I don't know how you guys do it.

[Ebondale]

Its a mystery to me. I've never understood how some people in GemStone have 100s of millions of silver!

Its not like I haven't played since the mid 90's (with a break, though).

I've known some seriously rich players and/or characters in this game. I mean, my friend Dimitriana had like a billion or something absurd around that range. >_>

People on the Merchant's Market talk about buying and selling weapons in the 50m range and I'm shocked.

Most I've had is three million.

What do you guys do that makes so much freaking money?

Its easy to say buy low/sell high - but that isn't easy to do if you don't have a deep knowledge of the values of certain items.

Maybe its just because I'm used to having played a pure healer Empath. :lol:

Tell me your secrets. *Jedi mind trick*

[4a6c1]

Buy it.

:whistle:

[Edaarin]

Any idiot can make money in Gemstone.

It took me 8 months to make about 110-120 million from summer 2003 to spring 2004 merchanting. I think I was around level 50 at the start of that and had to borrow 4x gear at that.

Then summer 2004 I remember both Soulpieced and I were pulling about 4 million a week just hunting OTF. Made a little over 40m that summer.

[Hulkein]

You can't really make money unless you know what items go for etc.

You have to pay attention to the market for a while before you can make anything.

Some people just don't care about merchanting. These are the people that don't understand how people have so much coin. ;)

[Edited on 5-28-2005 by Hulkein]

[Ebondale]

Originally posted by Hulkein
You can't really make money unless you know what items go for etc.

You have to pay attention to the market for a while before you can make anything.

Some people just don't care about merchanting. These are the people that don't understand how people have so much coin. ;)

[Edited on 5-28-2005 by Hulkein]

Do people still auction things on the amulet? Thats how it was back when I left before, so all this Player Shop stuff is new to me. *blush*

Anyway, the problem with the Player Shops that I see is that things are, for the most part, ridiculously overpriced. I paid 100k for "a black silk sash". That, to me, seems like way too much.

If everyone can set their own prices however high they want and no one 'in the know' is around to point their finger and say "Whoa, thats way too high!" then how can anyone possibly learn the values of items anymore?

2,000,000 silvers for a shadowy black stalking cloak on PlayerShops.com. Those things used to be 100k. THAT was a good price for those cloaks.

[Hulkein]

I'm not someone who ever really cared about merchanting.

I felt it more rewarding to kill someone with basic vultite (Well, I got stuff better than vultite, but nothing insane) while they were laying in a heap, bloody and dead, equipped with over-priced (imo) gear.

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by Hulkein
I'm not someone who ever really cared about merchanting.

I felt it more rewarding to kill someone with basic vultite (Well, I got stuff better than vultite, but nothing insane) while they were laying in a heap, bloody and dead, equipped with over-priced (imo) gear.

I agree that most of it is overpriced gear.. things like padded armor are worth it IMO. Nice gear is more of a crutch at the lower to mid level I think as it is less important in the end game.

[Drinin]

I made my first 20ish million by merchanting my ass off like 5 years ago. Since then the other 20mil has been from hunting (speaking of silvers, gear worth isn't factored in). I used to really enjoy selling shit over the amunet, these days I can't stand selling stuff. I just don't really care anymore. I have the gear that I want, altered the way that I want, so more silver isn't a priority. None of my gear is super-duper. My nicest items are:

1. Some 6x torso chain lightned to 12lbs and altered
2. An altered 8x longsword (that I never use)
3. An altered acid flaring +28 warblade (that I never use)
4. A 6x ice flaring bastard sword (the paladin uses it)
5. A 4x heavily crit weighted broadsword that is altered (that I never use)

No super crit-padded, db, self mana items or whatever.

[Edited on 5-28-2005 by Drinin]

[Bobmuhthol]

<<2,000,000 silvers for a shadowy black stalking cloak on PlayerShops.com. Those things used to be 100k. THAT was a good price for those cloaks.>>

That's weird, because I see them sell for 20k.

[Chadj]

Well, I can pull in 50-150k from Trali in a day. So, I'm sure that later on in levels, pulling in a hell of a lot more is not a problem.

[Ebondale]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
<<2,000,000 silvers for a shadowy black stalking cloak on PlayerShops.com. Those things used to be 100k. THAT was a good price for those cloaks.>>

That's weird, because I see them sell for 20k.

Even better! :)

Shoot, I'll buy five of them for that price and I don't even have five characters. They're darn good cloaks.

I remember in... I think it was in '98 they were going for 100kish on the amunet.

How does one make serious money off of gemstone, silver or not? Easy.

You look at it as your RL job. You aren't a "merchant" anymore, you get fucked and you lose the car, house, etc. Roleplaying is a foreign concept. Fluff? Why waste money on that? Go ahead and buy that 4x standard breakage dagger that has page-long unique color-texted flares, but if it isn't what the market is demanding, then why waste one ounce of sweat hyping it?

Ultimately, I stand firmly against any type of RL corporate-esque economic mentality within the realms of Gemstone. That is until I'll be needing my next silver fix :spin:

[Askip]

An average skinner can make 100k an hour in several places, and that is without scripting.

:D

[Nieninque]

Originally posted by Chadj
Well, I can pull in 50-150k from Trali in a day. So, I'm sure that later on in levels, pulling in a hell of a lot more is not a problem.

Youre in the wrong place then...I could bring in 100k a hunt from an area lower in levels that Trali (at least I think its lower)

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Ebondale
Anyway, the problem with the Player Shops that I see is that things are, for the most part, ridiculously overpriced. I paid 100k for "a black silk sash". That, to me, seems like way too much.



You obviously didn't think it was "ridiculously overpriced" because you paid that much. Looks like the seller had his item priced perfectly.

The buyer always sets the price... don't blame the seller.

[Asha]

I made my first million hunting 10 levels below me in Solhaven.

I bought my coins since then, must've reached the 100m mark by now.
I turn my coins into things my character can wear/use immediately. What good are coins in the bank?

[Stunseed]

I made my first 20 million or so growing up in IceMule. Now most of my money is made off the market in the Landing. Buy low, sell high works great, but you need to have your ear on the streets for what the mob wants. This doesn't exactly always work, so sometimes you have to bite the cost of an item or two. I peddle in mostly weapons, so if I bite on an item, I claim it as one of my "toys", and use it until the demand for it returns.

Also, in the "ear on the streets" tangent, if you happen to go to a pay merchant, there will always be an appeal for the newest and coolest. I must have made 20 million off one particular Lance on the Dhu. Jolena does this for women's fashion, and does quite well.

[StrayRogue]

Skinning is how I make/made my fortune.

[Shalla]

That's what whyssper told me. Skinning is the way to make millions. Could someone post a viable skinning path? how many trains in first aid/survival do you need? Is it too late to train at later years?

I wish, I have millions of silvers. and have the Gemstone lifestyle and be like,

Shalla says, "Million silvers here, Million silvers there" ugh, it's all soo very pretty. Take what you need and charge it to my express note!

[Askip]

With the GOALS system it is never too late to catch up with FA+SRVL.

Askip started to make real coins from pelts around level 25ish (GS3) and mages could only single FA (he now does 1x in both). He moved from the Landing in his mid-20s when he tired of warfs and reivers, and found Icemule pelts galore. Arctic wolverines, leopards, etc. brought good prices, and kept getting better with the big bears, mammoths, sabretooth, and seekers.

Just leave the Wehnimer's area. Even the critters in the EN that are heavily script hunted will still gen well and bring good prices.

:D

[Chadj]

Trali's are 48ish, and moderate as far as treasure goes. Richer than Kiramon and Vor'taz; but still not rich.

Skinning helps a lot too

[Edited on 5-28-2005 by Chadj]

[Asha]

Just get a job, spend your entire monthly pay cheque on 80 million silvers.
Then forage for food.
Simple.

[Shalla]

We went camping once, we brought food and everything.. but one of the activities we do for fun is forage for food. like berries and everything. It's quite fun.

[Asha]

Seriously, Shalla?

[Soulpieced]

Never skinned a critter in my life. 100% gems/silvers from hunting + merchanting.

[Miss X]

I hardly make a thing hunting OTF. I need to start using my 3x first aid skill and get skinning.

[Asha]

I can think of a way to get that halfling earning some coin.

:coughs:

[StrayRogue]

You need to start carrying all the treasure.

[Soulpieced]

Probably because you're not killing enough creatures Chica.... that or you primarily kill scouts, which give garbage.

[StrayRogue]

Well last time I hunted with her, she left most the boxes which I guess is the main problem.

[Miss X]

I never kill the scouts, can't learn from them. I kill everything else except the constructs though. I blow up my boxes between hunts now too so Im not leaving them. I also found Griffin talons are worth half the amount they once were. :(

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by Chadj
Well, I can pull in 50-150k from Trali in a day. So, I'm sure that later on in levels, pulling in a hell of a lot more is not a problem.

I just saw you bitching that you pull maybe a box a hunt in trali.

[Warriorbird]

That black silk sash might be a pin displayer.

If you want to make money in Gemstone, there are quite a few strategies.

Skinning, treasure hunting.

(You MUST find the right places)

The last time I told someone one he got it nerfed.

Merchanting

(Quite possible to do, but we don't have many of the advantages of the past.)

And

buying it. Tsin and others have amassed epic amounts of cash by investments that weren't that epic.

[Ebondale]

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by Ebondale
Anyway, the problem with the Player Shops that I see is that things are, for the most part, ridiculously overpriced. I paid 100k for "a black silk sash". That, to me, seems like way too much.



You obviously didn't think it was "ridiculously overpriced" because you paid that much. Looks like the seller had his item priced perfectly.

The buyer always sets the price... don't blame the seller.

Well don't get me wrong. :) I didn't buy it because 'the price was right', I bought it for RP purposes. A Dhe`nar should be wearing a sash, you know.

[Jolena]

Hmm made my first 2 million on a scavenger hunt thing I won in the Landing. Then after that, it was a lot of hunting and hording boxes, gems, skins etc. And of course, Stunseed, Tayre and I had a sweet system set up where we cash hunted (didn't learn just cash hunted) and made a pretty good amount. From there, I won a few really nifty surprise raffles from Balouga which I sold (couldn't use them at all). After that, I pretty much started watching the market and looking at what was sold and sold well.

We attend pay events as well and so we always get things from there that won't be available to the general public and sell it. I tend to sell my items a bit lower then most though, because at this point, I've got plenty of silvers and most of my gear is exactly as it will be forever because I love it. Only thing I'm lacking is my 'perfect weapon' hehe.

As to players shops, you have to check around for prices on items. What one person sells a cloak for, the other person might sell for 2x more or even 50% less. That's your job as a consumer. You have to spend the time checking around and comparing prices and stats on things before you buy it.

And yes the net in the Landing still has quite a bit of selling/buying traffic on it but it has decreased significantly since player shops came out.

[Bobmuhthol]

A lot of my money came from doing pay event runs for people. I don't particularly like pay events, shopping, etc. but I bought the tickets and made anywhere from 1mil to 7mil within that week.

[Parkbandit]

Falgrin made well over 10 million with stealing alone.

:smug:

[Clockworks]

Gemstone has always been an easy place to make money off of hoarded items. The hardest part of Master Mercentile is holding on to items for extended periods of time. I made hundreds of millions off of black tower shields, sharp vultite falchions, and mangled steel spoons alone, only becuase I bought tons of all of them when they were sold cheap, and then sat on them for a year or two. You just have to control yourself. Spend millions on merchant items that you KNOW are going to be profitable...sit on them for 6 months->a year or more. My opinion is that once you get about 2-3mil, it's very easy to get that up to whatever you want (100's of mils) in a year or less. Skinning, theiving, picking, and enchanting with professionals can also do the same.

[Ebondale]

Originally posted by Clockworks
Gemstone has always been an easy place to make money off of hoarded items. The hardest part of Master Mercentile is holding on to items for extended periods of time. I made hundreds of millions off of black tower shields, sharp vultite falchions, and mangled steel spoons alone, only becuase I bought tons of all of them when they were sold cheap, and then sat on them for a year or two. You just have to control yourself. Spend millions on merchant items that you KNOW are going to be profitable...sit on them for 6 months->a year or more. My opinion is that once you get about 2-3mil, it's very easy to get that up to whatever you want (100's of mils) in a year or less. Skinning, theiving, picking, and enchanting with professionals can also do the same.

You know, I always thought that would be a good plan since GS is more of a long term than a short term game (at least in my eyes) anyway. I guess I just never having any luck being online and/or having money where there is a merchant around.

[Chadj]

Originally posted by Xyelin

Originally posted by Chadj
Well, I can pull in 50-150k from Trali in a day. So, I'm sure that later on in levels, pulling in a hell of a lot more is not a problem.

I just saw you bitching that you pull maybe a box a hunt in trali.

1 box = about 3-6k. Times 10-20 hunts.. Plus miscillaneous coins and gems, which can be anwhere from 500-3000 worth in silvers.

[Syberus]

I made 2 mill gambling on the wavedancer, 400k at dragonbones and 1.6 million playing blackjack.

[TerrisMyss]

Buy the silver with a really high real-cash investment and use it to purchase one or more high-end items that are unique. Resale the high-end item for 125% of what you bought it for, or more. Did you pay 100 million? Maybe you can convince somebody it's worth 150.

Ciston did it, then Ardwen did it, and now there's a relatively new(er) crowd that does it. When you've got an item that has no equal in whatever it does (permanent opal bracers, permanent call familiar, self-mana mobility, permanent phoen's strength, one of the perma gold rings) you can basically hold it hostage until somebody pays up the amount you want for the item.

You'll list the item at a silver price 200% higher than it's worth (or not list a price at all so as not to limit yourself) and hope somebody's stupid. Most of the time an idiot doesn't come along and you wind up lowering your price, but it makes people *think* that the item's worth a lot more than it actually is. Eventually, whatever price set X millions above what you bought it for looks good enough to somebody, and you've got your profit.

This happens with items every day. The 9x incredibly padded suits of brigandine, the 9x heavily+ padded suits of double leather, the legendary items like the snake staves and Thalior's equipment, and three dozen others. If you want to play ball in the high-end item market, that's how it's done.

-Myss

[StrayRogue]

Its obvious how unfamiliar you are with selling high end items. Its frustrating selling them for the recognized price, let alone 150% extra.

[Gan]

Originally posted by Miss X
I hardly make a thing hunting OTF. I need to start using my 3x first aid skill and get skinning.

You're kidding right?

I make average 35 to 55k a hunt in OTF and thats until my 400 mana depletes itself and without killing constructs (about 12 minutes max). I skin griffin talons for 800 to 2k each (varies), I pick up crystal bladed weapons that sell for 1400 each, and the boxes are sick with high end gems and coins between 2k to 5k per not counting jewelery or other box itemss, not to mention I walk out with almost 5k in coins alone from Ithzir kills.

If I werent working hard on Ganalon in the tower I'd be hunting OTF constantly for the coin. It doesnt hurt that Ganalon can pick OTF boxes so I dont waste money having them picked by others or by the town locksmith.

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by Ganalon

Originally posted by Miss X
I hardly make a thing hunting OTF. I need to start using my 3x first aid skill and get skinning.

You're kidding right?

I make average 35 to 55k a hunt in OTF and thats until my 400 mana depletes itself and without killing constructs (about 12 minutes max). I skin griffin talons for 800 to 2k each (varies), I pick up crystal bladed weapons that sell for 1400 each, and the boxes are sick with high end gems and coins between 2k to 5k per not counting jewelery or other box itemss, not to mention I walk out with almost 5k in coins alone from Ithzir kills.

If I werent working hard on Ganalon in the tower I'd be hunting OTF constantly for the coin. It doesnt hurt that Ganalon can pick OTF boxes so I dont waste money having them picked by others or by the town locksmith.

DUCTS SUCK but get decent boxes sometimes. It seems to me that boxes start dropping like Kirsty Alley's weight after I'm fried but I'm crazy like that... so I always stick around until I can barely crawl and the gremlocks slice my throat to the spine.

[Edited on 6-2-2005 by Xyelin]

[TerrisMyss]

I'm not sure who your target audience is, but Tsin moves 100m+ items all of the time. So do I (three last week), so did/does Ken/Ciston. If you're having severe difficulty selling high-end items, maybe your marketing strategy needs some tweaking.

This isn't to say it's dead easy to sell the things, or that it isn't difficult to find people willing to spend X amount over what you paid for an item.

If you've got unique inventory (I'm not talking 5x heavily crit padded platemail here) then it moves decently fast in a circle of six or seven people constantly buying/selling/trading high-end items and the occasional outsider who buys into the ring.

-Myss