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[Question] Drawbacks to GB kits Arbitrage

  • Thread starter DeletedUser38090
  • Start date

DeletedUser38090

So I've been toying with the idea of helping out newbies who aren't that well-connected in FoE and getting them GBs that would certainly help them on their journey, and I've also found a goods seller who is selling PE goods for a cheap price. So with this in mind, I was thinking of doing some GB goods arbritrage and charging some higher prices for the newbies, hoping that they don't know the going price for goods. What are some drawbacks for this strategy?
 
Super Catanian

Super Catanian

Well-Known Member
They might think that you're crazy for trying to sell them goods from an era far away from their reach when their main focus might be advancing in the tech tree or negotiating sectors in the C-Map.

Or they might not be interested in continuously aiding higher-age players to obtain blueprints or spending diamonds for any missing blueprints.

IMHO :)
 

DeletedUser

MandyTheAlabastard said:
So I've been toying with the idea of helping out newbies who aren't that well-connected in FoE and getting them GBs that would certainly help them on their journey, and I've also found a goods seller who is selling PE goods for a cheap price. So with this in mind, I was thinking of doing some GB goods arbritrage and charging some higher prices for the newbies, hoping that they don't know the going price for goods. What are some drawbacks for this strategy?
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What are the drawbacks of taking advantage of the ignorance of new players for your own enrichment? How about the fact that just by asking that question you have forfeited any respect you had earned up to this point and must now start all over from scratch.
 

DeletedUser38090

Stephen Longshanks said:
What are the drawbacks of taking advantage of the ignorance of new players for your own enrichment?
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You can call it taking advantage of their ignorance, but I think it's providing a value-added service.* They didn't go out of their way contacting a hundred goods sellers looking for the cheapest prices. I think for the time I spent looking for the best prices for PE goods, I should receive some sort of equitable payment.
Besides, I'll sell the goods for 250-350 FP, which is the going price I've gotten for around 50% of the people I've talked to with some folks charging even higher.

But then again, from your philosophy and posting history, I would be expecting this kind of response.

*EDIT: I do not stand by these statements anymore. I have realized how much of a jerk move it is, and any large amounts of profit to be made is rather pointless when it comes to having a good reputation.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

DeletedUser29726

Downsides:
- they might not believe you have the goods to sell as you're too low to make them yourself; this may mean you have to trust them rather than usual arrangement with goods purchases where the buyer trusts the reputation of the seller.
- the goods might not be worth as much as you think they are and you wind up stuck with them
- your supplier may run out and your supply cost may go up as his original price might've been 'while supplies last'
- your supplier may have ethical objections to the practice (most won't if you abide well by their terms - easy one stop sales and who cares what you do with them - but if say some of them view what they're doing as helping out newbies with great prices they might not be ok with you flipping for a profit)
- for all the time spent hunting down buyers you may have been able to make similar amounts of profit from other activities such as try-harding quests, sniping hoodies, or stalking swap threads

That said, I've known people who resell goods i sell them and have done well with it - so there is profit to be had.
 
Algona

Algona

Well-Known Member
I've seen a fair number of folk trying arbitrage, most had some success with it, most do not stay with it long. I suspect few folk playing this game have the temperament for playing long term retail merchant, especially when there are so many other more intriguing aspects of this game.

I reckon it depends on your viewpoint.

Me? I'd never sell a Traz or CF or Arc or other advanced GB to a newer player. Not without a long hard look at their city and a fair number of probing questions. Mostly i'd be trying to find out if they are anywhere near the point in the game where it would do them any good, both how to use it and if it would do them any good.

Getting a GB the player isn't ready for is somewhere between bad and a nightmare. Watching some sub 50 FP per day player with a Traz and no combat GBs is painful. Watching sub 100 FP players with Arc is hearbreaking.

You'll be doing them more good by teaching them how to get into position to use and level those GBs. Then when they are ready, they'll come to you for the Goods sale and maybe more?

All the market will bear is a fine short term strategy. I'm not all about profit, I'm about helping folk. It's much better for long term business, and a hell of a lot of fun to see your customers grow. I spent 2016 in ProgE selling Traz Goods to my Guild for 35 (thirty five) FP Ever since I've been the go to guy for any Guildie needing anything. Last year I spent a lot of time on the road visiting other Guilds and selling stuff. I sold cheap (Traz and CF 150, lower Era GBs cheaper or free, Inno not so cheap at 350), This year I'm getting as many requests as I can handle through word of mouth asnd repeat business . Since I do have a reputation as being helpful I get additional referrals of helping out with 1.8ing folks powering their GBs.

So if all you want is short term profit, go right ahead, sell at full market price to folk who don't need what you are selling. You may find that fun, but I suspect you'll soon get bored with it.
 

DeletedUser30900

if you are good at doing so, just go ahead and do it. You pay for your ignorance, so you get paid by others'.
 

DeletedUser

MandyTheAlabastard said:
But then again, from your philosophy and posting history, I would be expecting this kind of response.
Click to expand...
You want my philosophy on providing goods to lower level players? Here it is. If they are in my guild (whether I am a guild leader or not) and I have the goods, I provide them at no FP cost for whatever they have to trade. Also, if I don't have the goods, but I can get them, I provide them and pay the FP cost (if any) myself. If it is a lower level player who is not in my guild, many times I will provide the goods at little or no FP cost. Always well below market, and usually any FP cost is insisted on by the buyer. Seriously, it is surprisingly hard to just give goods away. There was a player on here named @gutmeister who could testify to that (if he's still around) because I activated a dormant city I had on W world just to give him goods he said he was looking for in a Forum post. He refused to take them. Seriously. So whatever insult you intended by your comment is actually pretty laughable to me, because I know what I'm about and you don't.
 

DeletedUser30900

Roxana 1184 the Wise said:
I have to differ with you on that one. An Arc is practically a license to print FPs no matter what your daily income is.
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i have to differ with you on this one. An arc with 100 fp income means i can snipe him all i want and he's not even gonna realize im taking advantage of him until later on.
 

DeletedUser38090

Algona said:
You'll be doing them more good by teaching them how to get into position to use and level those GBs. Then when they are ready, they'll come to you for the Goods sale and maybe more?

All the market will bear is a fine short term strategy. I'm not all about profit, I'm about helping folk. It's much better for long term business, and a hell of a lot of fun to see your customers grow.
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Yeah, I'm definitely going for a long term strategy with talking to my customers and helping them out, and then selling them the goods, because that would definitely be more satisfying.

Stephen Longshanks said:
So whatever insult you intended by your comment is actually pretty laughable to me, because I know what I'm about and you don't.
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Except my comment wasn't supposed to be an insult? I just know a general feel of your perspective in this game, based on your comments about what makes good guild leadership, the Arc, etc. It was more of a "agree to disagree." If it came off as something else, then I apologize.
 

DeletedUser36624

icarusethan said:
i have to differ with you on this one. An arc with 100 fp income means i can snipe him all i want and he's not even gonna realize im taking advantage of him until later on.
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Oh, yeah. Come and try to snipe my lowly 52 daily FP city. My Arc can beat up your Arc anytime!
 
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