A beginner’s gold-making equation:
Item + your value = more valuable item.
therefore
more valuable item – original item value = how much you are worth.
The very basic rule of making gold in World of Warcraft is
Increase the amount that you are worth.
Examples:
Cloth + your tailoring = tailored item
5g+U=10g.
U=5g
OR
Player wanting portal + you casting a portal = he pays you 20g
U=20g
OR
You buy 5 items 25g total + you resell them on AH = You make 50g
U=25g
You are worth 25g (per “X amount of time”.) If you do something worth less than 25g, you’re wasting yourself!
- A player whispers you “Can you portal me to Dalaran for 20g?” If you do the portal for him then your value decreases by 5g. You lose 5g that you could have been making in the time you took to make him a portal.
- This is why I use my time to put 20 pre-made items on AH instead of flying all over the world finding a player and making him a single item for a tip. Either that, or I’m just unsociable.
I want to use my time to do the activities that increase the amount that I’m worth.
Another equation for you, as I’m in the Math mood
item resale value – original item price = U > selling price of ore you could mine during that time
Translated that means You are worth a hell of a lot more than running around farming crap.
How much Gold are you worth?
About the Author
The Gold Queen is written by Alyzande. With many level 100s, 9 years expertise in making gold, 10 garrisons, 16k achievements, 1505 days played, and over 18m gold earned. The Gold Queen blog teaches you how to make gold playing World of Warcraft using ethical trading, auction house flipping, crafting, reselling snatch lists, and farming gold making.
My “U” varies from time to time. I like chasing fun. I like doing enjoyable things. Gold-making is a very enjoyable activity to me in all it’s forms. As long as I am making sales and finding new things I’m happy.
My gold total is just a by-product of me doing what I enjoy. It comes naturally.
If I have a big purchase to make I may focus more intently on making bigger amounts. If not I do what ever is the most fun at the time.
I suppose U is an unknown variable for me, as it depends on whether I’m trying to make money (including tasks such as milling, prospecting then) or playing to have fun (in which case it could be anything really).
That’s an awesome way to put such an hard concept for a lot of people.
But the problem is, once you have competition doesn’t that mean you kinda need to lower your “worth” as well?
Once you have competition you can either battle with that competition, or diversify and choose a different item to sell.
First one is fun, second one is more profitable 🙂