Freaky prices...

[Fulsta]

I noticed that certain trivial items(Threadbare thread comes to mind), when crafted sell back at almost a 200% profit, where as say...a refined tin sword can't even break a silver. I think there is some serious imbalance in the sell back price on some of these items. It is encouraging people to grind on items they know can turn a profit.

Also makes me think smiths got the short end of the hammer shaft again...

[Torval the Harvester]

Nothing is really supposed to turn a sell back profit, if you buy all your components. Making stuff from raw ingredients is cheap however, which can put cash behind the final product. I haven't done the math, but I'm pretty sure even a tin long sword turns a profit...if you bring all your own tin, make your own oil (for the hilt) and make all your own resin etc. I think it's resin, I tend to get my chloro stuff mixed up. Anyway, do all your own chemistry.

I *think* (doing rapid off-hand math) if you do all your own chemistry, get pristine results doing it (resulting in 4 of whatever) and make your weapons from scratch that way, your cost to produce a tin long sword (or really any tin weapon, though the ingredients differ if you are using rawhide hilts) is 54cp. That's going to go up slightly if you aren't getting 4 of your chloro stuff, but the difference is very minimal. You actually do turn a profit on 75cp sellback, you just need to harvest a lot.

Anyway, the xp you get making finished products really balances this. You need to be organized. You need to be dedicated, and you need to pay attention. But you can skill up and not lose money making even finished items, and you'll level faster than the guy who makes thread all day. It takes less mental effort to make thread all day, and it's a slow but certain method. Still, you'll win.

Btw, I am a craftsman to be armorer, so I do know what you are experiencing. I produced about 7 or 8 finished tin weapons, from scratch, and that took me from barely level 8 to level 10.

'Val

[Zendaken]

Let me also caution against getting caught up in the differences between percents and values - a 200% profit from 1cp is only 2cp. Vastly different than 1sp! In general, I'd recommend staying away from percentages for these things as without supporting information, it's very easy to misrepresent and misunderstand. I mean, they make books with the titles "How to Lie with Statistics". :D

[Brevis]

One pricing oddity I noticed last night while making tin ornaments:

Shaped Tin Ornament - 41 cp
Tin Ornament - 23 cp
Pristine Tin Ornament - 42 cp

[Zendaken]

Whoops! Be sure to /bug that!