Thread: Gaining a personal supplier

@Reverb so far I've managed to keep on top of it on my own, but it's a pretty fine line at the moment, I'm considering employing helpers but there's so many people on my server with shady attitudes i'd be surprised if I found anybody trustworthy enough. Got the next two weeks off from college however so I'm sure that I'll be fine in the short term.

Originally Posted by Flabadoff

@Reverb so far I've managed to keep on top of it on my own, but it's a pretty fine line at the moment, I'm considering employing helpers but there's so many people on my server with shady attitudes i'd be surprised if I found anybody trustworthy enough. Got the next two weeks off from college however so I'm sure that I'll be fine in the short term.

I suggest you check out the consortium key sender, amazing little tool

I don't have the need for suppliers atm but when i did i found them by in game mailing people who consistently had postings for what i needed on the AH, recruiting people who sold to me in bulk from trade chat, and lastly i would make trips out to Uldum and Twilight Highlands and bark in general. The last method only worked a few times and it seemed like if you were in the zone, most people would be happy to sell for you but did not want to work for you. My prices also changed day to day. I would check current AH value for every item i was willing to buy from a supplier, decide what i was willing to pay for each item, then send out mass in game mails to all farmers and suppliers i knew of/had deals with. This took extra time but i feel it brought more people in as it took away a lot of trouble for them. They never had to ask me about prices or quantities, it was all laid out for them. I guess my point is that if you really need suppliers, think outside the box when looking for them and do whatever you can to make their relationship with you as easy and streamlined as possible.

I've never had a supplier ever respond to one of my tells or in-game mails even if I offer slightly above AH prices. Maybe it's for the better, however, as sometimes you don't know how many bots that person is running and you might not be able to afford all the stuff they send :P

@Xsinthis Yeah I've been using the CKS, it's pretty epic, however even prospecting and milling almost all day every day scarcely covers the amount I'm being sent, but short term time commitments in return for goldcapping 3 times already and nearly 4 is not too much of a price to pay

Setting up steady suppliers is a great way to get ahead. I have found there are two basic types of farmers. First, The regular joe player, they typically have a gold goal in mind, and once they hit that (or get bored) they are done. They seem to average 3-4 weeks, and will often return to you now and then over time as they need more gold, again, usually for a short period of time. The second supplier is the botter, they will send you large amounts of materials for as long as it is profitable for them to do so. These guys are pros, be ready for a full mailbox every day and have the funds to cover. I had one guy sending 250 stacks of ore per day every day, after a couple months he disappeared, a week later, new name in the mailbox letting me know he was back to work on a new toon. This has happened a few times.

When I negotiate prices I try to keep it fair, and within 5-10 gold of the current stack price. Prices can rise and fall in days/hours/minutes, there is nothing wrong with paying a little more for a week to keep the supply going for months. If prices are cheap in the AH you are hopefully buying them all out anyway. If prices lower for seven or so days, I will negotiate for a new price.

No matter which supplier you have, honesty and integrity are key factors imo. I have had many farmers send me materials and forget to hit the COD button. Do the right thing when this happens, pay them for the materials sent, and let them know they forgot to hit cod and you paid for it anyway. I have had a few farmers that would just send me ore without a cod at all, I would reply with gold at the agreed price and/or the current rate in the AH. When you gain a loyal farmer you want to keep them for as long as possible.

Originally Posted by siren

When you gain a loyal farmer you want to keep them for as long as possible.

This is the most important thing to remember. It may take a while to find a good supplier, but when you do, if you stay honest and keep them happy, they can seriously take care of you.