returning player tradeskill questionsFollow

I've been away from EQ2 for some years and there have been many changes to the game, I'm sure. I've read the thread for returning players and it's a great help. I'm being drawn back to the game mainly for it's amazing crafting system. I'm interested in selling crafted items on the brokerage and selling raw materials that I don't use in crafting. I know that each server's economy is different, but there are probably some generalities that can be made. Are there particular crafts that are more valuable (items sell better or steadily)? Are there advantages in hooking up with a guild and being a crafter for them? I would think guilds have tons of crafters, particularly low level ones. Are there certain crafts that are much more expensive to do than others as far as ingredients, recipes, or fuel? When is the next new version of EQ2 due that will make major changes to tradeskills (mentioned in a few threads on this board? I appreciate the insights and responses of the community.