Bizarre buying patterns observed in the market place

[Lanceton]

In recent weeks I have observed some bizarre buying activity in the market place which doesn't make sense at all. Typically it involves certain gibberish named characters kept buying certain pieces of one star HQ crafts so their availability remains scarce. The said items then would have their prices kept above certain threshold due to constant 'resetting' from the pricecuts.

What puzzles me is the motivation for whoever is doing it - these certain pieces of item do not require anything special to make while sharing similar demand to any other one star HQ crafts, unless these certain pieces have their unknown special uses such as exceptional grade 4 materia convert rates, I don't see any reason why anybody would want to keep buying them, unless there's some kind of conspiracy behind. The rate and quantity they bought these items are just too high for simple marketing misjudgments.

Some insight on this would be appreciated, it's just puzzling.

[Kiroh]

Insight : It's a good time to put some of those items up for sale if you want to make some quick cash.

[EliseAlexis]

Spiritbonding for materia IV.

[Mailstrum]

ya its not that hard lol they are just spiritbinding gear for rank 4 materia duh.

[FJerome]

I'm as baffled as the OP. I initially also thought it was all for spirit-bonding but then I noticed it was happening with some of the iL30-40 crafted goods, which aren't going to give anything better than rank II.

The only other thing I can think of is levequest turn-ins, the items in question can be used for them, but as the associated levequests are single-turn-ins the amounts being bought are still kinda excessive.

[Tiggy]

People could be attempting to corner certain markets. Who knows.

[Inquisitor]

Typically it involves certain gibberish named characters kept buying certain pieces of one star HQ crafts so their availability remains scarce. The said items then would have their prices kept above certain threshold due to constant 'resetting' from the pricecuts.

I support this buying up of reasonably priced one star HQ's on the grounds that I can easily put more of them on the market and keep my sales brisk.

[Naberrie]

There are usually ways to take advantage of that when you see people doing it.

For instance, in FFXI I would periodically check high value items. Every once in a while I would find someone trying to reset the price history on an item by selling for 1 gil and buying it back himself real quick. They were trying to clear the sales history so they could set the new price.

So I'd bid 1 gil and get it. And promptly get an angry tell demanding the item back. "Look," I'd say, "I checked the history and bid appropriately based on current sales. If you have a problem with it, call a GM."

I got a few nice things that way, like a Hauby+1.

So if someone's trying to manipulate a price, figure out how to beat them at their own game and either save or make gil off of it.