BAZAAR TACTICS

Making a Living in EverQuest!

From what I know, it's about the cash flow! Who needs flash, to make the cash? For the best prices by far... look me up, in Bazaar! -- Bonzz

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Here are some tips, suggestions and ideas on making Platinum in EverQuest... and particularly in the Bazaar.

NOTE: Free To Play accounts are not allowed to set up Traders in Bazaar.

If you are interested in just farming for platinum (loot drops and then sell those drops to vendors)… I have a few recommendations. One is the Acrylia Caverns. The ore and runes drop freely, stack and sell for reasonable profits. Even better, is Siren’s Grotto. Stackable gems drop like candy here (most of which sell for over 35 to over 100 Platinum). Another place is the Plane of Innovation, where there is actually a wandering vendor in the zone, so you can loot your fill, sell, and repeat. Of course, your level and durability will play a big role in where you can go, but this has been greatly enhanced with the availability of mercenaries.

On a side note, when I use the term “merchant” and “vendor,” I use them interchangeably. What I mean by either term, is an NPC that sells and / or buys items to and / or from players.

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WHAT JUNK SHOULD I LOOT?

• As long as you have bag space, never let anything rot, if you have room to loot it! At the very least, use it for tribute or sell it to a merchant!
• If space runs short, more often than not, looting stackable items over non-stackable items is the best idea, as 20-plus of the same item can often out-price any single item.
• However, this is not always true, so.....
• Try to recall what sells for the most and if you have to leave stuff to rot, dump the least valuable stuff.
• "No Trade" items NEVER sell to a Merchant and will generally NOT tribute (with little exception, such as certain armor and weapons).
• This also true for "QUEST" items, for the most part.
• Use the Veteran AA summoned Merchant(s) to your advantage (sell without having to go anywhere).
• Take advantage of advanced looting. Always select NEVER (don't want it) or ALWAYS NEED (always loot it). Save ALWAYS GREED (roll  for it if no one else needs it) for armor/tribute items (No Trade, Lore...), if you use it at all.
• Always loot tradeskill items. They normally stack to 1,000 and can be sold to other players for more than  if you sold them to a vendor (due tradeskill quests, learning recipes, skilling up and so forth).

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HOW CAN I WIN MORE ROLLS?

• If you are allowed to roll (/random) on an item (not meaning the Advanced Looting auto-rolling), then roll! Even if you don't need it you can sell it or tribute it later!
• However, I wouldn’t roll against someone who actually needs the item.
• While rolling (/random) is technically supposed to be completely random, it does appear that being high roller can be influenced a little (or, at least, so many players seem to believe).
• Try not to be the first roller. Many have observed that the high roller is not often the first person to roll.
• It also appears that looking straight down and then sitting may sometimes help you roll better. Maybe reduced lag can help?
• Or... sit on your horse (or any other mount). Maybe the increased regeneration helps?
• Lastly, it appears that the higher your charisma and to some extent, your agility and dexterity, the better you might roll. Some of the luckiest players seem to be Enchanters and Shamans.
• These suggestions on rolling do not always pan out, but from my experience, they do seem to help some. In fact, a kink can be tossed into this as some groups get creative with rolls and vary the number each time (999 then 555, then 123, etc.) and / or designate low roller to be the winner (instead of the high roller). To be low roller, you might try to do the opposite of what is noted above.
•  NOTE: it does not appear that the Luck stat plays a part in rolls (/random existed long before the Luck stat).

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IS VENDOR DIVING (aka Merchant Mining) WORTH WHILE?

• My answer... absolutely!
• Vendor Diving is a term meaning you run about in key zones checking each merchant for items that you might buy and resell for a profit... or perhaps, use yourself (re: tradeskills).
• Vendor Diving works because merchants resell what players sell to them, to a point.
• Vendors do have a limited inventory, so after a point (about 100 different items), some items will "scroll off" their listings.
• The key zones to vendor dive in are the Plane of Knowledge, Plane of Tranquility, the Guild Lobby, Abysmal Sea, Arcstone, the Guild Hall (oddly enough), Corathus Creep, Undershore, Crescent Reach, the near-zone-in-merchants in each theme of Seeds of Destruction zones (Off Void) and any Wayfarer Magus (whatever zone they may be in)... and other primary vendor zones in each expansion.
• When Vendor Diving, take as much as you are willing to spend, so you don't have to run back to the bank and come back only to find the item(s) you wanted all ready gone.
• When there is a zone / server reset / crash, the Vendor's also reset. I have found that even after a reset, they sometimes offer some desirable items… if you are fast enough to be the first one to them.
• Key items to look for are high end tradeskill items, high value tribute items, unique "placeable" items (sometimes it's the "flash" that makes the "cash"), high demand "need" items and so forth.
• Hopefully you get the idea, here. You will have to experiment and keep your own mental list of what will resell (above your cost).
• Just keep in mind, even a small profit is a good thing, especially if the item sells every time you toss it on your Bazaar mule. Not that many players can afford big prices, but most can afford the more reasonable prices. Regular sales often mean bigger and more consistent profits, than the once-in-a-while major sales (cash flow).

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HOW CAN I TELL WHAT TO SELL TO A MERCHANT AND WHAT TO SELL IN BAZAAR?

• Generally speaking, outside of tradeskill items, if they appear to be a common drop (they drop every few kills), such items are normally best sold to a Merchant, Tributed (if they have a decent tribute value), or just left to rot so you have more room for better items. After all, anyone can farm common drops.
• Generally speaking, if they don't drop that often, you should try selling them in Bazaar before selling them to a Merchant (or tributing them, as another option).
• Obviously, items that are tradeskill items; certain quest items; current tradable gear; and more recent spells are often the most in demand.
• If an item is somehow in demand or useful, it is better to try and sell it in Bazaar and test the market for it (before you write it off as a vendor item).
• Research, research, research! Look the item up on the internet and see what it is for, if anything.
  • If they are used in a quest that results in a decent item, they might be in demand (unless a task step actually requires looting the item).
  • If they are used in tradeskills, especially in recipes that are for a skill level of 200 or higher, they are very likely in some demand.
  • If they are spells that are not Merchant sold, they are potentially in demand (rank 2 spells), especially the more current spells.
  • If they are not level restricted weapons and gear (they provide full stats to low level toons), they are often in demand.
  • If the item is merchant sold, anywhere, they are likely not in demand at all… unless they are items sold only by hard-to-access merchants (such as an item that is only sold in one zone, particularly a zone where some races are KoS); only sold by a single merchant (somewhere) and/or you are selling them cheaper than the merchant does (this can be true of many gems).
• Consider using the in-game notebook (/notes) or keep notes on paper! However, after a while, you start to learn what to loot / buy or not.
• Search the Bazaar and...
• Look to see if other Sellers are trying to sell the item.
  • Look and see if buyers are looking to buy the item.
  • This will give you a general idea of if an item is in demand or not.
  • If a number of people are trying to sell it, it might be a marketable item.
  • If people are looking to buy it, it is all most certainly a marketable item.
  • If no one is looking to buy it or sell it... it is either not very marketable, it is somewhat rare or it is listed at an undesirable price. More than likely, it isn't very marketable.

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HOW DO I KNOW WHAT PRICE TO LIST ITEMS FOR IN BAZAAR?

• Keep in mind that what players are asking in Bazaar is a LISTING price, not the MARKET price. In short, they might want 2 Million for it, but no one is a buyer at that price.
• Money gouging reigns in Bazaar. Just because the only person selling an Iron Ration is asking 1 Million Plat for it, does not make an Iron Ration worth 1 Million Plat!
• First off, get your charisma up (buffs, items...) and then go to a Merchant and see what they will offer you for an item. I do not mean what they will sell you the item for, but what they will BUY the item from you for.
• NEVER try to sell an item in Bazaar for less than a Merchant will pay you for it! You are trying to make money, not loose money!
• You can sort of track vendor prices for items by incorporating the Vendor price into your Sell Price. Example,  a Vendor may offer you 120 Platinum, 4 Gold and 1 Copper for an item. Round that up to 121 Platinum. Now incorporate that into your sell price in the form of Gold, Silver and Copper. Thus, you want to sell the item for 999 Platinum, so you put 999 in the Platinum slot. The you add 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Copper to your price as well, that represents the 120 Platinum you can sell the item to a vendor for. Now you have a line on the lowest price to price that item at, otherwise it's a better profit to just sell it to a vendor.
• Take a look at what Buyers are offering for the item. If anyone is seeking to buy the item, the "high-end" offer is generally a good idea of the minimum price to ask for your item. (If you like what Buyers offer, save time and just sell it to them).
• Now take a look at what Sellers are asking for the same item. They "low-end' price is generally a reasonable gauge on the maximum price you should ask for your item.
• Thus, you establish a minimum (Buyer offer) and maximum (Seller prices) to develop an idea of the real possible value of the item you wish to sell... and then you can price it accordingly. These two numbers can sometimes conflict. If so, just make your best call.
• Now make a decision… do you want to have limited sells for a good profit? If so, set your price in the high-range and hope to sell it.... eventually.
• Or do you want to move product faster and keep the cash flow going with more regular sells? If so, try to undercut all other sellers (even if by at just 1 gold)... just be careful not to sell it below NPC vendor prices (players will seek you out just to save 1 Gold per item, particularly with items generally bought in quantity (stackable items).
• Once you set up your trader, then price and list an item, your trader will always and forever recall the price that you set for that item.
• Generally speaking, the market value of that item will rarely ever go up, but it will often go down.
• If your item isn't selling, check the buyer/seller prices of others again and then re-price it! Go down on the price (again, don't sell below NPC vendor prices, or you loose money.... better to sell to the vendor for 1 plat, than to a player for 9 gold... make sense?). 
• In the rare instances where an item will sell to a merchant for over 1K, code it in as 9 Gold, 9 Silver, 9 Copper. This tells you that you need to check your /notes (or a vendor) to find the actual value, so you do not undersell it. This way you will never accidentally drop your price below "Vendor Value" and loose money.
• My habit is to list "new" items at a high value (the price is just a guess on my part, if there nothing to gauge it by)! Then, after a few days, start to lowly bring the price down (and down and down), if it isn't selling. After a point (noted above), I may just decide to sell it to a Vendor to make space for other items.
• This process keeps you from having bags full of junk that just isn't selling. Following this method also keeps the item for sale over a reasonable period, allowing you to gauge the market and perhaps sell the item before settling on vendor value. If an item doesn't sell by then, it will surely give you a level of confidence that it is best sold to a vendor (or tributed, as another option).

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CAN I MAKE MONEY WITH TRADESKILL ITEMS AND HOW?

• Well, yes and no. Mostly no!
• No, in the sense that getting your skill to a high level, where you can craft items that are marketable, is a costly venture.
• This is also because "skill-up" items are normally made in mass quantities and the market will often be flooded with them.
• It is also because the costs of getting your skill up, in the long run, will likely outweigh any profit you make from a sales.
• However, yes, in the manner that you can make items and sell them for more than they might cost you to make, but this is rare and is usually related to the current expansion (i.e. crafted gear, stat food / drink).
• So, you need to figure out what seems to sell, try to craft those items and then put them up for sell.
• Generally speaking they will not sell unless you are the lowest price, as you will not likely be the only person trying to sell such items.
• Don't expect huge profits or you will be disappointed. However, you might expect small and regular profits that add up, depending on the item.
• The reality is, however, is that the tradeskill components (ingredients) often sell better than the final item itself! This is because people are more in need of, or interested in, the ingredient-items (aka materials) for skill-ups / learned recipes.
• The only items that you can craft and sell to a vendor for more than it costs to make them are the special gems like Harmonagate, Prestidigitase, Taffeite, Miragestone and Staurolite. If you are a GM Jeweler, you can buy and "cut' these gems and then sell them back to the vendor for a nice profit (if you didn't buy them and have a lot of fails, that is)! HOWEVER, these days with the advent of the Artisan's Prize, these items are in high demand (just to learn recipes). Forget cutting them and list them in Bazaar for an even bigger profit.

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HOW DO I SET UP A TRADER & HOW DO I SELL?

• Hopefully, you have as free character slot on your account. If so, use that slot to create a character that will be specifically to use as a Trader in Bazaar. Otherwise, you will need to utilize one of your existing characters for this purpose (use one you rarely, if ever, play).
• NOTE: Only Paid Accounts can set up traders in Bazaar.
• Once you have your character created or decided, you need to set it up with the basics:
  • Buy (10) Trader Satchels from Merchant Tekrama in Bazaar. You will need to put this on your character, as only items that are in these bags can be listed and sold in Bazaar.
  • Set-up your bank with the biggest bags you can reasonably acquire. The bank is where you will need space to store all the items you will want to sell on your trader, eventually. Think of it as the "store room" that you resupply your "shelf items" from.
  • Set up your shared bank with the biggest bags you can reasonable acquire. This is the best place to transfer items to your trader. Just drop them in the shared bank and your Trader can then take them out and drop them into their Bank (see above).
  • You can also send most items to your trader via the Parcel system, if shared bank space runs out.
  • Next, put 100 different items into your Trader bags, on your character.
  • Now, set prices (ideas on setting prices are outlined in other places on this page). This will, initially, be the most tedious part. it can (should) involve an NPC vendor review; review of the prices asked for the same item(s) by other traders (aka sellers; /baz); and a review of the price any buyers (/barter) may be offering for the same item(s). You will also need to learn to use the Bazaar (Trader) window for setting prices. However, as you get set up and go along, this gets easier and far more expedient.
  • Finally, go up / down one of the paths around the center area (where the Bankers are), find one of the wooden platforms and stand on one of them (anywhere on the platform) and initiate trader mode (/trader).
  • You can stay on-line if you like, or you can use the off-line button to sell even when you are not actively logged in. If you go off-line, the next time you log this character in, you will be advised of any sales you made (who bought what and for how much) in the chat window.
  • The next time you log the character in, restock, set prices and start selling again.
  • When not actively playing a character on the same account, always have your trader up.
  • Variety is good, but having multiple-slots of the same "popular" item (it tends to always sell) is not necessarily a bad idea.

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BUY & RE-SELL! CORNER THE MARKET! DEFEND AGAINST UNSCRUPULOUS COMPETITION!

• Sell it to an NPC Vendor! You can sometimes make a lot of small coin profit by buying items from other players and then selling those same items to an NPC Vendor. You will be surprised at how many Sellers often list items at a price that is less than what a Vendor will pay for that same item! Example, a Merchant might give you 10 Platinum for a "Junky Trinket." There is a Player selling twenty of them for 5 Platinum each. You can go buy those items for 100 Plat and then sell them to the Merchant for 200 Platinum! You just made 100 Platinum!
• Refine for profit! Players often sell GoD Raw Materials cheaper than the refined material. Example, Shimmering Nihilite is made from Raw Shimmering Nihilite. This item is used in high level Jewelry making combines, so it is a somewhat in-demand item. The combine makes 1-to-3 of them at a time (if you are able to refine GoD Raw Material). Players may be selling the Raw Pale Nihilite for 20 Platinum each, while the Pale Nihilite is listing at 25 Platinum each. If you buy 10 of the Raw Pale Nihilite (20 Plat x 10 = 200 Plat), refine them (with average success of making two per combine), you will then potentially have 20 Pale Nihilite that could potentially sell for 25 Plat each (25 x 20 - 500 Plat). If so, you have potentially made 100 Platinum, over what it cost you to buy them. This is not to say, however, that Nihilite is a big seller! It isn’t. The idea here is that there may be strategic ways to make a better profit with some items and to look for them.
• Buy and re-sell! If you see any items that, from your experience, are generally under-priced... go buy them from that player, and then re-sell them at your (higher) price for a profit!
• Corner the Market! If you have the Platinum for this purpose, you can corner the market! It's a risky venture, but it can work. If there is an item you know to be in high demand (and / or rare), you can buy-out the other players who are selling that same item and you then become the sole seller of that item. You can now mark those items up! If people want this item, they will now have to pay your price. BE WARNED however, this works only so long as you are the only person offering said item, and the item has a level of demand! You also have to be sure you have eliminated (bought out) any competition that has under-priced you (after all, unless you constantly buy out new Sellers, you can and will get undercut by someone else)!

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If you note any errors, misspellings, item name errors, misinformation or anything that needs addressing on this page -- PLEASE let me know via an in-game EQ Message (Bonzz on the Bertoxxulous server), or post on Bonzz's Discord Server!

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This Page Last Updated October 14, 2023

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