Gold Making 101: Trade Chat

I will admit, I am not generally fond of trade chat. Most of the time the text that scrolls through is miscellaneous chatter that can sometimes be quite obnoxious. That doesn't mean trade chat isn't useful. As a gold maker trade can be your friend. You can use it to advertise that you have posted something on the auction house or you can advertise to sell something directly.

Hecklers

Most of the time when you advertise with a price attached (WTS [Awesome Thing] 1k) you will get a few hecklers. These are the people who tell you that your item is overpriced or generally unwanted by anyone. Ignore these people. Most of the time these people are upset because they want to purchase the item but don't have the gold to do so. The people who have the gold and want to purchase it are not going to be persuaded by these people. I can't tell you how many times I have sold items despite trade being full of complainers.

Haggling

Haggling is a great tool as a seller. When the buyer feels as if they are getting a deal then they are more likely to buy. Pick a lowest price before you decide to sell and stick to it. Also, be sure to mark up the item in case of hagglers. I have [Awesome Thing] that I purchased for 300 gold. I am willing to take as little as 500 gold and the average value is 800 gold. When I post my WTS in trade I will mark it up to 1k gold to allow for hagglers to work me down a bit.

If you are buying an item from trade always haggle. Even if you end up paying full price it is a good idea to always at least try and haggle. If there is a long pause after you suggest a lower price then it is likely that they are considering it. Sometime you will get a response in which the seller makes it clear that the price is firm. In those situation it is not recommended to haggle further. Keep in mind that some sellers are in trade because they have an item that they want to sell quickly. Often they are impatient and willing to sell for less that the value.

Remember that trade chat is your friend and will serve you well for selling items as well as buying items. Being polite and ignoring the hecklers will earn you a reputation as a serious buyer and seller. In the end, trade chat can be a useful tool for the gold maker.