WoW newbie looking for advice

[Monkey]

I'm going to go against the flow here and say, on your first character, stick with leatherworking/skinning. Sure it's not the most profitable profession combo, but crafting gear you can use and finding recipes is a very fun and satisfying part of the game. There's a bit of pride that comes when you look at a piece of equipment that says <Made by Thrak>. :)

I can see good arguments in both directions.

--I've made something like 200g before level 40 by mining, skinning, and using auctioneer with an undead rogue. (Tip: All rewards from the same quest do not vendor for the same amount. When quest rewards have no upgrade for you, use Auctioneer's Stubby module to select the one worth the most gold).

--Crafting is an oddly satisfying experience, and Leatherworking has some excellent druid pieces. Some people consider the recent epic chest armor to be the best for cat druids in the game. Crafting for friends is, in particular, very rewarding.

It really comes down to what kind of experience you want from your first character.