Is it worth it?

[jacko]

Hello, first time poster here

I browsed through the forums, and have some partial answers to my questions... but hoping someone can clarify them more if they could.
I apologize for posting a semi-redundant question.. but I believe it is warranted since my case is slightly different than what I have read on here already.

I'm a level 62 necro playing on the server Kane Bayle (European). This is a very underpopulated server. One of the least on the entire server list, so items are hard to find.
I just recently took up pottery, my first tradeskill, and was very delighted that it went up so fast, up until the mid 100s where it came to a grinding halt. :?

Right now i'm up to 171 in pottery. My goal is to get 240+%5 to reach the 252 cap, so I can make myself a Ceramic Gavel of Justice (Affliction Efficieny 4) which I would absolutely love for my necro.

I would buy one of these, but there are never any for sale on my server.
I have searched for 3 entire months every day, and I have never even seen a ceramic item for sale, except for the Hammer of Innovation, once!

This is my first and main character at the moment, and I am unguilded. I do not really know any enchanter or shaman to help me for free with this tradeskill, so I assume I will be paying one for the services.

So far I have sunken around 2k-4k in pottery to get it to 171 I estimate, and from what I have heard things will only get much much worse from here on.

My budget is only around 10k-20k, so i'm kind of worried about continuing after I read other horror stories in posts such as 60k-120k for GM in it.

I will have little access to ANY tradeskill components other than those gathered in non-pop zones (and maybe PoJ).

The economy on my server is really bad too, and I see little sales in the future for any items I would produce. I would pretty much dominate the market since there are few GM potters on there, but there is also very little demand and I don't have another account that I can place a mule on, and I also have very little time to spend in bazaar selling since I am on dial-up and disconnect a lot overnight while I sleep in trader mode.

So I guess my questions are, in all of your opinions, would I be better off quitting on pottery while I am ahead, for now at least, until my budget is larger?

And do you all think that I could skill up from 171 to 240 with less than 20k spent, (all items sold back to merchants), in a fairly quick amount of time (less than 2 weeks?) without spending a great deal of time farming?

And is there really any profit in this tradeskill that you accomplished GMs have found in a short amount of time, or is this a tradeskill that I will have to spend a lot of money on to GM and then a long of time selling items to make that money back and then finally a profit.

Thank you very much, in advance!

[Damion]

Hey there ..

Were on same server (KB). Just wanted to tell you that im planning to powerskill pottery to 250 within the next week or so. I just need to get lucky with selling a few items before i can do it.
I have 70kpp set aside so far, but from what ive read the real number is closer to 100kpp

Anyway, if you dont want to do all the hazzle by yourself. Then look me up ingame.

[OberonMiM]

shouldn't take 100k plat to skill up that high unless your doing things like star ruby steins etc

It might take a while but doing imbued amber idols or star roze quartz idols is MUCH cheaper than star ruby steins (but then again they are worthless to sellback)

but if you skill up on star ruby steins you will destroy the star ruby stein market single handedly yourself

[Calabar]

I’ve only taken pottery to 200, so I can’t comment on how things sell, but you can get you skill to 236 without spending a lot of money. Casserole dishes will take you to 199 without a lot financial investment, relatively speaking. And making crucibles of escape will take you to 236 with very little additional financial investment, assuming you don’t fire them. You’ll have to hunt the Heavy Clay in the Gorge of King Xorbb, but your pet will tear through the muddites with little effort, so the farming should go fairly quickly. After 236 you’ll have to start investing more serious money, but hopefully what you’ve saved up to that point will help you meat your goal with what money you have in the bank.

[Obina]

I suggest you proceed now. Little by little is less stress on the wrist and the economy.

In terms of flooding the market on your own, that only happens if you are in a hurry to sell and drop the price. If you place Opals on the market for 50pp and never drop the price the market is not flooded. similarly if you put SRES on the market for 300. Prices should hold up better on a smaller server. Also do try to talk to other potters. There is no FTC (or European commision) to stop price fixen!

The best way to finish a tough task is to get started!

[jacko]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I guess i'll still work on pottery, but at a slower pace... and get there eventually. I was just kind of in a hurry, because I'm very eager to get ahold of the gavel.

And thank you for the offer Damion, I will be sure to look you up on KB in a few days when i'm on, if I can ever scrounge the materials together for the Ceramic Gavel of Justice

[Quesci]

Biggest question for pottery: what kind of access do you have to an magic clay? You say that components are not for sale and you don't have a second account to powerlevel an enchanter to Enchant Clay. Nearly every pottery recipe requires magic clay, and if you can't make it yourself you will have to pay an enchanter to do it for you. On Quellious there is often magic clay for sale in the Bazaar for 3-5pp each, is that the case on Kane Bayle? If not, you will have to contract with an enchanter to make clay for you.

It probably won't be too hard to find someone. A low level enchanter would probably be thrilled to find someone who will buy the things he can make -- a 10-slot backpack full of magic clay would be worth 500pp easy and take him an hour max (depending on level and buffs). My level 13 enchanter can barely enchant a full stack of clay on one bar of mana (with KEI, which is the only reason he has it).

[Maevenniia]

And do you all think that I could skill up from 171 to 240 with less than 20k spent, (all items sold back to merchants), in a fairly quick amount of time (less than 2 weeks?) without spending a great deal of time farming?

Can't speak to how long it will take you, but one of the less expensive recipes is the (unfired) Crucible of Escape which trivials at 236:

ingredients[list]Heavy Clay
bowl sketch
sculpting tools
scroll of lesser succor
celestial essence[/list:u]

The Heavy Clay drops off Muddites in the Gorge of King Xorbb (a.k.a. Beholder.) As a necro you can farm these very easily.

[Damion]

Im now at 230 Pottery.
I did an 600 combines run yesterday on opal encrusted steins (All got the destroy button). Followed by a 200 combines run on star ruby encrusted steins (96 successes). This lil run took me from 196-230 or 23.53 CpS.

For the ones about ruining the market, well, thats what i got a mule for. Only 10 hits the market at the time Throwing all on market the first day and dumping prices is like wetting yourself to get warm. Might work good first, but gets very unpleasant later.

I suspect i will do a 100-200 combines run on golden idols today, then various faithstones, depending on which essences i can get hold of.

My end goal is 250 since i want to be the first on KB in the 1750 club, but i wont powerskill past 240. Not worth the cash. After that skillups will come as i produce more items and sell them.

So far this lil escapade has cost me 38kpp.

[Unmei]

I took the slow and steady route, and since I'm an enchanter I was able to enchant my own clay and mana (though I had to bug friends to lacquer gems. One tradeskill is enough for me, thanks). And there's no way in heck I spent 20k on this. (Admittedly I did have the assistance of my very most favoritest cleric in the whole wide world to imbue rose quartz for me). Actual value of cash spent was probably in the 15k range, but a -lot- of that was recovered during the process. And I was hoarding PoP pottery components along the way - the first Ceramic Gavel of Justice I sold (for 10k) was probably enough to turn things around into a profit.