hey idiots, you should work the cost of the shard into your price!!!!!!

[Krisan]

Uh, if you unlock all the crafting classes they will quite literally shower you with hundreds and hundreds of shards to work with. While yeah, that doesn't negate their value.. the point is, people start with a lot of free shards that get them a decent way through their craft. It's pretty easy to overlook their cost when you don't need to manage them until the mid-high level range of a craft.. Likewise, 99% of the people are selling things for VERY little.. It's unrealistic to try and mark things up based on their ACTUAL value.

Not to mention, no one is leveling their crafts to actually sell anything.. The sad truth is, there's no point in making gear outside of maybe what Goldsmithing produces (and only because it's the semi-exception to the following). Quests literally toss gear at players left and right, NPC's sell perfectly viable gear at low prices, and dungeons produce better gear than what's crafted in most cases.. All that's left is endgame, and AF is more than sufficient until Darklight, which is purchased with special currency and can't be crafted.. The only reason to level crafts is to meld materia honestly.. That and to make your own relic weapon. There's no other reason at all, because there's no real market for gear currently. So as a result, people are content just breaking even as opposed to making a profit. Hell, gathering classes are where you make a better profit than anywhere else, and that's just because you're making money off everyone whose crafting to skillup.. lol

[Velo_Vandore]

I was frustrated as well with how crafting mats sell for far more than the finished product on early level gear.

I think it's because you get a lot of gear as quest rewards early on and level so fast it's really not worth spending a lot on the market board until later levels (so demand and price is very low on the market boards for low level gear).

The materials and shard are in high demand and can sell for a high price because many high level players will decide they want to now give crafting a go, and want to quickly catch up in a crafting class to the level they are. Because they will be relatively much more wealthy at a high level they can comfortably spend amounts of gil on mats and crystals that would be considered silly money if they were low level.

This is a sad situation for players who want to craft at the start rather than coming back to learn crafting after progressing their Disciples of War/Magic, but I can't see a way around it as the game can't dictate what the player sells and buys. At least there is the option to gather your own mats and learn supporting crafts if you have the time and patience.

[Brattle]

This game is built to do things yourself.If you choose not to then pay the price and stop whining.Everything is free but time. So if someone chooses that there time is worth 1g move on.

[RedMoko]

Teleport to Fire shards. harvest 1500 fire shards. 1500 Fire shard value = 1 teleport.... Get over it

[Vagrant-0]

Word has it that if you're a fairly high level you can just go and kill all those elementals of given type to get shard drops (4-10 per kill). Can grind these while waiting on your next FATE to sprint to.

That said, why are you trying to make money from selling lower level crafts? Obviously all those shards that people get from doing things at low levels is why they aren't usually too concerned. There is a reason why higher level foods usually give more benefit.

If it bothers you THAT much... Just buy the stuff that is grossly under-priced and resell it. Depending on the item, nature of demand, and availability, many things can probably have their price fixed within a reasonable range of their actual cost, meanwhile you make extra money from those who try to sell lower while not having to pay for that cost. In the case of most foods and consumables... People usually want larger stacks. Does this need to be spelled out for you?

[Reika]

No one wants to pay for the price of shards tho. For those lower level foods, you cant really sell them for what you should be able to. Pretty much if you bought shards to craft them, prepare to lose money on the deals, the same with high level foods too because of the price of clusters. Gathering them yourself you make some kind of profit if selling food is your thing. I just craft for myself.

Right now, a NQ finger sandwich is selling at minimum for 2300 on my server, but the 2 clusters that it takes to make it are 1000 each, and then there is the rest of the materials. The finished product ends up worth less than the parts. Better off just selling the materials rather than the food.

[Bufkus]

Teleport to Fire shards. harvest 1500 fire shards. 1500 Fire shard value = 1 teleport.... Get over it

Wrong. 1500 fire shards is the cost of 1 teleport and the 4 hours you spent gathering 1500 fire shards. People need to factor in the time they spend doing things.

[Colyo]

or you just level a craft to 50 and start making an actual profit selling things that are worth more than what i spend every time i refresh my food buff every 30 minutes or less

[CianaIezuborn]

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/La_Noscean_Toast

Tank food, takes 14+ shards to make (honestly I got tired of trying to count the components and divide by the yield) not to mention all the other ingredients. So before any ingredient cost, you'd have to sell that at a base cost of 450 gil just to cover the cost of the shards? NP! Let me just spend all that cash that's dropping in dungeon runs!

Don't even look at the retarded pieces that take crystals/clusters. 2 clusters for an omelette? SOLD!

I don't even cook and this makes me feel bad.

[CianaIezuborn]

Man, I'm sick of seeing so many stupid crafters posting culinary items, most of which cost multiple fire and/or water shards on the market for anywhere between 1-30gil!!! The fire & water shards go for anywhere from 30-50 gil on the market. So each time you make something, it costs you at least 1 shard if its low level and can cost 2,3 or 6 shard for other food items.

Include the price of the shard into your calculation of your price! Ingredients + Shard + Mark up!!! Stop just putting crap on there for whatever is lowest like, oh I dunno 2gil to 15 gil!!!!

And yes, the market should eventually adjust itself once people either wise up to this or go broke crafting. But, I'd rather it be sooner than later so crafters can start making profit now rather than 2 months from now.

With my above rant done, honestly you've got this at the lower level combines (Below 25 when it gets slow going) for all trade skills for the NQ stuff. Someone hit it on the head earlier, and that's the quests really give you enough shards that you don't have to go farm for them so alot of newer crafters don't realize how much they go for. The other group of folks is people that are just trying to dump their costs off onto the MB as they speed level to 50.

I don't even bother trying to sell NQ stuff below 30 now, just shoot for HQ in all combines, stick the HQ stuff up for enough to cover your costs but low enough to get people to buy fast and vendor or bank the rest.