Why you can't sell enchants on the AH
Neth says they've covered this issue before in the forums, but I don't remember ever covering it here: Why can't you sell enchants on the Auction House? All of the "production" professions allow you to post your wares in the AH so they can sell even when you're offline, but not so with enchanting-- to make some cash, you've got to stand in a city and spam away until someone comes along who wants your enchant.Lots of players have said that it would be nice if enchants could be stored on scrolls that could then be sold on the AH, but Blizzard has said no-- not only is Enchanting an "elite" profession (mostly because it's
Of course, there's a whole new twist to this issue now-- quite a few factions in Outland sell special items that will grant enchants, and leatherworkers can even make special enchanted armor kits that can be sold on the AH. And yet enchanters are left completely out of the moneymaking loop. Given these new developments, I'd imagine that no matter what Neth says, Blizzard should think very seriously about allowing enchanting scrolls. Not only would they be giving enchanters a larger market to work with, but consumers would benefit from lower enchanting prices. Enchanters who make tons now would make less per enchant, but so many more chants would be sold that everyone would benefit.
Update: Tailoring is also a production profession that doesn't have a gathering one associated with it. *Head smack*-- thanks olhado.






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Randomdruid Mar 6th 2007 3:06PM
Awesome idea, I'm a Leatherworker/Skinner so I'm not making gold from this but I sure would spend gold on it. I don't have any enchanted items, just because I can't ever find an enchanter with the enchant I want so I don't bother.
Ragbar Mar 6th 2007 3:08PM
"Enchanters who make tons now would make less per enchant, but so many more chants would be sold that everyone would benefit."
Yes, so basically all you would be doing is making Enchanting LESS PROFITABLE. Any Enchanter with half a brain knows it is better for him to NOT sell his stuff on the AH? Why?
Well, yes, it would make enchants more available, and sell more. However he would make LESS money per enchant, and meanwhile, the material costs would stay the same! All you would succeed in doing is making the enchants less expensive for non-enchants, and nerfing the monetary value of the profession as a whole.
Prauche Mar 6th 2007 3:08PM
Some call me...........Tim.
Luis D. Mar 6th 2007 3:12PM
I would so love it if this went through. I have enchanting up to 275 on my alt and it was a pain in the ass. You know how I got it that high? By re-enchanting my own gear over and over again because I got tired of spamming the trade channel trying to give away FREE enchants. It was such a huge waste of time to stand around IF hoping someone will respond. I don't even think I'll press on to 300 and above, I'd rather just sell the mats I have from disenchanting.
stabdriver Mar 6th 2007 4:03PM
@ Mike: Amen brother - fabulous idea
@ #2/Ragbar: QQ - you may have all day to spend standing around and spamming the trade channel, but I don't. You'd make more money if you could sell enchants on the AH because you'd have so much more free time to go and actually play the game instead of loitering in IF or Org yelling "Enchanter for hire!"
Smithra Mar 6th 2007 3:19PM
It's thinking like this that gets us Blood Elf Paladins. If you're trying to turn a profit, go alchemy. No other profession seems to make any money on the AH, and even there it's a marginal upgrade from the raw herbs.
If you want to sell things, definitely don't go Engineering. Most of that stuff is only useable by engineers.
If you really want to make money, don't pick up a crafting profession at all.
It's not like other professions, and that's a good thing. If people get into it and discover that it's not their style, they can switch to tailoring for the spellthread or whatever else they want.
Dah Cheet Mar 6th 2007 3:20PM
Prauche Some call me...........Tim.
I lol'ed
Hughli Mar 6th 2007 3:21PM
This would also make it easier to get to high level enchants and make maybe a little bit of money off the low level stuff. You wouldn't have to enchant the same bracer over and over with the same stuff you could put the scroll in the ah for 10s and hope that someone buys it. I can see keeping some high level enchants in person or something that must be applied by an enchanter, similar to shield spikes or spurs that blacksmiths make.
Jim Mar 6th 2007 4:16PM
Enchanting prices wouldn't go down -- they'd go up. It's often difficult, right now, for an enchanter to sell an enchant at a profit. That is, with the exception of rare, premium enchants, enchants sell for the cost of materials or less.
Were enchants tradable through the AH, the supply of enchants would go up, but likewise the availability of reagents would decrease and thus the costs (in particular) of shards, essence and dust would increase. I suspect that the price of reagents would increase manyfold.
This would benefit enchanters, sure, but it would also cause a corresponding increase in the prices of BoE weapons and armour. As the cost of reagents increase, the cost of items to be disenchanted must also likewise increase, benefitting sellers.
Pingmeister Mar 6th 2007 4:23PM
As someone who avoids all human interaction I would very much embrace the ability to enchant over AH.
Gill Mar 6th 2007 6:50PM
Oh snapz, that's actually an awesome idea! It'd definitely give me some motivation to up the enchanting on one of my alts... and there'd be less spam on the trade channel (I assume)
Zuuler Mar 6th 2007 3:30PM
Start a LFE (looking for enchant) tool that is fundamentally flawed and no one will ever use to any real effect, then take away the Trade channel form all major cities.
Good ideas gone bad FTW.
Larawen Mar 6th 2007 3:36PM
I could have SWORN that blizz was talking about moving enchants to be an item that is applied rather than an in person experience and it was on the "to-do" list... right next to the hero class and guild halls.
Mekias Mar 6th 2007 3:42PM
I don't like the current system because I feel like I have to stand in one spot for hours to make any money from enchanting. Actually, I'd make much more money if I used that time to go out and adventure.
Quoi Mar 6th 2007 8:14PM
"I could have SWORN that blizz was talking about moving enchants to be an item that is applied rather than an in person experience and it was on the "to-do" list... right next to the hero class and guild halls."
Off topic, but could someone explain the idea of a Hero class to me?
Kaziel Mar 6th 2007 3:57PM
@Ragbar: While what you are saying is true, one could counter that many enchanters aren't making a lot of money now b/c of the trouble that selling encants over the trade channels is.
Bunkai Mar 6th 2007 3:51PM
mining/herbalism FTW!!!
Undying Mar 6th 2007 4:04PM
I think it's a great idea. I almost never sell enchants on the trade chat, only to my guild mates on request. It would be nice to finally make some money and maybe one day pay off the cost of levelling this profession to 300.
Flit Mar 6th 2007 4:04PM
Sorry, but enchants should be harder to get than potions. That's just the way it should work. Perhaps look at tweaking enchants to motivate people to want them more? Give things that you can't get anywhere else, like a "use: Dispels 1 magic and 1 curse" onto a cloak or something.
Add value to the enchants, don't increase supply, you'll only decrease demand.
Tumples Mar 6th 2007 4:06PM
Enchanting isnt really a skill you pick up for profit, unlike my two - Herbalism and Skinning.
I think it would cheapen enchanting, and you are less likely to be more powerful over X person if everyone has similar enchants.