Part of running a cult is the pleasure of initiating people into the inner circle. While that is one of the creepiest sentences I have ever written, I do amuse myself with my 'Cult of Reasonable Prices' concept. Instead of approaching the market from a pure business standpoint I approach it from a more social and interactive one.
It may not surprise anyone that I've met a lot of people recently. Some have asked me about my market and I've settled down happy and begun the first steps of converting people to my method of thinking. My most recent conversion, evil PvPer of great skill was somewhat restiveness. When I tell people that they will giggle in glee within a few days they are doubtful. After all low sec? Pirate infested systems? Who will buy from them?
The answer is, anyone. Right now, low sec is starving for stuff. I've experienced it on my own and now I am experiencing it through other people's efforts. There may be a day when I have become the Church of Lowsec but until that time, every little market that opens is an Oasis in a desert. Have a pirate infested station full of -10 PvPers that kill everything? People will still slip in and out and buy your stuff.
Yesterday I was discussing how I'm looking at T2 manufacturing. Markets, like industry projects, are things that you set up and then maintain. They have periods of hands free time. Right now, I'm neglecting Bosena more than I normally would. That means it is getting updates 1-2 times a week. It means that Altean guilt trips me on how he had to travel to Teon to buy missiles. But it also points to the sustainability of the market. You do have to maintain it just as you do an invention line, but you don't have that immediate right here results.
The trade off is that ISK comes over time depending on what you put into it. NPC Killing directly injects ISK into your wallet. A market (of reasonable prices) will pour a steady turn over of ISK into the wallet. And it will reward you over time and reward you for the efforts you put into it. For some of us that is fine. There is a lot of pleasure to direct ISK injections but the market plays to the slower movement of Eve game play. Where we invest into projects for returns over a period of time.
I think it is fun to flip through all of the things that sell everyday. Those converted have noticed the same thing. Every wallet flash is something selling. Seeing the things moving is something I can only define as fun. It is not classic go outside and play fun but it is enough to make you smile and get excited and want to list a few things more. And a few things more.. and next thing you know it makes perfect sense to learn Wholesale with your main.
This is how the cult converts someone. Fun with markets. It is a real thing. I promise. It involves the stuff selling. Hence, one embraces reasonable prices. Then fun comes. Even for bitter, old pirates. Bitter old pirates who suddenly discover the glee of watching Nanofibers sell. Nanofibers! Amazing. What else sells? Invuls?
Lowsec. It's the gateway market.
Dear Sugar,
ReplyDeleteYour "cult" IS the pure business standpoint. Selling lot of stuff for decent profit is much better than selling a handful of stuff for 500%. The poor and dumb 0.01-ers don't get it.
I don't know if your "cult" is just a defense against argument (as they can't argue with "I'm just trying to help lowsec") or do you really believe you'd make more ISK if you'd try to rip off everyone?
It is simply a fun, easily expressed way of going against common beliefs or principles. I'm asking people not to squeeze every cent they may be able to out of something for a potential higher return over time because I believe it is better for everyone.
DeleteI've never claimed to be an analytically business mind, remember. I'm the artsy dreamer type who takes on challenges because they believe its the right thing over numbers backing me up. The numbers come for me at the end, not the beginning.
Reasonable prices and large cuts leads to higher volume sales, less time spent micromanaging prices and greater overall profits than price gouging.
DeleteI learned that lesson a long time ago in another game. In fact a big part of my motivation to start playing the auction seriously in that game was because prices were ridiculously high and I wanted bring them down to reasonable levels.
Lessons learned and techniques polished there translated very well into Eve.
Selling a lot of stuff at 500% markup is far better than selling the same lot of stuff for a "decent" (ie. single digit percentage) profit. And, no, it does not require micromanaging your orders, nor playing 0.01 games.
DeleteMonopolies can and do work in the EVE market. Just like scams, there are no game mechanics nor EULA rules in place to prevent them.
Selling things for a 500% markup would invalidate the entire area improvement aspect of my market as well. The huge markups and regional lock-downs do work I'm sure, I see them everywhere. None of them will have the side effect of improving life for the local residents.
DeleteGood stuff Sugar. I do some indy and trade. Looking at trying some losec pirating soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen I do I will be sure to do a little stocking of my local market too :)
Also you were #7 on my balot. Good luck with the elections, hope you get in.
Thanks for the support, John.
DeleteMissiles? So people do use them.
ReplyDeleteThey have started to again! They stopped for a long time. The HAM nerf hit them hard. Then RLM started to sell. Then they where nerfed. Rockets have always sold fairly steady. Now HAMS are selling again.
DeleteLast year I had a brief time running just rigs out of a low sec station in Nennamaila, and I will agree with you. For a few months, it was great fun watching the little ticks in the wallet and slowly watching wares sell to all the pvpers. I'm not doing it now due to time constraints and a desire to see another part of Eve, but dabbling in the markets is fun.
ReplyDelete