Setting up a TraderFollow

Here's the basics:

Go into the bazaar and go to the middle building, the first npc on your right as you enter from the front sells trader satchels (for about 1pp each). These are 10 slot containers that you need to put the items in you wish to sell (PS - won't want to use out of bazaar or bank as they weigh 25lbs each).

Once you have purchased your satchels, put the things you want to sell in them and go stand under one of the varios trader stalls (bascially any covered area up and down the rows) and type /trader. This will bring up your trader window - from here you can price all your items (put in price, hit set price, hit add to list). I usually check the average bazaar price (type /bazaar to get up bazaar search window). Once you have everything priced and ready to go hit begin trader.

You cannot have your trader up and play an alt at the same time (unless it's on a different account). You can only play one character from an account at one time. I know most people (myself included) just leave their trader up over nite or during the day while at work - then you (hopefully) get to come back to a whole lotta PP :-)

Hope that all makes sense....

Clio

Just to add something.

You can use the /trader command anywhere in the bazaar. No just when standing in the stalls. However, if you hit the "start trading" (or whatever it's called) button, it wont work unless you're standing in a stall area (and will tell you so). It also wont work if there is already the maximum number of traders allowed (550 atm).

This is significant because lag in the bazaar is a pain in the butt. You can reduce lag significantly by standing face against a wall (best method IMO). You can spend your time with /bazaar and /trader open setting up your wares before stepping up to the much laggier stall areas (laggy because there's a zillion people crowded around). No sense making life harder on yourself then it needs to be...


Piece of advice about trading: Take some time to look at prices for awhile before starting to trade. See what the "normal" prices are for items. Some folks will throw ridiculous prices out there. Don't always assume that because there's 3 of item X selling for 5k that 5k is the correct price. I've seen items that no one will ever buy for that price, but people continue to try to sell them for that simply because that's what everyone else has up. Don't assume that the first prices you see are indicative of what an item will actually sell for. Until you actually sell something, you'll never know for sure what folks are really willing to pay.


Start out by looking at the prices and trying to go just a bit below the lowest price. Unless the lowest is a huge drop from the average that is. If that's the case go for second lowest. You want to maximize your profit, but you also want to move product. You can spend a week trying to sell that one item for 5k, or you could sell it for 3k in a day, and use the 3k to make a half dozen other trades (assuming you're actually going to play the market a bit). A bunch of moderate sales will generally be worth more in the long run then one big one.


That's not to say you can't hold out for good prices though. I usually have a lot of "cheap" stuff that I buy and sell, making a small profit on each. I also keep a few "big" items, that I price kinda high. I don't mind waiting a week for those to sell (assuming they do). Don't put your eggs all in one basket though, and don't get into the buying/selling game until you really know what will sell. The hardest items to price are those that don't have high volume. However, those are also potentially your biggest profit makers. If you're the only one in the bazaar selling something, you can obviously charge more and get away with it. If there's always a dozen items for sale and yours is the highest, you'll never sell yours. But if there's never more then a couple for sale, you can price highest instead of lowest, and eventually you will sell yours. Once people buy the cheaper ones and yours is all that's for sale, you'l sell it.


But the most important bit is to watch prices. Make a point of always dropping by the bazaar and looking at prices for things you're interested in. Pick a small set of items you want to buy and sell. Maybe a particular class of spells. Or a specific set of tradeskill components (acrylia, velium, or silks). Become the expert on the prices for those items. You're essentially counting on the fact that you'll know more about the prices then some of the people buying them. That's what will allow you to buy items when they are cheap and sell them for a profit.


The same logic applies even if you're just buying stuff for your use, or selling stuff you've accumulated. Watch the market, and look for the best prices. Taking the first deal you see is not always the best idea.

Hey - thx for that one I dídn't know!

1) The prices you set are saved in a file on your PC, so when you re-enter trader mode it checks to see what items you have priced already. So once you have your trader set up you can just go straight into trader mode

2) All banks in EQ are linked automagically. Put an item in your bank at Erudin, travel to Ak'Anon, and your item will be there in your bank waiting for you.

3) On the /trader screen, you just click the item, click to set the price, click Update Price. You remain in trader mode, able to be purchased from, throughout the process.

As long as were doling out the tips :)

If your planning on leaving your trader up 24x7 as I do, don't set your prices on the weekends. Overall prices tend to be lower than average on the weekends as the bazaar is typically flooded with items then. As a general rule of thumb you will sell the most volume on the weekends and make the best profit on weekdays. Every week I also drop all of my prices on items that did not sell the previous week by 25% This ensures that sooner or later I move my items.

I would also recommend parsing your bazaar log at least once a week if your serious about bazaaring. Learn what sells and during what times and pick those items up cheap during the weekends. There is allot of money to be made on small and mid level items, especially tradeskill subcombines. If you do find a good item on your server DONT POST IT on a message board :) at least not if you want to keep making PP on it.