Professional Farmers

[kandrathe]

But why do you think there is gold but few or no objects to be purchased with that gold entering the WoW economy?
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I don't.

I said it was irrelevant what items are purchased, since I was focused on the idea of money supply. My view is that there is more gold entering the economy than is destroyed via consumption, and as more toons cap, the money supply will grow out of control. As I see it, there are commodities (equipment, enchant mats, essences of fire, earth, water, air, etc) that are consumed in use/crafting, and there are static money sinks (mounts, training, reputation turn ins).

The toons-capping idea is interesting --- but are you really supposing that capped toons, MC-worthy and beyond, do not purchase anything?  and merely accumulate gold from gold drops and selling to vendors?

and therefore have chronically surplus gold?

After 60, there is some period of time when you "complete" your end game outfit, but the rate of change slows, and it will be more based on BOPS than purchased items. You no longer dump money into training, you have bought your epic mount, you farm all the rep you need, and at some point everything becomes excess.

you lvl-60's out there how about that, do you have "too much gold" and can't even spend it except by throwing it around like water?

i know my sole lvl-60 is chronically poor.  i kind of gather a lot of lvl-60's end up farming for gold to be able to continue raiding, given the expense in pot's and repairs ...  any other sample-points (lvl 60er's) want to offer their view of the world?

My raiding toon's expenses are usually < 2g per night. As an alchemist I can earn that quickly if needed by selling my Arcanite transmute, but I usually earn money "farming" for reputation or hunting for an elusive item (Blue Dragon Sinew). On a night when I die alot, my repair bill can be as high as 5g.

When I want to "farm" I can earn 10-30g in an hour, barring the occasional quality drop which fetches much more.

edit:
don't the 'older' lvl-60 toons end up selling BoE blues and purples to the 'younger' lvl-60 toons, just to make money?

Most 60's are guilded, and excess BOE's are usually trickled down into the guild where they will benefit the guild most. For example, if on a MC raid a BOE purple belt drops and no one on that raid can use it, then it gets banked and a guild member can purchase the belt (with raid points) from the bank. At the point where all guild members own the item, the item would get traded to another guild, or at the extreme AH.

don't a lot of lvl-60 toons just retire, when an alt is made?

There are two games, the "get to 60" game, and the "now I'm 60" game. Blizzard has done much to make both viable. I have one level 60 toon capped last May, and a number of alts (who are the support team). My 60 still has unfinished (non-dungeon) business, and has the opportunity to raid 3 or 4 nights per week, and all weekend if I desire it.

personally I think that eventually everything on the server will be priced in terms of how much gold a lvl-60 makes per hour - and be stable around that point.

i suspect that a capped toon makes about 2g an hour and so whatever mats take a half hour to gather will converge to be worth about 1g.
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If you look at any "commodity" on the AH there is a supply and demand curve. For example, I spend an hour once in awhile fishing up 20-30 Deviate Fish, cook them up as Savory Deviate Delight and sell them at the AH for ~20-40s ea. The price I can fetch depends on how many are listed, and the "current market" price. Invariably there will be someone selling way below market (which I buy) and some way above market. I set the price at just under what I believe at that moment a person is willing to pay for them, and sell in various quantities (1, 5, 10, 20) to cater to different consumers "packaging" needs. And, you have unexpected events, like effects being nerfed, or this last Halloween "free costume" period destroying the market.