i’m not understanding the AH prices on blue leveling items, specifically in the 30-40 range that i am most familiar with from building level 39 twinks during vanilla and classic. how are decent items in that range so expensive compared to say tbc or wotlk where there are tons of max level characters swimming in gold? you look at a random item like ogron’s sash which is best in slot for most leather characters at 39, but there is no twinking in hardcore the point is to level so why spend 150g on a level 37 belt that is going to make leveling 1-2% easier for 6 or 8 levels, i’m just not understanding how these items can be that valuable or who is buying them. my rogue just got to 40 and i lost my priest, which was my main, a couple weeks ago at 36 but could have barely been able to afford a mount on my priest my 40, much less a 100-150g blue item. something here just doesn’t make sense, unless the current 60’s just don’t have anything to spend money on so they are gearing the crap out of alts or guildies but there just doesn’t seem to be enough players in those levels and most of them seem to be like me, decent gear but not bis by any means.
People buy gold.
Gold buyers spend goofy amounts of gold on trivial upgrades.
It’s simple.
Don’t assume that items are selling for the prices people put them up for. Prices tend to fluctuate a lot more on low/med population and on the ERA servers then they would in TBC or WOTLK where the level is both easier and where generally you have people in a smaller leveling windows. Many people put items up with the hope they will sell, some stuff will of course, but the vast amount of over priced junk will simply cost people the auction fees they paid to put them up on the AH, where they will either keep eating the auction fees or drop the cost to a reasonable level, or sell it to the vendor.
While there is nothing wrong with checking the AH, you don’t need great gear to level in HC, ignore the overpriced stuff as it won’t make a huge difference in the long run.
I have one of these blues. I have been watching the AH and wanting to list but I have been seeing the same two other people listing their item for days and days and days. I really don’t think most of these are selling, as people at higher levels (above 25, which is high for hardcore) are able to gear well enough through instances anyway.
Now these people could have multiples of these items, but considering the drop rate, I doubt it.
Think that answers your question right there though.
Assuming the buyer of something so pricey isn’t a gold buyer, having a lot of gold means they want to save the time on gearing, raise their chances of surviving on an alt, and the simple explanation that being strong is just plain fun. Hardcore is a longer game so the leveling process isn’t trivial and there’s value in making it more fun.
If the buyer of something so pricey is a gold buyer, gold buyers tend to be massive timmies so they think that having something powerful compensates for not being skillful. They’re still gonna die if they get crossed by a Sea Giant in Desolace, Ogron’s Sash or not.
Basically smart sellers understand that people buy gold, especially streamers, and they are willing to pay whatever for a minor bonus while leveling.
While this is undoubtedly true, a player like me who tends to level relatively slowly, send anything of value to my ah alt, and is very conservative with gold usage ends up with an outsized amount of gold for the level, since my toons die fairly often, and my AH toons with all the valuable items and gold don’t.
This also means that lower level items that are high in survivability stats may be more valuable to players like me, though truth be told I’m far to cheap to actually buy expensive items, nevermind equip them!
Typically if and when I want to sell something at the AH, I tend to sell for 30% more than what I can get from a vendor. But in some cases, I would compare prices on the item I want to sell. But even after that I still sell for below what others are asking. What ends up happening, is that whom ever buys these items and puts them back on the AH list for a higher price. So in other words… if you see my items, best buy it before whom ever corners the market and ends up listing the items for higher than they paid for them. suits me, I get what I wanted anyway. I’ll not cheat anyone. So basically the higher priced stuff will never sell cause it’s bot orientated or at least thats the theory.
If we assume it’s not because of gold buying there’s really two main reasons.
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HC has been out long enough that a lot of gold has accumulated and prices have inflated because of that
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The mid 30s-40s is when people are getting more invested in their characters and want as many upgrades as possibly to ensure survival
And then on top of that to reiterate just because something is listed at that price doesn’t mean it is is selling for that much. I’ve seen some of the more worthless epics get listed for more than they’ll ever sell for, or even if they do sell it’ll take forever. Some items, like say Krol’s Blade or Skullflame Shield, are justifiably expensive (albeit they’re still stupid expensive), but then others out there are straight garbage items that people still try to sell for way more than they’re worth.
As I have only seen this recently, My guess is that this is players returning from SoD with unrealistic expectations. I think the prices will fall to the old “HC nomal” soon.
I agree, low level items prices are absurd. On the bright side, if you get lucky and run into boe gear, now is a good time to make some gold. I sold level 17 pants for 80g, I didn’t think they would sell, but there were two other identical ones on the AH for 80g as well, so I listed them and they sold the same day. It’s pretty discouraging for those who don’t buy gold or don’t have a level 60 character yet, you pretty much are forced to rely on drops or quest greens. Economy is so inflated that even low level greens such as (of the eagle, of the bear, of the monkey) will sell for 5g+
Why on earth would someone be discouraged because somebody threw an item for crazy amounts on the AH, there are so many options for people, and expensive items make little to no difference. All the important stuff that you might need off the AH such as consumables and stuff are relatively cheap and easy to get allowing you to craft or have key potions which you might have had poor luck in getting, and even these you don’t need, if you don’t want to gather.
If you need gear off the AH, understand you might have to check for a few days to find a reasonable item, and maybe skip the “monkey” stuff and go stats which aren’t as good, in the end its not a big deal. There has never been a time where I felt I had to have a blue to level. Vendors will also sell a lot of items that can fill in if your looking, and with the lower population, these items are often much easy to get.
Also look at SF it shows you don’t need to buy items to successfully and easily hit 60, and while I have done it, personally I am not a fan as I like crafting and such, so I chose to enforce my own rules on what I buy, and where I see no problems buying myself some bags and the occasional item like leather, I laugh at the prices of some stuff, and wouldn’t even consider it.
I’d say to those players that if they have up-to-date greens with the appropriate stats they are more than fine enough to handle the content the game throws at them. No noob’s gonna make 80g at level 17, yes, but at that point they should realize that the game isn’t specifically for them, that they are just one person out of thousands, and that it’s okay. The game is really big and it’s still fun to be in it, even if you don’t have a twink item that will last you what. 8 levels?
I think the point was to even out the playing field, make things like gear upgrades more accessible. Yes you may be fine without full blues but what about greens? Even the mediocre gear is too expensive for the average player.
I understand that those who put more time and effort into the game will be at an advantage, but that gap is significant, I don’t expect rare blues to be accessible to all, however the prices have skyrocketed to where only GOLD buyers and people who play the market will be able to afford it.
I feel this falls into the “knowledge check” part of what makes Hardcore kinda hostile toward new players.
Starting really early, players have good options to make money to afford BoE greens, but are better off looking up on WoWhead for profession patterns, buying/farming those materials, and finding a crafter that can make it. Off the top of my head, the Silvered Bronze set for Blacksmiths is solid, cheap, and the plans aren’t expensive for the Blacksmiths themselves.
Professions help fill in gaps left open by quest rewards.
How players are supposed to come to that plan of action, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s fair but it’s also not a problem that should be remedied, because the rough edges lead to communities forming to overcome them. It’s a really old school, but it’s also unique and contributes to what I love about HC. You’ll see me giving things to noobs and answering questions all day and I enjoy that quite a bit.
It’s more of a supply problem now. With SOD eroding the player base, there is less items listed because there is less passive farming from people playing the game.
If you can survive and make it to 60, that level 60 toon is a big gold earner. Even if you can make it to level 40 your economic situation gets better than someone who can barely get a toon past level 30.
Professions are also huge!!
You can’t stress this enough. I’ve got a character with LW, that with some grinding beasts you can equip yourself nicely.
It’s kinda rough that the better lowbie patterns are non-trainable, but that just creates opportunity!
Yes, and the auction house will have less variety due to the lower pop. Conversely you have a better chance of getting the vendor ones with timers due to the lower pop and those are often better.
Still, many that are trained are better than the quest/vendor items.
Adding, and off topic.
I saw those glasses on your avatar and checked it’s portrait. Those are so realistic. They are doing some nice artwork in retail looks like. Also, I like your transmog.
Y’know I can’t say say the same thing regarding the pop. Even though DP is listed at “Medium,” it really seems that I have to be lucky to pick up even the less sought-after recipes. Maybe it’s that way on Skull Rock? May be a layering thing?