As P.T. Barnum is alleged to have said, "There's a sucker born every minute." Crafters will be able to sell crafted gear at high prices because most people are fundamentally lazy and want instant gratification. It's a sucker move to waste that much money when, at the cost of a few hours harvesting you can get all the rares you need for all your stuff. But the actual best practice in gearing yourself is to avoid pricey premade on the broker, and instead get your own rares and commission a crafter. You still pay the crafter a tip (hopefully a good one!) but it will be lots less than you'd pay for the premade item on the broker.
... which, while true, is still a long way removed from 'Never, never buy crafted stuff from the broker unless it's priced lower than the cost of the rares.'
I prefer to think of myself as being part of a community rather than some self-serving, inward-looking guild.
It's the same thing. If I'm trying to give good advice, it amounts to "Only suckers buy premade crafted stuff at insanely high prices on the broker, don't be a sucker!" Since suckers are still being born every minute, people WILL continue to buy the insanely high-priced stuff, but those who are wise will get out and harvest their won rares and commissiona crafter.
We started as a cooperative effort, but over time, the mindset of people that influxed became me, me, me, and only me, so they would not help anybody else, we were forced into creating our crafting armies to help ourselves and have ones at the ready to help others that are building their crafting alt armies. It wasn't a choice, it was a necessity. It took me over 2 years to finish The Proof is in the Pudding. Why? I kept doing combines for people and had my mats ready so they would do my combine for me and as soon as they got theirs they ran off and I never got mine. I cannot tell you how many times this happened, enough that I was able to level the other 8 crafters, do their factions, do the questline so they could do my updates.
It took me a long time to do the Proof is in the Pudding, too. There is only me; yes I have some alts, but they mostly stay in limbo unless really needed for something. If I need something made and can't find anyone to make it, well, I do without for the time being. I'm fortunate in that, in the main, the community on Halls of Fate is an accommodating one. I guess I'm tilting at windmills, but I do my best to promote a Norrath in which we help each other pursue whatever our goals may be. It's a struggle sometimes, but it has its rewards
