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Aluvius
03-15-2015, 05:12 PM
Hey all, I'm thinking of selling an old item that I've had for a long time. I hate to even think about parting with it, but there's so much nice gear for sale now and I only have a few million in funds. I don't even know where to start with pricing, the number I'm thinking of seems outrageous but at the same time the item is one of the most unique named items I've seen in Gemstone. It also has a bit of history behind it which also adds to the value in my opinion.

As you can see, what makes the crown so unique is its name and how it displays. Its not just "an or a" obsidian crown of storms (which would still be neat), its "the" obsidian crown of storms.


the obsidian crown of storms

>look at crown (this also appears as a show to others)

Veins of silver trace through the obsidian crown. Three blazing rubies are inset in the brow.

There appears to be something written on it.

>read crown

In the Elven language, it reads:
Tempest's Eye

You see Aluvius Brandenburg the War Mage.
He appears to be a Dark Elf.
He appears to be very young. He has grey eyes and dark skin. He has long, straight steel grey hair.
He is in good shape.
He is wearing the obsidian crown of storms, a weathered obsidian-clasped serge mantle, a form-fitting cream colored silk surcoat, a mithril juggernaut pin, a translucent glaes spider charm, a faceted lilac glimaerstone brooch set in a black vaalin backing, a serge backpack, some ancient flame-blackened elven battle leather, a faceted azure crystal ring inset with a blue jade rune, a sheepskin sack, some tanned doeskin britches, and some sturdy traveller's boots.


Its also a mage rechargeable item that holds 40 charges of 710 Energy Maelstrom. I've not risked greening it since I returned to the lands and had it merchant recharged the last few times so it should still be fully functional in that regard.

As I remember, its from the first Mithril Juggernaut auction. Mage rechargeable items were wondrous things back then, extremely rare. In fact, I didn't actually win the crown but had bought an even better item ... a mage rechargeable ring also with a show that cast 101 lol. The owner of the crown traded it and 1 million silvers to me in exchange for the ring which they were going to use as part of a trade package for a db item. Its funny, but at the time I thought that I was getting the short end of the deal when it came to the items, but the 1m silvers was a wondrous sum I couldn't pass up. Things were different then. :)


I tend to not sell items once I acquire them, especially after giving away so many items when I left to never return. Thank goodness for Arwen and her locker for keeping my best personal gear for a few years when I came back for the EN opening. :)

So. TLDR; Any ideas on the worth of this? The number that pops into my mind as a starting place is the 150m-ish range. I believe its the non-combat gear equivalent of some of the top combat gear items in the game. That's the minimum I think in silvers or gear equivalent that it would take to pry it out of my sweaty hands. Is that reasonable, is that too low, or am I a crazed drifter that should just keep it? I would certainly be interested in trade items of all sorts as well, which may make it easier to meet my estimation of its worth.

Androidpk
03-15-2015, 05:14 PM
Woah, cool item.

Luntz
03-15-2015, 05:15 PM
Maybe I'm missing something, but this is a mage rechargeable 710 item? Nothing else to it? Not really sure why you believe this is worth anywhere near 150mil, as mage rechargeable items are not that uncommon.

Warriorbird
03-15-2015, 05:21 PM
I dunno about 150 mil... but it's got a cool item name and nostalgia attached.

SHAFT
03-15-2015, 05:24 PM
Neat item, but the most valuable thing about is the "the". Not too many items that have a description beginning with "the". I'd start the bidding at 10m and see what happens.

Allereli
03-15-2015, 05:24 PM
I dunno about 150 mil... but it's got a cool item name and nostalgia attached.

maybe 1 mil. too bad it doesn't have a ronan theme

Luntz
03-15-2015, 05:25 PM
maybe 1 mil. too bad it doesn't have a ronan theme

awwwwww skeet skeet skeet

Aluvius
03-15-2015, 05:25 PM
Maybe I'm missing something, but this is a mage rechargeable 710 item? Nothing else to it? Not really sure why you believe this is worth anywhere near 150mil, as mage rechargeable items are not that uncommon.

Agreed, the mage rechargeable 710 part is incidental to what I consider the value of the item .. its name and appearance when worn. :)

Aluvius
03-15-2015, 05:27 PM
maybe 1 mil. too bad it doesn't have a ronan theme

Hey if nothing else, I got a poop rep out of it! :)

JackWhisper
03-15-2015, 05:44 PM
I think it's a damn nice item, actually. Wish I had one spiffy like that! Good luck in the sale if you sell it!

Silvean
03-15-2015, 09:20 PM
I had a brief conversation with Wyrom about item naming in Gemstone. He had asked why the players are reluctant to name items these days in the way we refer to a recently-sold bauble as "Thalior's Eye." RtCF saw to weapons and armor receiving enormous weighting and padding in some cases; why not name those items? The answer, of course, is that these items do not have unique powers and they are not closely associated with the identity of well-known characters. Exceptions are possible, of course, and that same festival saw the release of beautifully written weapons with inscribed names.

A broader issue is how many of the Gemstone items look the same. The alteration rules let you describe what something looks like but it's quite difficult to find seldom-used words in such a vast game. As soon as you come up with something clever, it will appear somewhere else. Only a handful of items are truly unique. SHAFT points out the difference that a definite article can make: there is only one THE Thingul diamond and, as far as I know, only one THE obsidian crown of storms. I would include rapture cloaks in this category as well, even though there is more than one. What is a rapture cloak after all? What is the real-world explanation? A rapture cloak is a rapture cloak. A crown of storms is a crown of storms. That is a rare thing in this game and I think it's a valuable thing for anyone attentive to the language of Gemstone.

I would certainly be an interested buyer but not at 150 million, not at 50 million. "Start the bidding at 10m and see what happens."

Warriorbird
03-15-2015, 09:21 PM
If I were still playing I'd go 15 and almost assuredly get outbid.

Ardwen
03-15-2015, 09:42 PM
such a hard call, clearly something I'd want though, which makes it much harder for me to price fairly

shad0ws0ngs
03-15-2015, 09:45 PM
I wonder what the loresong is, if you aren't certain and want to find out please find Japhrimel IG and I will happily loresing it for you.

Aluvius
03-15-2015, 10:26 PM
Yeah its something tough for me to price as well since I'm the person with the most emotional attachment to it. Likely I'd never get anything near what I think its worth for the enjoyment of wearing a unique item. I realize that and don't want to seem unreasonable, however its also an objectively valuable "fluff" item, too.

I certainly understand that starting an auction with a low mb like 10-15m would see it sold. However, say it sold for 25m. Frankly that would be a disaster to me since I'm wanting the silvers to buy one or two nice combat related toys. To me, the equivalent in combat item gear starts around the 50-65m range and goes up from there. I also agree that many folks would think that 25m would be either a reasonable or a wildly inflated price.

Thanks for the responses so far everyone. Its probable that there is no good answer to my question, especially when its not an easily quantifiable/comparable combat effective item or loaded with memories by the seller.

However, you've helped clarify my thinking between what I'd like, what I could expect and what I wouldn't accept. :)

Silvean
03-15-2015, 10:30 PM
I appreciated the opportunity to talk about this item. It's a neat thing.

Warriorbird
03-15-2015, 10:39 PM
Yeah its something tough for me to price as well since I'm the person with the most emotional attachment to it. Likely I'd never get anything near what I think its worth for the enjoyment of wearing a unique item. I realize that and don't want to seem unreasonable, however its also an objectively valuable "fluff" item, too.

I certainly understand that starting an auction with a low mb like 10-15m would see it sold. However, say it sold for 25m. Frankly that would be a disaster to me since I'm wanting the silvers to buy one or two nice combat related toys. To me, the equivalent in combat item gear starts around the 50-65m range and goes up from there. I also agree that many folks would think that 25m would be either a reasonable or a wildly inflated price.

Thanks for the responses so far everyone. Its probable that there is no good answer to my question, especially when its not an easily quantifiable/comparable combat effective item or loaded with memories by the seller.

However, you've helped clarify my thinking between what I'd like, what I could expect and what I wouldn't accept. :)

Consider 50 as a minimum then. You might well get that.

Androidpk
03-15-2015, 10:42 PM
Consider 50 as a minimum then. You might well get that.

This.

Allereli
03-15-2015, 10:44 PM
Consider 50 as a minimum then. You might well get that.

you guys are insane. that's half the cost of a private property. it doesn't have have ambient scripts.

plus you're valuing it more than the rotflare runestaff

Androidpk
03-15-2015, 10:46 PM
you guys are insane. that's half the cost of a private property. it doesn't have have ambient scripts.

plus you're valuing it more than the necro runestaff

Some people like their fluff. I paid $200 for a symbol of Kai, just because it was on an adamantine chain.

Warriorbird
03-15-2015, 10:49 PM
you guys are insane. that's half the cost of a private property. it doesn't have have ambient scripts.

plus you're valuing it more than the rotflare runestaff

Who wouldn't?

Allereli
03-15-2015, 10:49 PM
Some people like their fluff. I paid $200 for a symbol of Kai, just because it was on an adamantine chain.

you were stoned, right?


Who wouldn't?

me, for $200 my GS shit better do stuff. I think my bard cost $200

Warriorbird
03-15-2015, 10:53 PM
me, for $200 my GS shit better do stuff. I think my bard cost $200

I paid the equivalent of $300 for positive proof my DR character was the illegitimate son of a famous NPC. I wouldn't jump at 50... but I could see some people might.

Androidpk
03-15-2015, 10:58 PM
I wasn't stoned. Gemstone and marijuana don't mix well for me. I just like to collect rare metals. I paid around 5m for qn altered crystal amulet (quicksilver.)

Silvean
03-15-2015, 11:04 PM
Rapture cloaks go for 50+ don't they? Mechanically, they're nothing special, but they have a style factor with monetary value.

Also: I saw Japh selling weed in GC an hour ago.

nichelas
03-15-2015, 11:08 PM
Neat item, but the most valuable thing about is the "the". Not too many items that have a description beginning with "the". I'd start the bidding at 10m and see what happens.


Sweet jeebus Shaft. Where the fuck did that picture come from? I don't know where to start....

Stanley Burrell
03-15-2015, 11:18 PM
Sweet jeebus Shaft. Where the fuck did that picture come from? I don't know where to start....

It's the lobster.

Androidpk
03-15-2015, 11:23 PM
The outer lobster protects the inner labia.

SHAFT
03-15-2015, 11:45 PM
Chloe sevigny. Rock lobsta!

m444w
03-16-2015, 12:04 AM
Rapture cloaks go for 50+ don't they? Mechanically, they're nothing special, but they have a style factor with monetary value.

Also: I saw Japh selling weed in GC an hour ago.

Ithzir won't steal shit from rapture cloaks, so they aren't completely worthless mechanically.