Sure, they have more money than you, but it doesn’t matter… at least for me it didn’t. I didn’t want to be like them, was, and is willing to negotiate almost anything, and enjoy being honorable much more than infamous. Different strokes…. Yes, I realize I may be able to make more the other way, but I’m well satisfied.

So how can someone buying up rare items and posting them for insane prices really help you, the typical auction house guy/gal? Let me count the ways:

They make the market more volatile. These guys, especially in World of Warcraft, are infamous for buying up lots of items and reposting them at exceptionally unreasonable prices. What this means is that when you find a deal, especially when you find an item that they’re already posting for below avg, you can post yours for average or higher and will likely get that because of the other insane price making yours seem like a good deal. Even if another exact item isn’t up for sale at a huge price, typically due to the others in the same category being higher than yours, your item will sell.

They help raise average prices for the server’s entire economy. It’s odd to think that just one person can affect an entire economy, and in fact this is largely only by a small %, but over the course of a few weeks, especially in a newer, existing volatile economy, the insane price auctioneer can help stabilize things higher than they would have been if he wasn’t there in the first place. This means that people will and do often post items for “average” or below average prices based on other servers or sites like Allakhazam, when the actual economy is a bit higher, meaning you can resell yours for the higher price and make amazing money.

Here’s my favorite way they can mean more profits. This has happened to me lots of times in World of Warcraft and I laugh every time I visit the mailbox. I buy up a good deal, resell the item for usually around average, and then the insane price jerk (I have to assume not all of them are jerks but I have yet to see a non-jerk insane pricer speak out in public… maybe they keep to themselves) actually buys my item. Even really high priced items, I’ve had bought from these types of people, and then see back in the auction house. I’m just happy I made my profit.

It is easier on your reputation not to be the well-known insane price auctioneer. There’s usually a guy that’s made fun of for the prices, and you’re not him. Be thankful that people browsing won’t pass up your item just because of your name.

Tags: auction house, world of warcraft