How to float like a leaf on the AUCTION HOUSE

[ragewinter]

While a lot of the guides are cool, i think they are way too complex. Just following a simple set of rules is enough that I have all the gear I can buy and thousands of gold to spare.

Ok, so I only average a few hours a week of WOW, and I don't use any bots or hacks or elaborate systems. BUT i have over 4k gold on Horde and Alliance each just from some casual play, even though I buy whatever junk I like. Here's a list of what i don't do:

:yuck: i don't "grind" mobs - I only do instances and things that are fun for me
:yuck: I don't manipulate the AH through buyouts or other lame crap
:yuck: I don't use auctioneer to "find bargains" on the ah and buy them
:yuck: I don't stress out about money

My "system" is just some common sense rules, and I post stuff on the Ah about once a week, and I that's it. This is MY personal approach, but I think it's really useful for casual players. Proof included below. Here's what I DO:

I DO install auctioneer and scan horde and alliance weekly, typically around the weekend. That way I have a some idea of what things are worth. Plenty of guides explain AUC so i won't repeat it.

I DO have a separate bank/ah character so I can mail stuff to it while im adventuring. This seems obvious, but some people don't get it. Don't level ur your bank character beyond 5 or 10. That's how you develop a serious wow addiction and kidney failure. Just leave it be. Really. Read this great Muling guide:

http://www.mmowned.com/forums/wow-gu...-tutorial.html

I DO follow the rule of scarcity and ONLY post 1 of a recipe or rare item at a time. Posting 5 of the same thing makes them all appear LESS valuable. This principle alone is enough to make a big difference on smaller population servers. only post multiples of things like cloth and other trade mats. Post just ONE of a recipe, weapon, or armor and it's more likely to sell, and at a higher price. This is not obvious to everyone, but I figured it out from my studies of real-world marketing.

I DO have enchanting as a skill so I can disenchant all the junk I find in my travels. Enchanting mats sell much better than weapons and armor, and cost ZERO deposit to put up on the AH. Also, BC herbs sell for a lot on many servers, so herbalism is nice too. Your gold mileage on skills may vary.

I DO buy VENDOR RECIPES with my level 70 character whenever AUC tells me the price difference is more than about 1 gold. This takes up very little time and makes me, oh, several zillion gold. Example:



I don't know why this guy would pay 17g for a recipe you can just buy in shat for 6. But well, that's his choice. I guess he was in a hurry or doesn't know what wowhead or thotbott are. (ps if you don't know what those are, you are severe NOOB, go read a guide)

I DO watch for items (esp recipes) in instances that are worth a lot on MY server. Prices are different for factions and servers. For example, on my server, horde prices are incredibly inflated on almost everything. I don't know why. I have 70s on both sides.

I DO go to lower level instances. Most level 70 characters can solo the 60- instances. Some classes are easier than others. Rogues, mages, and hunters are often the best, but with practice other classes can do it too, especially if they have great gear from the high level quests, instances, etc. I like to take an hour or two every week or so to run some lowbies through one of the 50-60 dungeons such as Strat, Scholo, LBRS, UBRS, and Drie Maul. Depending on your server, there can be recipies and crap that disenchants into a lot of valuable mats. Also, some recipies and things are only available in those places, like a mage robe recipe that's IN dire maul at a vendor (that often sells on the AH for 50g and costs only 5).

Usually lowbies will let you have most of the loot to disenchant if you are giving them a free ride so they can get the quests. I have found they will sometimes pay me as well! Here's an example of a recipe that dropped while i was running LBRS. I took a 60ish priest and warrior through with my lv70 hunter and we cleared it in about 50 minutes. I called all recipe drops as "mine" beforehand as my tax for taking them through. But if it's not worth more than 5 gold, I let them have it if they want:



Now I don't even have that recipe though I'm a chanter, because it's sort of old news, but people like it and will pay over 700 gold for it. Who am I to judge? If you have auctioneer loaded, you can track what people are paying lots for.

I float like a leaf on the auction house.

Be good and play to have fun!

[Khalts]

this guide is full of win, if its not i repost ( and i'm seriously praying for this ) you my friend, deserves my +rep. Too bad i'm a priest =0, but i will try to facemelt those instances =] keep up with the good work.

[Crazyinnova]

Great Guide +++Rep. :]
And soloing instances is fun, i can almost solo all of scholo on my 70 shaman :]
Thanks for the Guide Buddy

[Chenquie]

Imba guide

[Awa]

Nice Guide.

[Spurven]

Great guide! i'm using many of these techniques, and they work very well! thanks +Rep

[Proxito]

Nice guide mate!
Keep it up and thanks.

Yours,
Mike

[Phase228]

see this is a very good guide
nice layout and everything you deserve all of the rep i can give and more

[jjaa]

Awesome post +rep x 2

[tsunade]

nice but i dont think im going to download

[Whille]

Nice Guide ;]

[Earelad]

great NICE guide!

[ragewinter]

Hey, you're all invited to post screenshots of your really awesome AH wins!

[heiamll]

Nice guide ragewinter. As has been said your layout is awesome and really helps people get things that are obvious to others like the scarcity tip. Its hard for me to follow that sometimes.. I get too excited with the possibility of multiple pages of AH buyouts! Every so often i wont even level or pvp.. ill just have a bankroll and play the AH for a few days. I blame Privateer and Capitalism Plus for my madness with trading lol.

[Lahtaaja]

great guide