Pricing

[old.TeaSpoon]

Been making some AF102 stuff and coming out with 99%-MP quality.

Selling it on, some people have been saying I'm overpriced, but so far I've done 100-200g cheaper than what people tell me they expect to pay.

How do you full timer crafters work out your prices on 99-100 range?

 

[chretien]

99% I do at 2.5 - 3x materials. 97%+ (minimum quality) I will supply is at 60% over materials cost. MPs are 10% over retry rate but I make my money on those from all the 99% pieces.
Full suits of af102 chain or plate are 4 plat at 99% the same in studded is 2.5 plat.

 

[old.linnet]

A standard markup would be around 2.5-3*cost for 99, 15*cost for MP. But you can still make a profit by going a bit cheaper than this if you want to. Check the trade boards to see what other people are charging. Try to avoid pricing at less than 2.25*cost for 99 or 10*cost for MP, since it ruins the market (OK, that's optional)


I think there are three main crafting strategies for LGMs:

1. Only craft to order on both 99s and MPs, and either charge a fixed price or a price per remake. (Average cost to make is base+4 retries for 99, and base+49 retries for 100% - if you are using fixed costs you may want to charge higher than this to cover your back in case you get an unlucky run)

2. Craft to get masterpieces which you can sell for a fixed cost, sell off the 99s cheaply. (Prolly works better for weaponcraft, since people will pay high for masterpieces)

3. Craft to get 99s which you can sell for a fixed cost from your vault, sell off the MPs cheaply (where cheaply might mean something like 10*base, but you still make a profit since you got them while you were making 99s)

I work on #3. I sell 99% for 2.25-3*base (depending if it is for guild, or friends, or if I have to custom make some of the 99s), and make my profit from the MPs.

People will always say that you are overpriced, btw.

 

[Cap]

If I got in stock I charge 20markup and 20markup on retries, for 99qua I charge for 4-5 retries, for mp 40-60retries (hey don't sell it to cheap, if people really want it they will pay it, people who buy mp either got alot of money or should stick to 99qua =P).

Imo don't go with fixed price if you don't have the items in stock, surely people want that but why risk takeing a loss of a order imo.

And don't work for free (except for friends, guildies etc), by selling at to low rates you make all other crafters who take a resonable fee for their crafting look bad.

 

[chretien]

I do a variation on #1. I craft to order generally due to limited vault space however I only do retry rate on MP orders, everything else is a fixed price. I'll vault a few 99% pieces from MP orders and sell them from stock at a slightly lower price than I'd charge to make them (to reflect the fact that I don't need to sit on my hands waiting for a tailor to turn up and thus is a bit easier to supply from stock).

Edit - guild members and friends generally pay materials cost and get retry rates on 99%. Everyone else pays full whack, I am careful not to ruin the market for others by selling excess stock at materials cost or merchant value on the open market.

 

[Roalith]

Trust me to be 'different'. I generally only take full set MP orders nowadays where the individual concerned has more than 10p to front for the item makes.

Will then craft through each item until I get an MP. Excess 99%s then go for 2 or 2.5x cost, which generally speaking results in everyone being happy.

For example, the last MP set I did a run on (Full set of plate, less breastpiece as had already crafted one accidentally ages ago):
12p was paid upfront

After all MPs were complete and 99%s were sold, 9p was remaining.

This included selling the 99s at 2x or 2.5x cost.

I will mention, though, that this included a significant amount of luck on the makes. 4 of the pieces took under 40 makes, and the last 1 took under 60.

That said, orders of this type are very, very rare. Not many people have over 10p to front for a set of armour, although it does show a significant price saving over premades. 3p for 5 MP pieces, customer paid 2p for my fee, and got 7 platinum change. Lots of 99%s made to sell at a reasonably cheap price. Everyone happy

 

[old.linnet]

Yeah, that's how I've started to take MP orders also (I don't do it often, only when I know I'll have a few hours spare), by asking for a deposit of base+49 remakes, and then give any change back.


Nerf Phusion, for whom I got a MP leather robe on the first attempt Never done that before.

 

[Flesh]

I got full ste of MP Plate off Roa for 4-5P ...but I fronted him with 20p ^^.
Imo roa rocks irl!
Go to him for all your orders.

 

[old.TeaSpoon]

Some very handy replies there, thanks guys