GTN pricing and undercutters

[Khevar]

not "fair" undercut. Reasonable undercut.

But I understand your need for personal autonomy. It makes me smile. Hope you're not one of those whining on prices for Revan's Mask or some bigger than life Rancor mount.

Perhaps the seller was tired of relisting without a sale and wanted a sure thing?

 

I've done that with the 2.0 artifact implants a while back. I crafted a bunch, listed them for a reasonable price, some sold, some didn't. Kept relisting the ones that didn't with no sale several times.

 

Perhaps if I micromanaged the GTN listings it would have done better. But I find that boring. So after the third posting at a "reasonable" price with no sale, I dropped it by 40% and they sold within the hour.

Edited December 28, 2014 by Khevar

[discosoc]

because I sell with those prices. But I knew someone would come up with ridiculous hypothetical situation.

 

So to be clear: no, I don't mean severely overpriced items. I mean normal price that sold yesterday, 3 days ago and a week ago. Just above crafting cost with small margin

 

"just above crafting cost" and "small margin" mean nothing on their own. Anyway, if you're so worried about someone undercutting you, then just buy their item and relist it. I suppose if you're an idiot, you might not realize that opportunity, but it is there.

[Tolunart]

not "fair" undercut. Reasonable undercut.

But I understand your need for personal autonomy. It makes me smile. Hope you're not one of those whining on prices for Revan's Mask or some bigger than life Rancor mount.

 

I don't give a damn about either one, and I'm not sure why only your opinion should be considered reasonable. It doesn't sound reasonable at all to me, I get the impression that you would freak out if someone put the salad fork in the wrong place.

[AizaTalzin]

I always undercut the market.

 

People were selling the Sensuous Dress tops for a high end of 5 million to a low end of 2.1 million. I had an extra and posted it for 500k. Sold within minutes. Funny thing those same sensuous dress tops going for millions are still sitting there listed for millions being relisted by the same people every two days.

 

Crystals I do it. I sell any and all non animal mounts for 10k or less. I sell animal mounts for 100k. The most expensive item I sold was a rancor for 2 mill when people were selling for 15. I got crap in gen chat for that some time back and yet all I said was "Welp Im 2 mill richer and your rancor is still sitting there for sale..."

 

I undercut because I have everything I want in game and need free space. I undercut to sell quickly. I will always undercut the market by a seriously large amount. The problem is people are posting items for such high prices that they just arent worth it. A 25 million Rancor? 10m cybernetics torso? 1 million for a pink expertise crystal? Thats ridiculous. But hey, if someone comes along and pays you that price... good for you! No skin off my teeth. However if youre posting the same item day after day, week after week, for the same price and no ones buying... perhaps you need to learn that people arent biting and to lower the freakin price or you will always get undersold.

Edited December 29, 2014 by AizaTalzin

[Edzew]

on my server the 36 (level 58) purple augments sell within 150-200k each.

Based on the prices of adaptive circuity there is profit (even without crit) even at 120k.

On weekend lots of people post around 150k (sometimes a tad lower) while on work days they sell for around 200k.

This fluctuates of course, but you get the idea.

Saturday night I saw no might augments on sale. Thought it might be a good opportunity to sell mine for 200k. The price wasn't ridiculous, just a price you will pay on tuesday. And having in mind that i may have to go down to, say 180k. Still good price

Today I saw them for 145k. 90% of sellers tried to be near the "setting price" -mine 200k, but every now and then someone posted 10k lower than the next highest price. And it floated down to 145.

Normally I'd just shrug and wait it of, but tried an experiment. I bought all but mine, and reposted them again for 200k (not all). 15 minutes later someone put their 5 augments for 150k. 2 pages of 200k postings, and then they post for 150k. Why not 199? why not 190?

This made me create this thread. I just wonder.

 

and for those of you who like to feel superior, or the better person and would like to make me a greedy pig: I know the price will eventually go down to 120k or less if purple mats will go down too. Just want to play the market a bit, or in other words get my private achievement on this. If it will not be possible, well I tried.

 

And I still wonder

 

you know you answered your question of why right here... you stated the prices on the weekend are around 150K but you chose to hike up the price because you didn't see any on the GTN to the weekday price of 200K. so why are you surprised when others post their items for what you say is the normal weekend price??

[JamieKirby]

just make me wonder. Why undercut fair market price by 25% if you are just a second seller?

Why not 1,2 or even 5%?

Inflation of prices

 

All players care about is profit, they don't care how much they sell things for as long as the profit made is very high, otherwise its just not worth selling.

 

Also, most people tend to not have a clue on what an item is worth, i have seen a full stack of Silica and Desh being sold for 1k-2k, even though items made from those materials are being sold for 2k-6k each....and you can make like 25+.

 

Ultimately most players just don't have a clue on the worth of items, they just try to put as many 0's on the price tag to see how high they can set the pricing before it fails and since you get your deposit back if it succeeds or fails, they have nothing to lose.

 

I suggest to bioware to remove the return of the deposit, you lose it regardless if it sells or fails, that will discourage players from just adding 0's like morons, considering they tend to be extremely cheap when it comes to buying things.

[Edzew]

 

I suggest to bioware to remove the return of the deposit, you lose it regardless if it sells or fails, that will discourage players from just adding 0's like morons, considering they tend to be extremely cheap when it comes to buying things.

 

i would be up for this IF and only if bioware would make it where the deposit would actually fluctuate on how much you actually list it for... there are items i have listed on the GTN cheaper than what bioware thinks i should be listing them at and yet i still have to pay a higher deposit... then i try and list a pair of boots from a cartel pack and the deposit is 1 credit and im listing the stupid thing for 1mil...

 

the whole deposit thing is just dumb and needs to be fixed and then have it like you said... to where you loose it no matter what. that would stop a LOT of the stupid over priced items on the GTN and keep people form using the GTN as a second storage slot

[LordArtemis]

Well, at least this sparked an interesting discussion.

[Drockter]

i would be up for this IF and only if bioware would make it where the deposit would actually fluctuate on how much you actually list it for... {snip}

 

Completely agree... deposit should be a reflection of listed amount, not a reflection of BW's perceived value.

[LordArtemis]

Completely agree... deposit should be a reflection of listed amount, not a reflection of BW's perceived value.

 

I would agree with this as well. If deposit was based on actual posted price folks would be much less likely to pull and repost, which would reduce market price fluctuations.

 

I would certainly dislike not being able to do this any longer with certain items without suffering substantial profit loss, but I would agree it is fair and would therefore support it.

[Brewski]

No one explained to me yet the reason for huge undercutting. I mean you see two pages of augments with price around 200k and post your own (all four ) at 150k? Fast sale would be at 180 at best.

Only if you believe it will sell at 180k. If you believe posting at 180k will make buyers hesitate long enough for someone else to undercut you, then you lest lower to guarantee a sale.

 

I sell primarily Augment Kits, and I always undercut by a small margin and sell within minutes, so my sell price fluctuates a lot with the market. That said, if I log in and see that prices for Mk-10 kits are at 120k a pop, I know they will not stay there long enough for me to sell my inventory. In these cases, I undercut by a large margin, because if I list mine at 119k I may sell one or two before I get undercut, but when I check back in an hour, the price will be back down to 80k, and I'll have to pull and relist mine.

 

So in the above example, why would I list mine at 119k to sell 2 and relist 8 at 79k when I can instead list them all at 90k and sell the whole batch?

[TheSkate]

 

No one explained to me yet the reason for huge undercutting. I mean you see two pages of augments with price around 200k and post your own (all four ) at 150k? Fast sale would be at 180 at best.

 

I undercut by a large margin in most cases because I am not a greedy bastard out to screw over the entire server. To me NOTHING craftable is worth more than double the cost to make. 90% of the materials you use for crafting should come from the field or companion jobs, not the overpriced GTN.

 

I do understand that the overall market is what ever the consumer is willing to pay, it's just that MY market is based on what I am willing to charge.

If I see two pages of augments going for 200k, and the materials only cost me 50K, I am going to sell for 100K max and give the gougers aneurisms.

Edited December 29, 2014 by TheSkate

[Drew_Braxton]

It's a free market. Don't play the market if you can't stand some competition. I don't gouge on prices for what I post unless it's something really rare. I figure if it's the only one listed then it's worth a bit more to someone.

[TX_Angel]

Crystals I do it. I sell any and all non animal mounts for 10k or less. I sell animal mounts for 100k. The most expensive item I sold was a rancor for 2 mill when people were selling for 15. I got crap in gen chat for that some time back and yet all I said was "Welp Im 2 mill richer and your rancor is still sitting there for sale..."

 

There is undercutting, then there is silly, but more power to you...

 

I've sold Rancors for 15m within a day, that price does sell...

[Holocron]

Here's something for you to sink your teeth into:

 

I sell certain items, that for whatever reason have only a handful of regular sellers. Now that I've been selling in my market for a long while (and making great profit), I do my best to keep prices fixed pretty high. I've witnessed firsthand the crazy prices some people will list at, but I expect it, and as a good seller so should you.

 

 

As part of my routine I will undercut all current sellers and newcomers alike on a very regular basis, regardless of price. My goal is to make money before the other seller, and by continually undercutting and re-listing, I can effectively drive new sellers out of the market and make current sellers give up in frustration. There are times when I have to list stuff way lower then I want to, even at break even prices for me, but if you want to win the GTN, you have to be persistent. So expect really low under-cutters and make them feel like they are wasting their time, because you are willing to go the long mile. Believe me when I say "NO ONE" will keep listing at a loss for any length of time. They may come on strong, but stick with it and they will give it up.

 

 

Also, there are a couple of reasons you may see wild prices. The player may be new to that market, and is taking a stab what the item might be worth. Or it's a drive-by seller who only has a handful of said items and is just looking to unload them. Maybe he/she cleared out their bank for space, and don't give a damn about current market price trends. Or, it could be a seller trying to scam based on per unit pricing. It could even be someone trying to set a new average price range for that niche. The point is, it really doesn't matter why, just know that it will happen at some point.

 

 

I know everyone thinks they know what is the right price range for items, but in reality most don't. Your items are only worth what people will pay for it. And with that knowledge you have the power to become rich. Let me give you an example. I fight with my 2 or 3 rival sellers everyday on pricing in my market. They seem to think the items we sell are only worth X amount, and they list at that. They been doing it a while and they think they know their markets. However, when their listings aren't around (due to my persistence), I can sell the same items for 50-150K more per item all day long.

 

 

A good seller will keep resetting the market higher and higher until they find that perfect threshold for price vs sale time. You should always test that on a regular basis. My rival sellers think they know the market and are resting on their laurels, so they are losing out on millions in sales daily, and I would even wager it's the same type of seller that would post on the forums asking why people undercut.

 

 

 

 

On a side note - price fixing. I've really considered contacting the few sellers in my market and helping them realize they are losing out on profit and maybe starting a co-op in the market to foster price fixing between us. I will still advocated undercutting each other whenever we are listing, but only by a few credits, and reset the market if we are the first back to it. I don't give a damn about buyers other than getting their credits, so their concerns don't apply here. /thoughts?

Edited December 29, 2014 by Holocron

[enigmacypher]

What Holocron above said is mostly true ..

 

You also need to remember that there are a lot of players like myself who can craft items themselves as they have enough alts to make anything and everything..

 

the only items that this might not effect or should not effect are those bought with real money from the cartel market ..BUT these are effected too if one player ends up with a lot of an item and needs to make space (I clear out all character and legacy vaults every 2 months or so to make space and get rid of the junk I am not using) ..

 

YOU can't fix an economy by fixing prices all it does in create further issues..

 

some items list for way more than their true value (never mind the idea of sending companions out on missions .. If the items can be gotten free from a node as a rule you are looking at an almost 100% mark up anyway)

 

I agree players who craft items to make credits should be able to but at the same time you can't turn a whole economy into a cash cow for the sellers to make it all better for them while everyone else suffers the consequences because they are unable to afford or compete .. look around NA you can see the effect of price fixing everyday here with people living under bridges ...

 

If I am making something and choose to sell it for less than you that is my choice..

 

Don't flood the market with your items .. 1 or 2 at a time ..

Don't look today at a new item and think that is the stabilized price as there is a mark up because it is new which declines as people get the item that want it ..

When setting prices make sure you check the prices later on to make sure you haven't been undersold (the number of people undercutting by 1 to 10 credits on an item btw makes me NOT buy that item it is so annoying to see it and 1 to 10 credits is hardly a killer) ..

 

Caveat emptor means let the buyer beware which is a real world legal term ..

There is also caveat venditor which is let the seller beware..

 

I know it sucks but there are some people who actually like "playing" the AH/GTN markets in these games and this is just how the "cookie crumbles"..

 

also can't believe this thread is still going on

[Holocron]

What Holocron above said is mostly true ..

 

You also need to remember that there are a lot of players like myself who can craft items themselves as they have enough alts to make anything and everything..

 

the only items that this might not effect or should not effect are those bought with real money from the cartel market ..BUT these are effected too if one player ends up with a lot of an item and needs to make space (I clear out all character and legacy vaults every 2 months or so to make space and get rid of the junk I am not using) ..

 

YOU can't fix an economy by fixing prices all it does in create further issues..

 

some items list for way more than their true value (never mind the idea of sending companions out on missions .. If the items can be gotten free from a node as a rule you are looking at an almost 100% mark up anyway)

 

I agree players who craft items to make credits should be able to but at the same time you can't turn a whole economy into a cash cow for the sellers to make it all better for them while everyone else suffers the consequences because they are unable to afford or compete .. look around NA you can see the effect of price fixing everyday here with people living under bridges ...

 

If I am making something and choose to sell it for less than you that is my choice..

 

Don't flood the market with your items .. 1 or 2 at a time ..

Don't look today at a new item and think that is the stabilized price as there is a mark up because it is new which declines as people get the item that want it ..

When setting prices make sure you check the prices later on to make sure you haven't been undersold (the number of people undercutting by 1 to 10 credits on an item btw makes me NOT buy that item it is so annoying to see it and 1 to 10 credits is hardly a killer) ..

 

Caveat emptor means let the buyer beware which is a real world legal term ..

There is also caveat venditor which is let the seller beware..

 

I know it sucks but there are some people who actually like "playing" the AH/GTN markets in these games and this is just how the "cookie crumbles"..

 

also can't believe this thread is still going on

 

 

I agree with pretty much what you have said, and I want to expound upon the highlights in red. I totally agree (depending on the item) that you shouldn't flood the market with the same items. This will trick buyers into the scarcity buy. It's also a good practice to cast your selling net wide, so that if one item tanks, you are not hurting for sales.

 

Also with the price undercutting, I usually find what works best is an undercut of anywhere from 50 credits to 10K credits. I'm not saying that 1 credit undercuts don't sell, but rather when buyers search for the lowest price and they see yours, it doesn't look like you are an undercutting 1 credit douche, so they are more apt to trust you and buy.

[jstankaroslo]

Here's something for you to sink your teeth into:

 

I sell certain items, that for whatever reason have only a handful of regular sellers. Now that I've been selling in my market for a long while (and making great profit), I do my best to keep prices fixed pretty high. I've witnessed firsthand the crazy prices some people will list at, but I expect it, and as a good seller so should you.

 

 

As part of my routine I will undercut all current sellers and newcomers alike on a very regular basis, regardless of price. My goal is to make money before the other seller, and by continually undercutting and re-listing, I can effectively drive new sellers out of the market and make current sellers give up in frustration. There are times when I have to list stuff way lower then I want to, even at break even prices for me, but if you want to win the GTN, you have to be persistent. So expect really low under-cutters and make them feel like they are wasting their time, because you are willing to go the long mile. Believe me when I say "NO ONE" will keep listing at a loss for any length of time. They may come on strong, but stick with it and they will give it up.

 

 

Also, there are a couple of reasons you may see wild prices. The player may be new to that market, and is taking a stab what the item might be worth. Or it's a drive-by seller who only has a handful of said items and is just looking to unload them. Maybe he/she cleared out their bank for space, and don't give a damn about current market price trends. Or, it could be a seller trying to scam based on per unit pricing. It could even be someone trying to set a new average price range for that niche. The point is, it really doesn't matter why, just know that it will happen at some point.

 

 

I know everyone thinks they know what is the right price range for items, but in reality most don't. Your items are only worth what people will pay for it. And with that knowledge you have the power to become rich. Let me give you an example. I fight with my 2 or 3 rival sellers everyday on pricing in my market. They seem to think the items we sell are only worth X amount, and they list at that. They been doing it a while and they think they know their markets. However, when their listings aren't around (due to my persistence), I can sell the same items for 50-150K more per item all day long.

 

 

A good seller will keep resetting the market higher and higher until they find that perfect threshold for price vs sale time. You should always test that on a regular basis. My rival sellers think they know the market and are resting on their laurels, so they are losing out on millions in sales daily, and I would even wager it's the same type of seller that would post on the forums asking why people undercut.

 

 

 

 

On a side note - price fixing. I've really considered contacting the few sellers in my market and helping them realize they are losing out on profit and maybe starting a co-op in the market to foster price fixing between us. I will still advocated undercutting each other whenever we are listing, but only by a few credits, and reset the market if we are the first back to it. I don't give a damn about buyers other than getting their credits, so their concerns don't apply here. /thoughts?

 

very well said Holocron.

 

I tried once contacting people to set price, but from my experience -this doesn't work. Half of them don't give a damn, some of them want to PvP you, not make money etc. Try it, maybe you can succeed. I didn't.

[calypsissmexy]

You don't understand because you're thinking like a store owner and undercutters just want sales to pop quickly so they can have cash in hand ASAP. People undercutting by 25-30 percent aren't sustainers. They are grabbing cash fast and they don't care who buys as long as they buy quickly.

 

Low level gear has the opposite problem. People make a tier 1 custom chestplate and sell it for 100k. I undercut those ******es 80% and look like a hero but it still only cost me maybe 10% of my asking price. I've popped 5 chest plates tonight and made what that 100k seller wanted in 5 hours and his is still listed.

Edited December 29, 2014 by calypsissmexy

[Beltane]

I'm 100% fine with normal undercutting (i.e. cheapest item is 50 so you list for 49k, whatever, that's the name of the game).

 

What drives me up the wall is when people take something that sells like hotcakes for 75k and drive the price down to 30k. REPEATEDLY.

 

I was making bank on dyes that would literally sell out within an hour for 75k but now so many people are selling for 30k that there's no sense in buying them up. The same people just make new dyes and list them for 30k.

 

I don't get it... why don't they want over double the credits they could make?

 

Stupid.

[Kulyok]

What Holocron does is a solid market strategy. I'd just add that there's no use in contacting other sellers, because people come and go, and frankly, driving these bastards out is much more profitable for you in the end.

[unicornfive]

just make me wonder. Why undercut fair market price by 25% if you are just a second seller?

Why not 1,2 or even 5%?

Inflation of prices

 

Buy it and resell it then.

[Ruskaeth]

I do enjoy when prices of crafted basic items tank! That just makes pockets of people more deep so that they can squander more credits on items from Cartel Market via GTN.

[EnkiduNineEight]

Shouldn't you retitle this thread to something more appropriate

 

GTN Pricing and why wont people allow me to price gouge?

[Legolose]

just make me wonder. Why undercut fair market price by 25% if you are just a second seller?

Why not 1,2 or even 5%?

Inflation of prices

Because ppl price crap way to high like something that was normal 250k they try and inflate the price up around 500k so I under cut the hell out of them and sell the same thing for 100k I give two s**ts about "How bad Im undercut your price" deal with it, and I will keep undercutting you guys till you stop overpricing crap