$$$ThoriuM HeaveN$$$ (TOP SECRET)Follow

Heh.

Returning to some place the mobs are weaker than they once were, and/or using Stealth is no "Top Secret".

I do that all the time on other metals. Mithril was once dangerous to get when I was in my high 30s to early 40s... but now, there are mines I can walk in, without getting aggro.... or if I do get aggro, I kill it really damn fast.

And now, that I am levelling in Outlands, many mobs in Winterspring and WPL are green to me, and all of those Thorium Veins sitting around in the hillsides are easy to get to, without having to dodge yellow mobs all over the place now.

I never understood why Thorium is so expensive... its not THAT hard to get. In fact, I find loads more Thorium than I ever did Mithril...

--Xylia

I have a theory about this. Simple supply and demand. Pre-TBC, thorium was the highest level common ore, used for all the high level crafting recipes. Hence, high demand.

Post-TBC, all the higher level characters that used to wander around and farm in places like the plaguelands and silithus are in Outland, where there are no Thorium veins. Low supply.

I went through at least 100 STACKS of ore getting my JC through the 250-300 stage. Blacksmiths use at least as much, if not more. Most people are too lazy to go out and farm it themselves. Farmers know this and charge people extra because of it. I didn't buy anything off the AH, I spent 2 weeks of doing nothing but farming thorium. I didn't do it in silithus though

On my server, thorium prices aren’t any where near what you guys have. In fact, the best ore for profit per danger involved per number of veins available is something else lower than thorium.

Another reason for higher prices is just that more money can be made by higher level characters, so they’ll buy things at higher prices now. Prior to TBC, I think most people were averaging about 20g an hour on straight up farming, assuming no drops that you would later sell for more money (thus skewing your per hour rate because you wont necessarily do that every hour). Now, it’s at least closer to 40g an hour or possibly more, if you have some ‘top secret’ location, and not just for a level 70 char. Due to the prices of raw mats, a trade skill may be able to net you even more than that if you choose not to do straight-farming.

Stealth-mining by a druid or rogue has always been a good reason to do it on that class, even if you’re around the same level. Not having to fight everything except the mob close to the ore vein you want works very nicely.