Like someone else said, its not that item (plus, Baby Joseph Sayer wasn't even dropping in game for like 2 years). People from way back from qeynos when saved their pennies and bought combine weapons from the gypsies in north karana unless they were a class that could use the langseux (sp?) of the wolves, or one of the other couple of quested weapons people actually did without high level help (falchion of the koad'a vie or whatever was the first weapon I quested $$$). Good times. Good times.
The real world business equivalent would have the job paid out in stages. The total amount X, paid out in 2, 3, 4 or however many stages depending on how many levels are being PL'd. You are not (if you are wise) going to pay a contractor in full before they fix or build your house; you are instead going to pay them out as the job is done with certain clearly defined criteria for each pay out. For example, if you're PL'ing someone for 20 levels, you might agree on 5 or 6 points where they pay you. So if you agree on a total payment of Z, that might be divided into an up front payment of X, followed by a payment of Y every 5 levels, and a final payment of W upon reaching the last level; X + 3Y + W = Z. The PL'ee might even put in a bonus for completing it within a specific time period.
I have pled for plat and paid for it. I charge by the half hour and charge the first upfront..if they become regulars then its not so stingent.
