Exploiting Abandoned Production

For a change, I have been playing with glyphs.  This is different from before because .... ummm...

OK, well it's different because there was yet another glyph trade war, and  I bought out Breevok's stockpile of glyphs.

There was a glyph trade war horde side.  Toward the end of last month, I had competition from a camper, with multiple accounts.  He then started posting just after my morning login, reducing my daily sales to about 100g per day. About 85g profit for a full post/collect mail cycle is a pain. 

In response, I crashed the market, first to 30g, then down to 25g and 20g, bodychecking them.  I still had room to move. I only reduced the prices when I thought that my opposition would be in a position to undercut me soon.  As a side effect of doing so, my sales returned to 500-800g per day, with a lower profit margin but higher overall profit.  Still not going to get me to the gold cap anytime soon.

Even though I was trying to crash the market without selling anything, re-stocking was becoming an issue.  Glyphs can take a long time to mill and re-craft glyphs; especially with a crafter on the opposite faction.  I really did not want to craft 1000 glyphs, only to sell at cost.  I fully expected my competition to have similar feelings.  (No one enjoys crafting bulk glyphs).  However, camping 1 copper undercutters have always annoyed me, more than re crafting glyphs.


It was at this time I needed a couple of pugs for a Shannox attempt.  I pugged Breevok, who used to be a big glyph player, but has become casual in his gold making efforts.  I also knew he had previously contemplated selling his stake in the glyph market.

I have never been afraid to 'exploit' others products and services (in a purely ethical way). Breevok's glyphs were horde side (bonus), was prepared to take gold alliance side (also a bonus), and affordable (trifecta - woo hoo).  A stack of each glyph is roughly 6500 glyphs.  These glyphs at roughly cost price is ... a significant amount.  I only purchased his glyphs, not to have him drop a profession.  That's OK.  I know how long it takes to re craft 6,500 glyphs (I had roughly 13,000 when Cata hit). 

I have gold; more than most; less than some.  I still wince at single transactions of this size.  It'll be alright in the long run.

The sad thing is that I didn't even have time to unload my new glyphs onto the market horde side, when my competition disappeared.  We have some new aggressive competition alliance side with a new name, which might (or might not) be my old horde 'friend', but his heart is not in it as much.

The good thing about the recovery after a price crash is the reduced competition.  There are still two solid competitors that followed the prices down, and a couple of re-entrants that bailed earlier, but still easy pickings (this week at least).

With glyphs, I find that 12 hour auctions allow prices to recover quickly.  I will be undercut within 12 hours anyway, and the cancel/under cutters will reset.  I am currently making more gold per day I post glyphs horde side than I made posting glyphs horde + alliance a month ago.