Investing in Wow Gold Research

Posted by Markco at 8:00 AM

Author: Aleithia.

I feel like I know the Jewelcrafting industry inside and out. My first character, started in the middle
of Wrath, was a JC. It feels pretty straight-forward to me, though it does have some hidden gems to
discover as well. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!) I did a lot of research as I was learning, which led to a more profitable business.

Offline Research

Spending some time out of game can help you increase your sales. If you’re reading this article, you
already know the value of reading gold blogs. While the specific tips you learn here will last for a while, it’s the strategies and broad-reaching concepts that will serve you well over time.

The recently redesigned WoWPopular.com does shows what gems, enchants, gear and glyphs are
popular. Sites like WoW-Heroes.com or AskMrRobot.com give gear, gem and enchant suggestions for
players. Raiders and casuals alike use sites like this to maximize their characters. Plug in some people
from your realm to see what they recommend for various classes.

Major forums and guides give similar suggestions. As a Paladin, Maintankadin.FailSafeDesign.com is
invaluable for me as I look at gems/enchants to use. ElitistJerks.com has gearing/chanting/gemming
guides for all classes. WoW-Professions.com has profession leveling guides. Find the choke points for
various professions and try controlling the market by buying out materials and relisting at a higher rate, or spend some time farming for those hard to find skill-up points.

In-Game Research



Lately, I’ve been dabbling in Inscription. I’ve had a scribe (my bank alt) for a long time now, but I’ve
finally decided to start figuring it out. I’m not sure I’ll be in it heavily because it takes too much time for a casual gold-maker like me, but it’s helpful knowing the industry. I’ve probably spent 5-6k leveling the profession, plus another large sum in end-profession inventory (Darkmoon Cards, Glyphs, Fortune Cards, etc.). Eventually I’ll make that back in profit, but I’m in no hurry.

More importantly, I’m getting a sense for how the business works and what sorts of things are valuable. It’s worth it to me to lose money on items because I thought they’d be big sellers but weren’t. It allows me to focus my efforts more effectively. I’m also able to learn where competition is just too fierce for my liking.

What sites have you found helpful for researching what consumables, enchants, etc. people need? What was your biggest investment loss? (Mine was an ICC pattern I foolishly picked up and crafted to sell, only to discover there was a badge alternative that was much better. I ended up with an abyss crystal and about a 3k loss.) What investment had a surprise pay-off?

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