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Got the blues?
I admit I've fallen prey to it myself; the lure of the coveted blue or purple item. They have long, fancy names, they're usually very ornate, and they have multiple stat bonuses...most of the time.But they're also hard to come by, and ridiculously expensive...at least at the auction houses I usually frequent. And, I've noticed on more than one occasion, they're really not all that much better than some green items of the same level. Sure, they might have one or two extra bonuses, but is that really worth a markup of several hundred (or thousand) gold, when you can get an item that's very nearly as nice for just a couple of gold...or less?I have hung onto some blue items for longer than I would have been able to wear a comparable green one, but the money I spent on the blue items was still probably more than I would have spent just upgrading the item once or twice, and I've had a few green pieces of gear that have served me better & longer than some blues. Of course, there are exceptions, and there are other ways to get gear other than buying it at the auction house, but still...in these instances, is the color really worth the cash?
Dubious practices #1: Auctioneering
It's sometimes hard to work out what sort of behaviour and practices are acceptable ingame, and the "grey area" of slightly dubious practices is filled with dodgy dealings that some players applaud and others despise. One of these is auctioneering--the well-established practice of playing the auction houses to maximise one's profit.One of the most common tricks players use is to have an alt sitting in the AH, and to mail goods for sale to that character. You can then log on as that character--also called a mule--and do your AH trading without the bother of having to transport your main character to and from the auction house. More advanced strategies involve the use of tradeskills along with the mule, such as learning Enchanting so that you can disenchant any rare items: enchanting components often sell for more than the original item. You can also give your main character gathering skills (mining, herbalism or skinning) and your mule corresponding crafting skills (blacksmithing, alchemy or leatherworking), even setting up strings of mules for the most efficient use of your loot.
