Addon Spotlight: Getting started with TradeSkillMaster auctioning

Last time on Addon Spotlight, we talked about TradeSkillMaster (TSM) crafting. It was a bit of a slog, but I hope some of the readership were able to take the instructions and get TSM and have a bit of a go at setting it up. The setup is definitely a trial, but it's so worth it in the end.

This week, we're taking our hard-earned crafted items, and we're going to sell them on the auction house. It is kind of the idea, after all! Just like last time, if you haven't already, please ensure that if you're trying to follow these instructions that you've got all the relevant modules of TSM installed. PowerWordGold helpfully and correctly pointed out in the last column's comments that TSM Gathering is outdated and should not be downloaded, but get the rest. As you get more accustomed to the addon, you'll be able to work out what you use and switch things off if they're not necessary.

Download TradeSkillMaster: TradeSkillMaster.com, Curse

Again, with this column, I'm not going to be getting into the really detailed super-user aspects of TSM. Like I said before, it's not really necessary to just get up and running with it. Once you've begun, you'll inevitably start working out how the additional elements work, and the more advanced guides will start to make more sense.

I linked setup instructions for these guides in the past, so I won't be delving into the details for each profession. This is just a general guide.

Right, that's the housekeeping out of the way. Once more into the breach, my friends!

OK, we mentioned last time about running scans, but it bears repeating in case you're reading this column first. If you go over to the auctioneer and hit the TSM tab, you'll see this screen. Click the Run GetAll Scan button, if it's not on cooldown. It's good practice to try to scan as regularly as possible. Your scanned data informs TSM for all its decision-making processes.

You can also see on this screen, to the left, Post Auctions and Cancel Auctions. We'll be getting to those later, but first we have to do some configuration.

Auctioning groups

TSM's auctioning works on a group-based system. All the stuff you want to sell regularly needs to be in groups, and those groups need to be in categories. I wouldn't recommend you create a ton of groups or categories for things you sell occasionally, but once you've got TSM crafting your wares, using it to sell them too will really cut down your time.

So let's get started creating a group. Type /tsm or click the minimap button, and then click the second button down on the right side that looks like a coin with a hole in it. You'll be greeted by this menu.

Happily for us, in the general options, there's really very little that we need to change here, but there is one very important box that needs to be unchecked (hence my bothering with a screenshot). On the right side, top line of the right section, there's a check box labelled "Hide advanced options." Make sure that's unchecked.

Default Auctioning Group settings Next up, head over to the left side and click onto Categories/Groups, and you'll see this screen.

Here, we're going to be setting the overriding parameters for all our auctioning groups. If you can read the screenshot above, we've got various settings to play with, all of which are personal to you and you should think about how you want to set them up. All of these options have very detailed tooltips, but a few key ones are from Post Settings downwards.

How long do you want TSM to default to posting your auctions? How many items per auction? How many auctions at the most at any one time? Scrolling down further, we've got undercut setting (how much you want to undercut the lowest price), bid percentage (how much less than your buyout you want your bid cost), and your maximum price or fallback settings. Maximum price is the price at which you'll post when you're the only one posting below 5,000g. For now, don't worry about the stuff below that.

But how can you possibly know all those figures for every single type of thing you want to sell? Of course, you can't. TSM knows that, too; we're just setting defaults here to try to save ourselves some work down the line. Readers of the last column may remember how, when setting up their crafting groups, TSM allowed them to set general settings, then settings by profession, then settings by item. This is much the same.

Making a group Click across a tab from the general settings to "Create Category/Group." Amazingly, this is where you create your categories and groups. It's good practice to ensure your groups are all in categories, so first, skip down to the lower of the two dialog boxes and think of a category. I was going to call mine Tallulah, but I decided to stick with Jewelcrafting in the end. Clearer that way.

Create your category, and it'll appear over to the left in a fetching turquoise color. Click on it, then go to the middle tab, and check it out. All the same settings as we went through for the default auction group settings above. If you're happy with the settings, just leave them alone. If you're not, then right-click grayed-out areas to alter them.

Now, back we go to "Create Category/Group." This time, let's make a group to go in our category by using the top dialog box. It'll appear on the left again; click on it, and hit the middle tab. Whoah! We can change all these settings by group, too!

So here, for example, you can see a very, very basic set of groups. Hanging out at the bottom left, we've got a new group without a home and without anything in it, as we see on the right. In the add/remove items tab with the group selected to the left, we can take items from our bags and drop them into groups. Here, as this character's group is called epic gems without recipes, we're going to select the two epic gems the baby jewelcrafter doesn't have recipes for. These are going in a group by themselves, since I would want different settings for them than cut epics, and they don't belong in any of my other groups. It's notable here that you can't set the auctioning options per item.

I've selected them both, and clicked Add. Done. Now, we need that group to go into a category. Click the category on the left, and TSM presents you with a very similar screen to the one above, only instead of items not in any group, it says groups not in any category. Grab your group, and click add.

You can create as many different groups and categories as you like or as few, depending on the selling rules you want to create. Think of each group as a rule and the items you put in there as being bound by that rule. Want different rules for inferno rubies? They need their own group.

Notes on groups One note: Within your groups, if you want to set the pricing rules around a percentage of crafting cost (which I do), then you'll need several groups with one item per group. TSM can't work out the percentage cost there any other way. It will try to "fix" your groups if you have that set up wrong. That sorts it pretty easily, but you can end up with a lot of groups!

Last, you can import groups. Under our first stop, "Create category/group" in Categories/Groups, there's the option to import groups. You can find a few ready-made sets of groups. Click the Import Group button, give the group a name, make sure it doesn't take stuff from your existing groups by checking the box, paste the code in, accept, and click import. Profit.

Working with auctions

Well, we're already set to go. I think that was easier than setting up the crafting side, don't you? Head over to the auctioneer and bring up the TSM panel on your auction house pane.

Click Post Auctions. TSM applies all the rules to all your grouped items, undercuts competition where applicable, or posts at the fallback if there's no competition. If you can read it, it's done that in one click for 44 items in my jewelcrafter's bag. You just need to click Post 44 times (there are ways to do that more easily, but this post is too long already), and you're done! To skip one item, click Skip Item when it appears at the top left.

Just below Post Auctions is Cancel Auctions. Click this button, and TSM checks through all your posted auctions and cancels the undercut ones and the ones where you're the lowest priced seller by your preset amount to repost at a higher price. Again, this is done only for items in groups, all in one click.

Next week, tricks and tips in TSM. If you have any to share, let us know below!

Addons are what we do on Addon Spotlight. If you're new to mods, Addons 101 will walk you through the basics; see what other players are doing at Reader UI of the Week. If there's a mod you think Addon Spotlight should take a look at, email olivia@wowinsider.com.