Topic

Join the discussion... herb prices in auction too high, due to sniping, just right?

Have changed the title of this because it has evolved into an interesting forum on what people think. 

Here are my new thoughts about the matter:
-I still believe it would be nicer if herb prices fell a little.  However I'd like to make it clear I'm not attacking anyone who sells or buys at high prices. That is totally your decision.  And I understand your motives.
-I still don't think sniping in general is awful, but I do think it's a problem when it comes to herbs.
-I'm surprised that a community which is generally super nice responds kind of nasty to a forum like this.  Kind of supports this: http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/13879/
Sorry to instigate or contribute to this nastiness. 

What I originally thought was fair:
Purple- 194 (note: actual selling price less now)
Gandlevery- 250
Hairball- 302
Rookswort- 320
Rubeweed- 280
Silvertongue- 270 (note: actual selling price significantly less now) 
yellow crumb- 302  (note: actual selling price significantly less now)

UPDATE: Just to let you all know, I grow all my own herbs in the community gardens.  I have accumulated more of certain types than I could ever use.  So I set out to auction them.  And found snipers and automatic programs were artificially inflating prices to a point which the common glitch can't afford.  Not suggesting, exactly, that common prices are unfair.  Just suggesting that lowering prices a tinsy weensy bit could help everybody partake in the fun that is herbs.  
So I will flood the markets with my discounted herbs.  Hopefully I can help keep prices down.

Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • it can be done if the auction is circumvented, but as long as people are able to manipulate market prices in auction via sniping scripts, it's difficult to stop certain people from buying inexpensive commodities and then reselling them for an elevated price, all automatically, which would do nothing to reduce price. It's the same problem many commodities face in auction and the basic problem with "market" economics for a paradigm like the one Glitch *appears to desire.. In my case, it affects vegetable and drink prices. And so I don't participate in auction very much any more. what's the point of trying to provide a lower priced good if someone is just going to come along and jack it up again to "skim the cream"?

    I'd prefer to barter with trusted parties and gift to both them and others on an ad-hoc basis. I would suggest that you form coops with other people to create a circular system. It can't hurt even if auction is sorted out at some later date
    Posted 12 months ago by Woochi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • trade in person; trade by mail; establish trust networks.
    Posted 12 months ago by CrashTestPilot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I only have a very small bog house, and I'm just getting my garden started (I don't know any herbalism so my shucking fails fairly often, so it's tough), but I'll be willing to join in on the fair-selling once I get my garden up and running sustainably.
    Posted 12 months ago by LeifOnTheWind Subscriber! | Permalink
  • the market will bear what the market will bear.

    herb growers are getting what they get because they can.

    it is unfair for people not producing herbs to decide what herb growers should pay.

    if you don't want to pay those prices, grow your own.

    if it's uncomfortable or impractical for you to grow your own, now you understand the prices.

    please feel free to drive market prices down by flooding the auctions with lower priced herbs.
    Posted 12 months ago by flask Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Check out the farmer's market thread. It may very well have the makings of a method for doing just what the op wants.
    Posted 12 months ago by Woochi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • In total agreement with Flask.

    This is a hiccup in the markets--it's great for some and gross for others.

    It is not a problem that sometimes, certain opportunities in Glitch open up higher proportional rewards than others. That doesn't mean it's "not fair." It is only "not fair" if they don't have the option to join in.
    Posted 12 months ago by Pomegrandy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What flask said.

    It's the market. People buy it because they think it is worth that much. You may think it's too high for you but is not for other people.

    If anything, it would be great if TS could introduce new items with the same kind of scarcity and utility as herbs.
    Posted 12 months ago by BTS0x0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • BTS0x0 wrote: If anything, it would be great if TS could introduce new items with the same kind of scarcity and utility as herbs.

    It certainly would.  Unfortunately, we know herbs won't be scarce forever as TS intends to make modular home options and herb gardens for everybody that wants one appear to be on the drawing board.

    So the herb growers are making hay...er...herbs while the sun...er...firefly shines.
    Posted 12 months ago by Warrender Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Do you think that having an alternate trade only market would help reduce the cost of herbs and ease the demand? I am trying to get ideas and organize a trade only Farmer's market. I mainly started it because of the issues in the community herb gardens but I think it may help distribution (I would be more likely to grow corn if I knew that I could trade it for herbs for potions)
    Posted 12 months ago by Sparrow Odele Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I've been slowly trying to drive down the prices on some of these (although my focus has move to tree poison).

    But it hard with the current size of the economy. For months and month herbs were all but usleess on auctions. Heck, I once got in a multiday price war with purple and at the time I think we were driving the price down to 19c or less per. So this is just adjustment. Same thing happened with fireflies the first Zilleoween and was SIGNIFICANTLY less the 2nd one. When the next shiny skill comes along, herbs will go back to being reasonable.

    It is my one complaint with the auction sniper however. When the price is being sold at three times or more the "listed" value, it is hard to sell at even twice the normal price because it will be snagged up by folks who just resell. Which is with in their right. And if the demand weren't there, the prices wouldn't stay at these high prices.

    Profiteering? Perhaps. So is the nature of things. But it isn't price fixing.
    Posted 12 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Bog home owners have very few financial advantages - on the rare occasions we do get one, why is it so terrible?
    Posted 12 months ago by Jewel Stoned Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Anyone selling herbs should get as much as he or she can. Only a fool would sell for less than he/she can possibly get. If someone is buying for that price, they are worth that price.
    Posted 12 months ago by Billy McBinky Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Billy McBinky 
    I don't appreciate the name calling.
    I'm only trying to accelerate the natural process of falling prices that will eventually happen.
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • ... yes, but it's fine for you to call herb sellers profiteers...

    ETA: I've never sold a single herb, but I still don't like the implication of your title...
    Posted 12 months ago by Ozlaine Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Puhleeze. Last time i checked, Tangy Sauce (an ingredient in Purple Essence with a vendor price of 75 currants) was going for 350c! And how much do you make on those Earthshakers, anyways?
    Posted 12 months ago by N2ZOrtolanaBlue Subscriber! | Permalink
  • At the moment, herbs are a pain in the butt to grow. They are, in my opinion, worth well over what the "info page" states they are worth (which is really pretty arbitrary). If people are trying to sell them for more than people are willing to buy them, the price will naturally go down--but there is a limit. At some point the price will drop so low herb growers won't go to the enormous effort required to grow them, and then the supply will bottom out.

    Herb growing is completely different from produce: some herbs only yield one per harvest, and two seeds per shucking at the highest level of herbalism. This means that half your garden goes to making seeds for the next round, and there is a maximum of only 12 plots per house (many with less). It takes a LONG time to grow a decent number of herbs.
    Posted 12 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I just don't buy them pure and simple. It is my form of protest I guess <shrug> If nobody buys them, they are not selling, then prices will drop.
    Posted 12 months ago by Casombra Amberrose Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I remember having a very similar discussion in Faunasphere.  If rich players are manipulating prices attempts to stop them via the market generally only make the manipulators richer.
    Posted 12 months ago by Josiah Thimblerig Subscriber! | Permalink
  • All we need is tincture of zucchini, and essence of spinach, and all us cropdwellers will shut up.
    Well, no, not all of us.
    Maybe just me.
    Posted 12 months ago by CrashTestPilot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Either that, make mushrooms DO something herb-like and allow them to be grown in both kinds of gardens.
    Then pull them from the grocery.
    That'd be interesting.
    Posted 12 months ago by CrashTestPilot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Also, the vast majority of stuff in the auction sells for much less than you could get for selling it to a tool vendor (especially when considering fees), so it's refreshing to me to see the occasional product that is actually an attractive option for auction sellers. The only reason I sell awesome stews on the auction instead of to vendors is I feel like selling it to the vendors, while netting me more currants, is a waste of food that could be useful to a real player.
    Posted 12 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • You all make valid points! It's really interesting to hear what other people think about the issue.

    @Ozlaine
    Fair enough. 

    @Bruja
    Attacking one overpriced thing at a time! Also people are very nice in the gardens about making you tangy sauce if you can give them the ingredients they are missing.
    If by "you" you mean me, I don't sell earthshakers. If you mean "one," earthshakers actually often go for under the price listed on their tag.

    @Shepherdmoon
    Agree with most of what you said.  It is really hard to grow them. 

    You all may notice my prices aren't very low.  They are in fact higher than the prices will probably natural settle.
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • double post.
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • o_o what in the world happened with your posts lol
    Posted 12 months ago by Vinchon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wow talk about Spam Isabelle!
    Posted 12 months ago by Casombra Amberrose Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would like to clarify that I wasn't trying to spam, just didn't fully think through that clicking multiple times wouldn't make it post faster.
    Posted 12 months ago by Isabelle the Pug Subscriber! | Permalink
  • LOL, it's ok--it happens. I suggest you edit those posts to read "double post", or some such thing.

    Never mind, I see you're doing that.
    Posted 12 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • lol you must have been pretty impatient to bash the button 11 times.
    Posted 12 months ago by Vinchon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i am very amused that for ages crop people have been all snooty about their economic advantage over bog dwellers and bog dwellers have said, yes, but we have our herbs and the crop gardeners have repeatedly said well, fine, then, just you try to make money off of those! and now that bog dwellers have ONE thing that's profitable, it's a problem?

    i'm sorry, but i just don't see it.

    all you crop gardeners just suck it up and use your huge crop gardening profits to buy the herbs you want, or just shut up about it. it's not good enough for you to be fabulously wealthy unless some other people can't have the same advantages you have? pish tosh.

    disclaimer: i live in groddle meadow. i can afford herbs because i'm a crop gardener. welcome to prosperity, bog brethren!
    Posted 12 months ago by flask Subscriber! | Permalink
  • flask, you always make the most awesome posts. bravo.
    Posted 12 months ago by Parrow Gnolle Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm still wondering why guano is so expensive on auction, only costs 15c worth of feed to a batterfly to get a guano, yet people still pay outrageous prices for it...
    Posted 12 months ago by Tint Subscriber! | Permalink
  • So it doesn't work like the button at the crosswalk?  Weird.

    Still, adorably pug-like behavior!
    Posted 12 months ago by Crag Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Double-second flask, to cover both posts here. If herb growers want to put together a concerted effort to flood the AH market and lower prices, then it's going to require supply and coordination, and a private Group is the best place to do that. On the other side of that trade are players who have amassed large currant stacks, which is why they can pay the going rate.

    In the meantime, I'm just going to keep doing my runs to the community garden with seeds, herbs and guano for people who are tending plots.
    Posted 12 months ago by Holgate Subscriber! | Permalink
  • People write auction sniping scripts for Glitch? Where no real money is exchanged? Wow, some people just have too much time on their hands.
    Posted 12 months ago by KatGamer Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm another one in favor of herb growers getting a really good deal now that herbs are really valuable. More power to 'em! It's interesting to just let the market run and see how things fluctuate. It's a living system, isn't it?

    Disclaimer: I'm not profiting at all on herbs because I live in a crop garden house. I sure don't want anyone to think I'm snooty and begrudging toward the herb-growing peeps. 'Cos I'm not. :)
    Posted 12 months ago by Flowerry Pott Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If the auctions were eBay style auctions instead of "if you like my price, buy it now"  this situation would settle down faster.
    Posted 12 months ago by Tsu Dho Nimh Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The herb prices are too damn high!
    Posted 12 months ago by Volkov Subscriber! | Permalink
  • People write auction sniping scripts for Glitch? Where no real money is exchanged? Wow, some people just have too much time on their hands.

     What kind of boring attack is this? I could make the same remark about you playing an online flash game. It's called a hobby. Some people like programming, some other like to play games.
    Posted 12 months ago by BTS0x0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Volkov Thank you! I was going through this entire thread, just waiting for it. If somebody hadn't done it, I was going to.
    Posted 12 months ago by girlthulhu Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I guess I should go beg for some Tangy Sauce at the gardens then Isabelle, because apparently it's ok for chefs to jack up the price to meet demand for their goods but an atrocity for herb gardeners to do the same.
    Posted 12 months ago by N2ZOrtolanaBlue Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Rubeweed at 500 per is painful but understandable.  That's cause Rube can give you an item worth more than 3k.  I just got a cauldron from him.
    Posted 12 months ago by Pming Subscriber! | Permalink
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