Just a couple of problems with the Market Boards.

[ShinkuTachi]

In game economy in a way still obeys real world economic rules...just that some people sees it, some don't, and some just choose to deny its existence. The differences are just the mechanics, constraint, complexity, and the size of the market.

When you are constantly selling something at 1000g, you will think that is the 'fair' price. But for me, I might be gathering/crafting these items myself, or that I think my time is worth less, so I price mine at 500 and make a smaller profit, but increases the number that I sell comparing to the price of 1000...I might even end up with a higher total profit though the margin is smaller. Still, there are also economic reasons to sell items at below the cost...I could had made a mistake and want to liquidate my holdings, or I could be crafting those to level up my crafter, in which case I'm willing to take those losses to gain crafting xp. Or,it could be part of my pricing strategy to corner a market and kick out competitors. I do not deny that there are undercutters who doesn't know what they are doing...and frankly, I don't care. People undercut for a lot of reasons. It is you who are not able to figure it out and use undercutting to your advantage. Heck, if I'm a buyer, I would love undercutters to make price affordable.

Hiding the current sell price just increases the cost of buying items (by soending more time) and decreases the liquidity of the market. How do you know you are not being undercut in that system? Just because you don't see or understand something doesn't means it's not real.

The market we have here is pretty much on par with ebay or amazon sellers.
Since were all gamers here, I will use a couple as an example.

Go to Ebay or Amazon, and look up Persona 4 Golden: Solid Gold *Only 10,000 of those were produced*
Then look up say, Madden NFL 12 *An annually produced series, which saturates the market*

That is basically our market. I don't lack the understanding of what FFXIVs market is right now. I understand it perfectly, and I've made a nice chunk of gil using it; sadly, it could be a larger chunk. So you don't need to tell me what I'm getting or not getting about the market unless your gil count is at 8 figures.

I was saying that 'real world' economics doesn't apply in the sense that, businesses aren't undercutting each other into oblivion to make a sale. Let's take a 20 oz Coca Cola for example. If I leave my house right now, and hit every competing convenience store and grocery store in town; I am not going to find that stores, in an effort to sell Coke, have undercut each other to the point that I can buy the stuff for 5 cents a bottle. Anywhere I go, I will pay around $1.59 ~ $1.79 a bottle.
Likewise, you are not going to find the ingredients for Coke and the materials used for bottling and labels are being undercut into the abyss.
Down the line, sellers have set a price and the buyers have agreed to that value.

So why is 'real world' economics being thrown at my suggestion; when this economy is not based 'real world' economics to begin with?
I mean, it is 'real world' in the sense of Ebay and Amazon sellers/buyers. However, it's not in the sense of legitimate businesses, such as a retail or department store. There is a difference. I'm sure we can all agree to that. The FFXIV market could never be the latter though; which is why I stated before that it is pointless to bring that type into comparison.

Look, I didn't realize you and so many others were content and happy with the economy as it is.

However, if you or anyone else not happy with the economy we have, then voice it; even if you don't agree with my suggestion. I'm not saying my suggestion is right way or the only way. I just have years of experience with blind auctions; and while it's not perfect, I haven't found it to have these issues on the same scale as our current system. That is why I suggested it.
Just telling me I am wrong and/or insulting me, without providing ideas we could get behind as a collective to improve things, is counter productive and it just sends the discussion in circles.