Merchanting shafting f2p players

[sk8nbail]

Now im not wanting to offend any merchanters because i do realize it does take time and skill to do what they do but while you are merchanting, the f2p players are getting the shaft. With all the items you buying and reselling, you are making those who rely on their skills for money suffer. Not too long ago lobby was a big money maker for high lvl fishers on f2p. 300 raw i think was the price. I tried selling and they are going for 200 now. Steel bars were decent money making because they sold at 600 ea. Now i have people who wont budge from 550. I mean it still makes a profit but not us much as i could back a while ago. Money making seems so pointless right now that im pretty much just power lvling while hoping prices on these items will shoot up. In anycase you're shafting us f2p.

[sk8nbail]

wow my bad this was supposed to be in rants...could a mod move this. yeah im tired lol and fishing :oops: :wall:

[imhomer]

Yes, it's supposed to be in rants.

 

 

 

On topic: You're complaining that prices have gone down because of merchants.

 

 

 

With the basic economics of supply and demand, the only way for prices to drop is for supply to go up or demand go down. Merchants do nothing to increase or decrease the supply and demand so therefore, they aren't at fault for the drops in prices (besides merchants are ususally blamed for increasing not decreasing prices).

 

 

 

The reason why prices have dropped is this. Most people who play this game are teenagers and have been off of school for the past few months. The resulting influx of players has created many more producers of items than consumers which are almost constant. Because of all the new players, the runescape economy is shaped like a pyramid with the consumers on the upper end and producers on the bottom end.

 

 

 

@ old players

 

@@

 

@@@ merchants

 

@@@@

 

@@@@@

 

@@@@@@ new players

 

(Yes I know it's a triangle)

 

 

 

The pyramid above shows a basic example of the runescape economy. Newer players are usually the producers and there are a lot more of them than the older, more experienced consumers. For example, let's say that the ratio of producers to consumers is 3:1. Coal is 200 each at this ration which holds steady for most of the year. During the summer, there is an influx of new players and macros resulting in a ratio of 6:1. Because there re now twice as many producers for each consumer, the price drops.

 

 

 

Merchants are in the middle of the pyramid because they connect the producers and consumers and are primary consumers for the producer's goods. The same principal applies as to the top level consumers, price is only constant if the ratio of producers to consumers is. Merchants then sell the good they bought from the multitude of producers to the secondary consumers. Because the ratio of merchants to 2nd level consumers is smaller, the price merchants get for items is iherently larger.

 

 

 

I'm really running outta stuff to say so I'm just going to close by stating a simple arguement. You complain that merchants are lowering prices on purpose. Now, if you were a merchant, would you want a higher or a lowe price when you sell?

[sk8nbail]

Im saying that with the increase of people trying to merchant the prices are dropping. but nice explanation.

[imhomer]

Im saying that with the increase of people trying to merchant the prices are dropping. but nice explanation.

 

 

 

Ok, now your arguement makes sense. Yes, more people merchanting means lower prices if you sell to a merchant. If you don't go through a middleman you should get roughly the same prices, that's why there's a variation on available prices for items.

[the_tallest1]

Very concise analysis imhomer. :

 

 

 

I'm locking this instead of moving to Rants only because it would get shredded over there. Take the opportunity to skim the Rant Guide before posting there so people understand your point properly. :wink: