Do you perform combines for people?

[Crickette]

There used to be a post that started off with someome asking why a smith would charge so much to do a combine for them. It then turned into a post where smiths were describing whether or not they do combines and what they charge. It did not seem like the post was very old, but it must have been on the old boards (or I am blind). If you can point me to it, please do.

One thing that I read that really concerned me is that people were taking advantage of smiths who do combines. They would get the smith to make the item, then sell it on the bazaar, in direct competition with the smith who was kind enough to do the combine for them! After I read this I kinda decided to get out of the combining business. Chances are people have already done this to me, but I am too trusting to even think that someone would do such a thing.

The thing is, I like being able to help out the less fortunate to get nice equipment, so if I can find a pricing scheme that seems fair and is not so low or so easy that people would commission me in order to resell, I would be very happy.

Anyway, I was wanting to review this information, and since I cannot find it, I guess I need to start this new post.

[Daikoku Ashikaga]

I do not, nor will I ever get tied up in what happens after I hand over an item to someone. I've never been 'taken advantage of' nor can I be.

Of course there are others that have to wring every last copper out of something to call it 'fair' but I can't play like that.

If I am in SH/Nexys/Bazaar/PoT/PoK/Cabilis/Thurg/CC not doing anything and you want a combine done I will do it, if I am not around a good zone, or off to do something no simple combine offer is going to be enough. If you are a friend or guild we can set a time to get together and I will do it.

Dai

[Jessamyn Sunweaver]

Used to...

I used to do combines for people right after the BD armor came out, mainly since I was poor then and could not afford the Blue Diamonds and the oh so rare Essences of Sunlight.

Unfortunately, since then, I've been slapped in the face over it.

I no longer do combines for people, unless they are a friend who I KNOW will not turn around and resell, or a guildie.

I enjoy helping people, but unfortunately there are those people who would rather gain from you money wise that ruin my faith in the world =(

[wold2]

free combines

I do combines for people in my guild that I know and have known for a while. Outside my guild I do combines for a fee .
If you agree to do this, you have to "let go" of whatyou made. Because eventually people will get upgrades, and that item you made for free might be sold at a handsome profit. I try to encourage people in my guild to hand stuff down.

[Keskan D'Winter]

Combines for a fee

4K/Sheet on successful combine. And it's on my schedule, NOT their's.
What? Don't like the price? Great, I have premade.
Too Expensive for the premade you think? Go get the skill. See ya in 2-3 months when you've given up and are only 2/3rd there.

Friends and guildmates are one thing... Strangers, well, first time I did a cheap combine for a guy and saw the BP for sale less then 5Min later on his mule in bazaar (for less then I sell them for), I decided 'Screw that'. I price based of what the items are worth that I'm making.

[Kethaniel]

Nope, I refuse to do combines for 2 reasons

1) Same as others above, I have been badly used in the past helping someone I thought was a friend only to have them abuse my generous nature.

2) I frankly don't have the time or patience to explain everything. I have told ppl in the past to do their own research and then contact me. But even after people claimed to have figured out everything they need to do I still always hear the inevitable "oh, i need that too? where do i get that?"

Essentially, ppl in EQ are too stupid, too lazy, and/or too greedy for me to deal with on the frequent basis that would be required if I did combines.


Kethaniel Dreamspinner

[Koneko Krystalpaw]

Crickette,
My best advice to you is simply to talk to the people who ask you to do combines. I generally don't do combines on armor unless its for guildmates, friends, friends of friends, or someone with a very honest reputation. Sickles, halberds, ethereal sheets etc., I usually do for a small fee. Just enough to dissuade people from instant turnaround.

When strangers ask me about combines I usually ask the following things. Ok yes, i tend to talk alot..

1. Did you do the subcombines yourself? (It has been my experience that people who do their own tradeskilling appreciate the time and skill of others more than other characters)

2. Who/What character is the piece for? (People who are willing to talk about themselves, and are excited about who is getting the piece are usually going to use the item rather than use you)

3. Will this be for a kit or for resale, or will your character be keeping it awhile? (I have actually been able to work out agreeable situations with people wish to resell my items, but I will only do it if they are honest, upfront, and will agree to a minimum resell price.)

4. Do you have the ingredients ready right this moment, or do you need time to collect? (I will usually not agree to a combine unless someone is ready to go. But I do encourage them to check back when they are ready)

5. Are you available at XX:XX PM/AM? Or when is a good time to do the combines if not immediately? (I try to accomodate other people's play schedules, but I refuse to let it interrupt my life. I won't be caught logging in just to try and catch someone on)

I also check the guildstatus, and level of the person. If they are anon , level 1 bazaar mule, someone I have previously seen selling the item, or from a guild with a bad reputation I will not do combines. If I am unsure, I err on the side of caution and don't do the combine. If I feel comfortable with the person and their request, I will then state my success fee. Which they are of course free to agree to or shop around.

It comes down to your playtime, and what you want from your hard earned skill. Helping to equip people, and the simple joy of creating is why most of us got into tradeskills. However, helping dishonest folk doesn't warm my heart. I suggest just taking it on a case by case basis. And above all enjoy yourself, its a game

[Qualtar Shylok]

Free combines

I concur with all of the above... good to see it also... I dont give combines to anyone... not in a guild so dont have that issue either. I do get frequently asked to do them though, but the answer is always the same. NO

[Pinepath]

Combine fees

As the original elven smith on Mith Marr, and her main competition I guess wink my opinion is probably relevent, heh.

Actually, I'm not much competition, since I'm not interested in smithing for a living, just as a sideline. Given that, I rarely make anything but the occasional bracer to sell in the bazaar. So most of the time folks want to gather their own materials and get someone to combine it, they do come to me.

I charge 1000/1500/2500p on success for 1/2/3 sheet items, nothing on failure, if they use their own materials. Folks who take their own time to gather materials deserve to have decent armor, and I'm not interested in farming materials myself. However, I do expect them to be using it themselves, I don't make armor for folks who I suspect plan to sell it.

Upgrades happen tho, one of the nice things about the smithed armor is that it can be handed down or sold when you get something better.

[Kieroth_whiteleaf]

Here's my usual scheme:

If you're a friend or a guildie, free combine, no questions asked. I assume that my guildmates (we're a tight guild) aren't going to use my hard-earned skills for personal profit. However, if I helped a person make a set of armor, and they "outgrow" it later, I could personally care less what they do with it.. Although most of my guild is "tradeskill etiquette" educated enough not to devalue tradeskill items, because it hurts all tradeskillers (which includes a fair number of guildmates) in the end.

Aside from that, here's my general take:

I have a set "rate" for any items I can produce. USUALLY it's roughly 3x what it costs me to make. Hard combines might be 10x (ones where there's a LOT of subcombines & potential failures). If you bring your own materials, I take the cost of materials off the top. USUALLY I don't charge if the combine fails, that person is just out the materials. If they've got another set right there, I'll go ahead and knock out the item out and charge it as one combine.
If you want something that I'm NOT trivial at, and you've got the stuff for it, I'll usually do it for free unless you've pissed me off somewhere. Then see above. My motivation for this is that if I'm able to increase my skill at no personal loss that's a good thing for me. On SOME occasions I'll do free combines and even sell the stuff I make close to or at cost just so I can get enough plat for another combine, but that's pretty rare.. usually once I get past banded I don't do it anymore.. on occasion with Fine Steel.

So far it seems to be working for me.

[krunt]

Personaly i no longer do combines for almost anyone. Ocasionaly a friend can get one out of me but it still envolves me getting tells every hour with thier status in farming components and them asking me advice on where to get stuff. Much easier for me to do it all and just sell the them at bazaar component cost.
The only people i will do a combine for are other tradeskillers. Ocasionally they want some cultural for an alt or, more recently, they need a smithed component to thier pop recipie. They know what needs to be done and they always pay me well, usually in plat but also in combines from thier tradeskill.

[Oath Hipacraticus]

I got my take on the combining deal for BD armor from the only 250 human smith on my server(Trib). I will do a combine, as no plat cost, however I ask for 4 times the materials, and they get the first combined item. This leaves them with the product they came for, and me with raw materials. Occasionaly if I make a very early combine I'm willing to try another part, say I make legs on the 1-2 try. As for other combines, if I have the time, I do trivial combines for nothing, but only if I have the free time. I do see the concern over someone making a profit over getting a combine of you as a smith, but, at least on my server that's no longer a problem, over the last month a new human smith has crashed the cultural market by 50% (from 12k per ring to 6-7 now).

[Suva]

A smith was once nice enough to do some combines for me for sickles. I did all the sub combines so only needed the final combine done on them. I was so happy he was willing to help me out that when I did exp in skyfire and got some essences, I gave them to him for free knowing he had been needing some in order to pay back his generosity.

[Flabbo McFattyfatfat]

I only do combines for guildmates and longstanding friends. Anyone else pays. I dont consider a skillup opportunity on fulvous darkscale greaves to be worth the 20k profit I would make on them, do you?

[Sylphan]

I try to be helpful. I don't mind giving people advice or information, since often times they help me too. Like when someone shows up with 120 morning dew and only 3 essence of moonlight... I sometimes get a big bonus in extra ingredients if I can provide a few of what they think is rare.

I usually charge 500 pp just to show up, and if they don't have the right ingredients I'll explain what they're still missing and go on my way. Sometimes I'll sell them the extra parts if they want to pay bazaar-or-higher prices for them. Then I charge a significant amount per combine (often 2k or 3k), whether I succeed or not.

It's possible someone might use me to make a profit (several have, actually, when my success rate was good), but I charge enough that they're really not taking advantage of me.

These days most people just want the finished armor and have no interest in what the ingredients might be, so it's not as much of an issue.