Is there any kind of general "broker etiquette" in this game? I mean, I understand undercutting, but is there a line you draw when buying "the cheapest" item for sale? For example -- I browse the market looking for anything (a collectible, a piece of armor, crafting mats, whatever). The item is going for over 10plat. Except for one person who undercuts the lowest price by 1g. So a 14p item, and a 13p99g undercutter. Which item would most of you buy? I can understand undercutting by 1g if the item is selling for less than a plat. I still will not buy from the 1g undercutter, but I can understand why some folks would do that for a cheaper item. But something, anything, that's currently listed for over 10p? I dunno... To me, that just screams "I'm a d^*che!"
I would buy the 14p item out of principle. Having waited a week before for those silly 1c undercutters to bring an item I want into a non-ridiculous price, I have no tolerance for them. It's worth the extra coin for me to feel morally superior at not enabling their antics.
If it's a several or more plat item undercut by a copper or silver, I'll usually buy the more expensive one, unless I recognize one of the sellers and have an opinion (good or bad) about them. Undercut by a gold? Even though gold is mostly worthless too, I might take the time to see if either or both have vet sales boxes. Undercutting by a gold while taking the 20% hit against the 1 gold more 10%...I'm likely to buy the cheaper item.
So, how do you tell which posted first, or what each poster's approach to posting is? The one that posted for 13p99g might like to post for that type of price, and might even have posted others for that price for quite a while. While the one that posted for 14p might like a simpler even pricing, and might have just started posting that item. The only thing I don't like is when someone buys up all of a particular item, like a collection piece, and then reposts it one at a time for a way overpriced amount, creating a false value to it. For example, when I first started playing I used to post all the striped butterflies for 25 silver each. And suddenly one person bought everyone of the blue striped ones that were posted by anyone at the broker, and then posted them one at a time for 25 gold. And everytime I posted more at 25 silver, that same person bought them. I finally responded by raising the price of all my striped butterflied to one gold each, and that stopped that nonsense. But this sort of thing is done by some players pretty regularly.
redwoodtreesprite wrote: Supply was there, but people priced too cheap and allowed someone else to control it. For some, the broker game is as much fun as the adventure/crafting/housing game. If you knew someone was doing that, why stop at 1g? Put them up at 20g and see what that person does...or if it sells...
Juggercap wrote: There is no such thing as etiquette on the broker. If you are playing to maximize profit you will buy up the cheaper competitors supplies and resell them for profit. I commonly buy up items when people undercut my posted stacks of items with a stack of 1 or 2 trying to drive down my price. Thinking I would be foolish enough to undercut them and sell my huge amount of the item for far less than the average selling price. My rule of thumb; I just buy the cheapest product, I don't waste time debating the inconsequential moral implications of my purchase choices on a video game, MMO or not.
When I put an item on the broker, I set the price for what I want to be paid for it. Most of the time, that price is as much as I can be paid for it as quickly as possible. There are times that I will price higher than the cheapest, and then might or might not buy the cheapest and resell if I think they were selling too cheap. There are times that I will severely undercut the lowest if I think it's just some random, not specifically rare, but just not here right now item and think the low price is insanely high. I don't see where you were actually responding to me after quoting me...I'll just say that I assume (I know what they say about assuming) the mindset is a bit different in the PvP set. There is such thing as broker etiquette. You don't need to follow it. You don't need to respect it. But it exists. I ignore the idea mostly...but as an example...I match prices with guildmates instead of undercutting them. Let the buyer decide.
I buy the cheapest and set my prices as the cheapest. I don't nickel and dime though, I'll usually undercut by at least 1 of the largest currency. So if someone is selling for 10pp, I'll do 9pp. Likewise if its 10gp, I'll do 9gp. Only when it starts to be rare or expensive will I try to set prices for max income, which isn't very often. I'm rubbish at reviewing my prices though so often people will undercut me over time and I end up being in the middle cost wise.
Kind of depends. For low cost items (under 10plat) I typically just buy the cheapest listing and move on. When we start to get into higher priced items, usually around the 50plat mark, I stop looking so much at broker prices than where the person lives and if they paid their rent.
Buying from people on the broaker I follow a few simple self-imposed rules; Buy from people on the first page whom I might know or recognize. Buy from someone who is listing an item with a house address. Buy the cheapest unless that person is an obvious undercutter ... X plat, 99 gold 99 silver 99 copper ... Buy the next highest if within 5% - 10% ... Selling items on the broker I follow a few simple rules; Sell from a toon with a house, use a broker commission display crate PAID MY FRACKin RENT Price everything to selllllllll Fasttttttt (I could careless if someone wants to buy low / sell high when I have cash in hand) NEVER sell for less than what the trash merchant will buy it for IF it is too cheap then mute it for the mats and sell them IF it is too cheap to waste my time with toss it in my Diety altar IF it won't mute or wont sacrifice then toss it on the ground and move on.
OP obviously never played Eve Online, where .01 isk changes are common. I don't care how they price it as long as it is at the top of my searches and I can buy the cheapest. If it is a high cost item with sales at the home for good reduction in tax, then I will go there.
SideshowBob wrote: I would buy the cheaper item because it is less expensive and thus more in line with what I am willing to pay in this game sponsored free market system. I would ask you to consider the use of "undercutting." Are they "undercutting" or are you maybe "gouging" with your prices? See what I did there? Maybe the 10pp item was way out of line. If someone else can provide the same good or service for less cost why would one not choose the provider who is easier on the pocket book? Those coppers add up after several years. A copper saved is a copper earned. If I want to unload my vendor trash/shinies/etc on the broker fast I will mark my stuff down by at least 1/3 less so that it moves fast - the reality is any shiney I do not move will just be deleted anyhow if an alt does not need it. If there are not similiar items for sale I will "gouge" and mark up a bit cuase every now and then someone buys regardless of price becuase they are impulsive. Undercutting is not a sin - it is an expression of the freemarket system. Should you desire to pay more for the same item feel free to do so.
I enjoy the broker. I enjoy employing tactics on the broker that--in real life--would be quite questionable, if not outright illegal. Market manipulation is a dirty business, but someone has to do it. And since I ever-so-much enjoy role-playing evil characters over good characters, robbing fellow players blind is necessary. There is no etiquette. Every Ratonga and Arasai for himself. There's no tactic I won't engage in; no low I won't stoop to. Get rich. And if you can do it on the back of those more honorable, even better. [I don't condone those people who use third-party programs to make adornments en masse and sell them. I hate those guys. But I'll buy their adornments.]
I try to buy or sell at the mid range of the item listed. There are some really obvious undercutters whose names I've learned to recognize over time. I will never, ever buy from them. All they do is skew the market in my opinion which isn't much lol Anyway the only time I'd sell a lot lower is if I see like 130pp for something really silly
I generally just buy the cheapest item, but if I notice undercutting by something like 1g I won't buy from them. When selling I always make sure my items are the cheapest on the broker, and I am not afraid to undercut by a large amount to move my items. Especially if someone wants to play leapfrog with me for a week, I'll drop the price super low until it's basically not worth selling, then bump my prices back up to "normal" and just accept being second in line. If the item moves fast (like manas and rares) I generally don't mind being 2nd or 3rd on the list. The only things I really sell anymore are endgame adornment manas. Most of my plat comes from pharming.
Generally I just buy the cheaper item. If they are undercutting by 1cp consistantly (on things that are selling for more than a gold) and am not in too much of a hurry to notice, I will buy from the next person up. I come from a time in the game where 1gp was good money so those priced down a gold I don't even blink at (heck I do it myself depending on the item's price). Some people just have a price they like to use though. For example I like having 85 on my things that cost less than a plat. So I might list something for 65g 85silver. If there happens to be someone else listing their's for 66 gold, that doesn't mean I was trying to be a jerk undercutting. I just like the 85, I've been doing that since we had to stand around in our houses to sell. If it loses sales for me, so be it. I still like the 85. One thing I despise is people buying up all the reasonably priced stuff & putting it all up for sale again for ridiculous prices. Especially if it is crafted stuff. If I see multiple names on your crafted items for sale & your prices have gone to the extreme, your name will be written in the 'do not buy' book. Something I most definately will do. If I'm checking prices on items I'm planning to put up for sale & find people selling the same item for less than vendor price, I will buy them all up & sell them along with mine to the vendor.
Unless I need mass quanities of the item, I generally won't buy from people who undercut like how the OP mentions. I say generally because sometimes I don't pay close enough attention to the raw price and realize it after buying.
I've noticed that 1cp undercutters tend not to bother with buying sales crates. I've also noticed that another seller using a sales crate has a price (not including broker fees) that is actually lower than the undercutters. So I find the best deals by going to the seller's inn room and buying direct from the sales crate. When I'm listing items for sale I usually price from 1gp to 10gp below the lowest priced item (actual price, not broker price); unless the only matching items on the broker have stupid prices, in which case I list my item at a price I know matches the value of the item. My inventory fills up so fast that I have no interest in playing pretend commodities broker in a fantasy video game. I want to spend my time playing pretend dragon slayer instead.
I tend to enjoy the broker games as much as the game itself..i usually sell things that r more than 200+p a piece, ao i usually price mine 5-10 p less that lowest person, but if they play leap frog with me, i will intentionally cut them by a gold repeatedly just to run them off..with that being said i will buy one copper less items all day unless they dont have a house setup and the next highest person does...In the end its a free market if u dont like them cutting u by a copper oh well..copper adds up over months/ years..
I always buy the cheapest item and try to make sure what I have on the broker is the cheapest. Expensive things I'm buying I'll try to see if I can reach them at their home. Likewise, the expensive stuff I'm selling is in a crate and available at my home if you want to go that route. I suppose you could say I undercut people. Not by one copper, but if someone is selling an item for less then I am, I lower my prices. If you aren't willing to give your customers the best deal possible I don't see why I should help you out. Remember that the vast majority of items on the broker (except crafted items mainly) cost the seller nothing. They're usually drops. Therefore, when you see some drops priced at some crazy price they're just trying to maximize profits. I.e. they're greedy. If they can get that much money for it fine, they get it. But they better not expect me to help them out. If I find I have to lower the price of an item to less then the vendor will give for it then the vendor gets it. I suppose you could play games with buying up something which is offered cheap on the broker and putting it right back on there for more money. More power to you. People do that in real life in the stock market and other securities markets. However, if you try to do that very much you can very easily loose your shirt. Especially if the broker is getting it's 20% cut. That's the risk you take and I won't feel sorry for you if that happens. You knew what you were getting into when you started playing that game.
