Get rid of the prices in market search

[Arcell]

Right, I mean it goes along with the complaint that people will simply buy at the lowest price. If you don't differentiate between the qualities then it just looks like some are obnoxiously overpriced and some are set super low. The reality is that they have been priced as such by the seller based on the quality value. And of course your example of trying to find a price for an item when it's really a + quality and just using that.

[Ceons]

The fair price is "I have it, I'm selling it for this much. Either based off of what other people are selling it for now, or based off the fact that no one is selling it currently."

That makes a lot of sense to me. o.o

Makes perfect sense to me as well! I don't see a need for price history. I generally am not against adding features to the game, but I do see this one being harmful more than helpful in inflating the economy and playing the market/price history.

[Eldaena]

Makes perfect sense to me as well! I don't see a need for price history. I generally am not against adding features to the game, but I do see this one being harmful more than helpful in inflating the economy and playing the market/price history.

I should have edited that for a third option: "Or I just don't care and just sell the things I don't need for whatever price I choose." Sorry, Yoshida moment. =p

[AngryNixon]

"the fair price" isn't whatever you decide to charge for it. That's just your price. The two are totally unrelated.

[origamikitsune]

@op... so basically... the economy is working? I mean, I've worked for companies before where part of my job was going literally next door, finding out what my competitors were selling stuff for, and then undercutting them with daily sales prices. What your describing to me is... normal?

[AngryNixon]

@op... so basically... the economy is working? I mean, I've worked for companies before where part of my job was going literally next door, finding out what my competitors were selling stuff for, and then undercutting them with daily sales prices. What your describing to me is... normal?

OMG undercutting is a part of RL!? Unacceptable!

[Cairdeas]

Undercutting is not a problem of the markets, its a problem of how you value your goods.

If someone can produce the same product for cheaper to them and make a profit, or if they do not care for profit and just wish to move the product to free up space they will always sell it at a lower price.

The major thing that counters this type of event in the Real World is a thing called "Marketing" The iPod doesn't sell the most MP3 players in the world because its cheap and cheerful. It sells the most because its marketed properly. But it is still the most expensive MP3 Player based on $/GB on the market, yet still outsells everyone else.

In an MMO you can't use marketing to influence purchases so the only influence is price.

You might be mad that you no longer are making 300% profit on an item because someone found they only need to make 5% profit on the item to be happy. But the reality is they are not undercutting you, you are overpricing the item in most cases.

[Irana]

Im sorry but I like buying my items cheap

[Eldaena]

"the fair price" isn't whatever you decide to charge for it. That's just your price. The two are totally unrelated.

So, a fair price would be undercutting someone else that is selling it?

What if no one is selling that item?

I'm not a greedy person and don't tend to sell things for more than I think they're worth. However, when I am searching for something I really want, the fair price is the price it is going for if it's the only thing there. If I'm in dire need, I will buy...or if it's something that is really just that rare, I will usually purchase it too.

However, if people are selling an item for millions of gil, and I find it is not a fair price, I won't buy it. How does this not make sense? The fair price is the price you set it at. People just have to determine if they want to sell their item or not, based on how much they put it up for.

[AngryNixon]

@Eldaena:

Damnit it's still longer than I wanted it to be.. oh well, read on if you want.

In answer to your first question, yes. "fair price" isn't synonymous with what one might construe as the "morally correct price" whatever shape that concept might take. It is simply the price that, on average, people are willing to pay for an item. This is in contrast to the price at which, on average, people are willing to sell their item for. It is the price at which a sale is made (that is where the seller's price is acceptable to the buyer and a transaction is completed) that is the "fair price". You can and have full right to list your items for whatever you want, as do we all. If you never make a sale based on the price you've listed (even if as your second question asked, you are the only person selling), then you may as well never have listed the item in the first place. The price is as good as no price at all since it does not attract a single buyer.

the "fair price" has to be two sided. If the buyer says "I'll pay 1 gil for that" and no-one in their right mind would accept that price, then he/she is just throwing random meaningless numbers out. If the seller overestimates the worth of their item and says "I want a billion million gil for this or I won't sell it", than they'll get to keep their item until hell freezes over because they're also just throwing random meaningless numbers out. It only becomes a real and meaningful "fair price" when at least one full transaction is completed. That forms a very slim record of sales with only one price but that's a start. From that point on generally the "fair price" adjusts itself based on the volume of supply (ie. rarity) etc... But the prices along the way that form the relevant "fair price" of the day are only those values where transactions have been completed at the listed price, not those random deviations where people massively overestimate the worth of something (from the sellers perspective). The "take it or leave it" articulation of what construes a "fair price" is a touch too one sided. But as I said earlier, we're all free to list things for whatever random value we feel like listing them for. If nobody ever buys your item and you keep re-listing it, the only person's time wasted is your own, and that's just fine.