Black market...

[Nachtwulf]

Making rare old-world craftables is good money too, although requires a fair bit of effort. Some of them have very cool/unique models, though, and people want them for transmog. I just sold a Blackguard sword for 4.5k on my server. Your mileage may vary though if you're not on an RP server.

Also, I ought to point out... yes, these gold sinks seem really heinous to most of us, but each expac makes vast quantities of gold that much easier to get. When I started playing, back in the oooold days... you were doing REALLY GOOD to have enough money to buy that 60% mount at Lv40. Seriously, I don't think I had a whole gold to my name until I was like Lv30 or something. Now I have characters with hundreds or even thousands of gold before Lv40, depending on how lucky they've been. And I don't send gold down from my capped chars either, under most circumstances.

MoP is another sign of gold multiplying. Quests will give WAY more gold out to players, plus the mats market and what have you. People rolling new alts will have one or more 85s sitting on a bunch of cash, and be far too lazy to farm low level mats for their new monks or what have you, so they'll buy them. Farming vanilla mats (or especially BC mats) will be incredibly lucrative as people try to powerlevel their new alts' professions to keep pace with how fast they'll be leveling through those zones. Because people in a hurry WILL have heirlooms, and you pretty much have to buy mats to keep pace.

[Ickabob]

I forgot about that! Some guy hunted down my paladin alt just so I could craft a Felsteel Longblade for him. He even tipped me 500g!

[Arwyn]

Interesting gold sink. Wonder if they'll include retired mounts with it.

[Rikaku]

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Black Market AH. It seems kinda weird. Not like... bad weird just... IDK. Seems just weird. But more importantly....


DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE A CHANCE TO GET MY DANG ZG TIGER!?!?!?!

Yes, I am still very bitter about the ZG tiger eluding me. XD

Must save up all my gold for that tiger if it ever goes on sale.

[Kiingeh]

Seems the current bid limit is 214k (the old gold cap), this will probably be increased, but I can see a few items capping out regardless of the limit. Like the ashes or old ZG mounts.

[Gimlion]

Seems the current bid limit is 214k (the old gold cap), this will probably be increased, but I can see a few items capping out regardless of the limit. Like the ashes or old ZG mounts.

This kind of concerns me, as I can see a lot of people dropping all the gold on one toon at cap gold, making it pretty much a buyout, rather than bidding. This could hurt anyone without this amount of gold's chances at buying these off the BMAH.

[Ziarre]

I'm not sure that'll be possible (at least on a regular basis) forever, though. Unlike a normal Auction House, once a winning bid is taken, that gold's gone.

[Gimlion]

Yes, but say an item is starting bid 1k gold. This item is the Phoenix mount. Someone with a fair amount of gold could bid 1k, and hope no one out-bids them. OR, someone with a shit ton of gold (say, the gold cap?), if they're really desperate for the mount, could drop the gold cap on the bid, ensuring they win the auction, no matter what. This becomes even more feasible when one takes into account that someone has multiple top-tier level 90s, all with huge amounts of gold. Sure the gold cap is a giant chunk of $$, but if they have other characters with almost as much, it's not as big a deal.

My solution? Make all bids be within a certain price of the other. For instance, I bid 1000 on the Phoenix, the next to bid could not bid more than, say, 1250g. These numbers are all hypothetical, but it would stop unfair 'buyouts' against those not as wealthy.

[Slickrock]

Yes, but say an item is starting bid 1k gold. This item is the Phoenix mount. Someone with a fair amount of gold could bid 1k, and hope no one out-bids them. OR, someone with a shit ton of gold (say, the gold cap?), if they're really desperate for the mount, could drop the gold cap on the bid, ensuring they win the auction, no matter what. This becomes even more feasible when one takes into account that someone has multiple top-tier level 90s, all with huge amounts of gold. Sure the gold cap is a giant chunk of $$, but if they have other characters with almost as much, it's not as big a deal.

My solution? Make all bids be within a certain price of the other. For instance, I bid 1000 on the Phoenix, the next to bid could not bid more than, say, 1250g. These numbers are all hypothetical, but it would stop unfair 'buyouts' against those not as wealthy.

That won't work either, as all the items will go to those that camp the AH with bots and who don't have a day-job.

A cap of 214k won't work either, as that would be an immediate buyout price for me for a few items, and there are far richer folk than I.

Cap probably needs to be 990k, or something around there, and it needs to be open to the big bids.

(For reference, TCG mounts go for 150k to 700k on Darkspear).

[Ziarre]

But I do believe this is made for the wealthy? At least, that's what logic would dictate gold sinks are most directly aimed at.

Well, the wealthy...or the fanatically determined.

[Gimlion]

But I do believe this is made for the wealthy? At least, that's what logic would dictate gold sinks are most directly aimed at.

Well, the wealthy...or the fanatically determined.

Yes, it is made for those with extra gold, but there is a difference between over-the-top wealthy, and wealthy enough to bid on the items.

I don't see how all the items will go to campers. Put the items on long bidding periods, even then everyone who wanted a shot at it would be able to bid.

I'm also not concerned about bots. Blizzard is quite amazing at stamping out bots, at least IMO. So much so, that I've not seen a bot since the day after I reported one flying Sholo around the middle of Wrath.

[Slickrock]

As a side note, I'd go along with bid limits, but ONLY if the bids were restricted to once per day. Otherwise the AH botters will suck it all up, leaving the rich real players out in the cold, and the gold farmers with all the goods.

[Gimlion]

As a side note, I'd go along with bid limits, but ONLY if the bids were restricted to once per day. Otherwise the AH botters will suck it all up, leaving the rich real players out in the cold, and the gold farmers with all the goods.

I think that could work. Possibly one bid per item a day, or even just 5-10 total bids a day for the entire Black Market.

[Slickrock]

But I do believe this is made for the wealthy? At least, that's what logic would dictate gold sinks are most directly aimed at.

Well, the wealthy...or the fanatically determined.

Yes, it is made for those with extra gold, but there is a difference between over-the-top wealthy, and wealthy enough to bid on the items.

I don't see how all the items will go to campers. Put the items on long bidding periods, even then everyone who wanted a shot at it would be able to bid.

I'm also not concerned about bots. Blizzard is quite amazing at stamping out bots, at least IMO. So much so, that I've not seen a bot since the day after I reported one flying Sholo around the middle of Wrath.

Really. I'm sorry, but you don't play the AH enough.

There is a JC camper on my server that will underbid me within minutes of posting gems 24 hours a day. There are also bots that literally will run to the mail and back to the AH posting, cancelling, and reposting auctions. I'm positive the same will be applied to the BMAH if severe controls are not put in place, which will still likely fail.

Otherwise bots will simply increase the bid every time they are outbid, 24 hours a day, until the auction is done.

And even if the bots are stamped, the guys who play wow for a living (I know a few disabled retired GI's who do this) will camp the BMAH for those items, so you still wouldn't get them.

You need to let the economics take their course. Prices will eventually fall as the gold supplies get sucked up. Remember, Blizz is doing this as a gold sink in order to get the large bankrolls reduced.

[Slickrock]

As a side note, I'd go along with bid limits, but ONLY if the bids were restricted to once per day. Otherwise the AH botters will suck it all up, leaving the rich real players out in the cold, and the gold farmers with all the goods.

I think that could work. Possibly one bid per item a day, or even just 5-10 total bids a day for the entire Black Market.

Once per day would be the only way it would work. But...

The auction is supposed to end "soon". It's midnight. So you and 12 other campers are waiting until the last second to try to put in a bid, and you won't bid early, because then you can't bid again.

No, that won't work either. And it would artifically deflate the prices. I don't think that's the goal.

Remember, right now, the JC mount is going to cost 500k to make. Blizz is making gold sinks.

[Slickrock]

Saw an idea on the forums that would make sense, and allow for other players to have a chance at the BMAH...

It would be nice if some of these items 'occasionally' had buyouts attached to them, for a stupidly low amount. So that random players could get lucky from time to time.

[Gimlion]

I think that may work.

It kind of reminds me of the YO DAWG meme, with Xzibit, b/c I'd assume the really good items are already rare to find on the AH, so having a rare chance of a BO on it would be a rare in a rare...

Seeing that suggestion gave me an Idea though:

What if the really rare items, such as the rare drop mounts, only have a BO, instead of a bid?

Sure, the campers would still have the overall advantage, but it'd be much easier to camp, seeing as if you see it first you are likely to get it. Also, they could make it a rather large BO, so that it would truly be a gold sink, and still be for the wealthy to drop some gold.

[Ziarre]

I think festooning it with too many bits and bobs and dongles may just overcomplicate things and defeat the purpose = rare items on a rare basis as gold sinks.

[Slickrock]

I think that may work.

It kind of reminds me of the YO DAWG meme, with Xzibit, b/c I'd assume the really good items are already rare to find on the AH, so having a rare chance of a BO on it would be a rare in a rare...

Seeing that suggestion gave me an Idea though:

What if the really rare items, such as the rare drop mounts, only have a BO, instead of a bid?

Sure, the campers would still have the overall advantage, but it'd be much easier to camp, seeing as if you see it first you are likely to get it. Also, they could make it a rather large BO, so that it would truly be a gold sink, and still be for the wealthy to drop some gold.

Eh.. then they would still fall prey to the guys that are on 24/7. That's not fair either.

But having random ones with low buyouts would work.

Two other things to consider..

Looking at the TCG mount traffic on Darkspear, the big money isn't stupid either. Most items don't go for the insane prices, 200-300k for the mounts, 80k for things like the Reigns of the Deathcharger.

There are only two items in game that I would go all-in on. Mimron's Head, and the black AQ mount. Everything else I would be a lot lower. I'm sure that most other players have a short list as well for that sort of money.

I'm also sure that Blizz is reading a lot of forums to see what the feedback is.

[Slickrock]

I think festooning it with too many bits and bobs and dongles may just overcomplicate things and defeat the purpose = rare items on a rare basis as gold sinks.

True. The random low buyouts would likely be enough.

The real question is, would they offer the stuff I actually want to buy?... Ashes?.. not for more than 50k. Mimron's head? that's 500k. (Yeah, my toon is an engineer...