Talk:Shopkeeper's Guide

"Many of the items in the Kingdom can't be destroyed, only transferred. Prime examples would be just about all weapons and armor." Not true. Much of it can be "productively" pulverized. "Productively" in the sense that you can get twinkly, etc, powder out of it. If this will work out more economical than just buying twinkly wads (assuming that's what you really want), I haven't done the math. Some stuff only pulverizes to useless powder, and that doesn't sell well at all. --Club (#66669) (Talk) 15:40, 21 January 2008 (CST)

Is this really the best kind of article for the wiki? --CheezyBob 15:46, 21 January 2008 (CST)

The wiki contains guides, so I don't see anything wrong with this one. Actually I wanted to tell the author (GongLi) that the article has a nice writing style. That said, there are a few things I disagree with. In the section about pricing items (and we're talking about items for which there is actual demand), it gives three options: sell at mall minimum, sell at slightly below that price, or sell at the lowest possible price. Isn't that leaving out the actual smartest option: price above the mall minimum. Especially for stuff that moves in quantity like spices or clovers. --Prestige 17:14, 21 January 2008 (CST)

• While the wiki isn't usually home to trading related content, as it's too fluid and ever-changing to really write an article for, I like this one. --TechSmurf 17:22, 21 January 2008 (CST)

That is not what "arbitrage" means. Arbitrage means buying components and combining them into something that sells for more money. It has nothing to do with cheesehead attempts to corner the market. --PlatypusNinja 17:32, 21 January 2008 (CST)

I think that "Exploiting Price Differences" still equates to arbitrage, which is what this isn't. I'll suggest the name "The Artificial Momentum Strategy". --Jonrock 21:11, 21 January 2008 (CST)

"Exploiting Price Differences" is definately arbitrage. The best in-game example is Flea Market verus The Mall. Sometimes stuff good for low-level players sells better in the Flea Market, sometimes good stuff is cheaper than the mall there. Arbitrage in action helps eleminate that. --Club (#66669) (Talk) 12:51, 22 January 2008 (CST)

Arbitrage is "the purchase of securities on one market for immediate resale on another in order to profit from a price discrepancy." (American Heritage) Note that the dictionary definition doesn't even refer to commodities; it refers to securities. Combining items (as in the Sauceror example) is something else. I'm not sure what to call it as it's not exactly "value-added" in the strict Marxist sense, but it's not arbitrage. Arbitrage is a question of access, knowledge and capital; the Flea Market example above is a perfect example. Remaining a Sauceror to make a profit combining items to sell to non-Saucerors (at the opportunity cost of losing Still access, for example) is certainly not arbitrage. It would be nice to have a section called "Crafting for Profit."--Maddsurgeon 22:50, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Hullo all, GongLi here. Just so you know, I'm writing this article because it's what I wanted to read myself when I opened my shop but that the wiki didn't have. I appreciate suggestions, and I've already taken all of the above criticism and made changes. (Pricing above the mall, possibility of destroying items through pulverize, and my definition of arbitrage being 100% wrong). I'm trying to write in generalities because there are so many different contradictions and special cases. Hopefully this still makes sense and is usable. And if it's not, I'm willing to refund 100% of what you paid me to write it.  :) GongLi 20:56, 21 January 2008 (CST)

Thanks for the fix, sorry I grouched at you. --PlatypusNinja 16:38, 22 January 2008 (CST)

This page is badly outdated (which shows e. g. in listing Mr. A prices as 7 million) and I don't think it's terribly great advice in general; I think most people are never actually going to visit your store because they buy through KoL Mafia or the search screen anyway, and those who do browse leisurely (and thus may appreciate themed stores) are probably going to be new players who generally don't have all that much money to sink. This page is in need of a rewrite at the very least. --Akatosh 19:59, 20 October 2012 (CEST)