. Still, I wish I was a bit more assertive -- I have no qualms about setting a price and keeping it on my merchant, why didn't I tell him I would charge for a combine? How do the rest of you handle it?

[Crydee Ossiriand]

I don't charge combines, no matter how many steps I need to do. I'll either do it for free or not at all. The only catch is that the person needs to bring all ingredients to me, and I can be very difficult to meet up with. Also, sub-combines which I cannot do for them [such as tinkering bow cams] must be already done.

[dazmezzn]

A free click? or a bought click?

Hmmm, I am not a Grandmaster on any of my tradeskills yet, but durn, I am spending a FORTUNE on building them up. I do clicks for donations on the lower end jewelry with my chanter, but now... I have a Wood Elf Ranger who is working hard as heck to Grandmaster in ... yep you got it Fletching, and trying like heck to make the first of the series of the cultural bows, and arrows. I will say this. I spent 6 hours in Kithicor to get one bark per hour, and then I had to spend several hours to get smithing up so I could make my arrows, and the fletching kit and my other goodies. The point being... I have worked very hard for my tradeskills, and well, being a stranger to most people if I need a click done on an alternate skill I ALWAYS donate something. Even now I have a friend who is helping with my oak bark tannin and the string, I will say this, I will be giving my friend something even if he likes it or not (hehe, thank you sooo much Saybra ).

I feel that there should be a donation for the clicks on the low end items, but for the higher end items over 150 there should be a percentage of the price that a person would have to buy. The person is still getting a good deal no matter what in my humble opinion. Of course it is always up to the person behind the clicker

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