This is one of the players that says forget the gathering, I want to make things. To do this, you better have at least 10 - 20 gold ready to spend. The first 150 skill points into any craft, you will most likely lose money. In fact, I can almost guarantee it. The items below 150 aren't worth much or in demand enough to make serious cash. This can be said even with items up to level 225. However, past 225, it is pure gold. Be it Leatherworking, Blacksmithing, Alchemy, or Tailoring (note engineering and enchanting are not listed); there is money to be made.

Reasons why:
Leatherworking - there are three paths. You can only choose one.
Someone will want what you can make due to only 1/3 of the people being able to make it.

Blacksmithing - same as leatherworking, but two paths.

Alchemy - getting those high level herbs is no easy task. And now that the honor system is in and potions can't be dispelled ... yeah, permanent buffs will be worth a lot.

Tailoring - bags, bags! Everyone wants a 14 or 16 slot container. Of course, a perk you get is the 18 slot container - bind on pickup sadly. Also, often missed items are shirts.

So, how do these people get their supplies?
One of two ways - Either at the auction house or from a supplier. Often times, the crafter will find a gatherer and work a deal with them to constantly have incoming supplies. The gatherer will often times send the item through the mail system with COD, cash on delivery. This works well for both parties. And, sometimes one gatherer can supply several crafters with what they need. The gatherer and crafter also set a standard price for a stack of a certain item and this never changes once set in most situations. Having a constant buyer/supplier is more important and convenient than getting the most for your copper. I suggest you try to set up a system like this - either if you are a gatherer or crafter.

To contact them, use the mail. Go to AH and see who is selling alot of a gathered item or crafted item, depending on if you want to supply or want to craft. Write down their name. You can try to send them a message, but more often than not, they will not be online. So, just go over to the mail and send them a nice letter. Perhaps a subject of 'Need a supplier?' or 'Can you gather x for me?' (x being herbs, leather, whatever it is you need) In your letter, basically say you saw them selling a lot of a certain item at AH and you'd like to become a constant buyer. This is VERY attractive to the gatherer as suddenly gathering x item becomes a constant reliable income for gold. It is also VERY attractive to the crafter as they can normally negotiate for it to be cheaper than AH and they have a constant supply to make their items.

The downfall - at level 60, many crafted items become obsolete. Now, this doesn't mean crafted items won't sell. Plenty of lvl 59s and down still need those items. But, what it means is that they will never sell as highly or as well as a farmed item - epic items.

The two that cost you more than you make:
Enchanting - This really can be a great tradeskill. I made tons of gold with it ... by selling what I disenchanted to other enchanters. Rarely, and I mean basically never, will a player be willing to pay as much for an enchant as it cost you to enchant that item. Surely it can't cost that much - you say

Well, factor in the cost of what you didn't make. That is, factor in your potential earnings. In order to get enchanting ingredients, a item Uncommon (green) or better must be disenchanted. A blue item can easily go for 10 gold or up depending on your server (some 200 and up). Now, lets say every green and blue item you find and can't use gets disenchanted - the losses add up pretty quickly. In fact, they add up so quickly that the aspiring enchanter finds it hard to believe. And, what is worse is that you don't always get the ingredient you need. There is a random chance it can be any number of ingredients.

Even worse - to enchant something, it usually takes at least 2 - 3 ingredients. Let's say you disenchanted 3 blues to get the exact 3 ingredients you needed. If you had sold those blue items, you could have made 15g, assuming worth 5g (yep, a low estimate here). No one in their right mind will pay 15g for an enchant - unless it is a high high, well above 225, level enchant. And, if it is one of those enchants, then those blues certainly could have sold for well more than 5g each. If you want to be an enchanter, find a good guild that will supply you with 'trash items' - items they tried to sell at AH and didn't sell, so they send it to you.

One thing to note: Enchanting has the "Potential" to make money through disenchanting. Throw-away green or blue items (ones that are really bad, no one would use) will sometimes disenchant into something worth considerably more at the auction house. Also, you can disenchant any of your old bind on equip or pickup items. Most players have to sell these to the vendor to get a very measly amount for them but you could disenchant something worth several gold from them.

Engineering - well ... sadly ... you have to be an engineer to use engineering items. And, if you can use the item, it means you can make the item (except for high levels - goblin/gnomish). Yes, there is some money to be made in engineering, but certainly not as much as the other trades. The main place money can be made is in the items required for quests.

Labels: crafter, gold, make money, professions