Scrap the marketplace system please

[Mjollnir]

Like a lot of aspects of this game, your rewards are greater the more patience you have.

Hot sellers on my server are the GC Crafting items that you also get dropped from the harder dungeons. Currently their low prices are around 4k, going up to 10k.

Now if I want some gil in the next half an hour, I guess I'm gonna pop them up at 4k. But actually if I list at 10k, they will invariably sell out overnight; even quicker at the weekend. And sure, if I want some lazy gil, I'll buy up everything under 5 or 6k and relist it in sets of 9, but tbf there's more fun to be had on Roulette, Desynths, Hunts, w/e your poison, so I don't.

The marketplace system is great. The only two ways that I can see for it to be made any better are:
1) Be able to buy items from the sell window at your retainer (for when you catch sight of that really low-priced item you want to snap up quick).
2) Send the Market Board data to an interface within Libra Eorzea so current listings can be viewed from outside the game on a website and an app - at the very least make it possible for third-parties to be able to collect this data easily.

[Ringabell]

The market is just fine.

Think of the Marketboard as your very own small business to build your fortune. If you have all your jobs at 50 you can essentially print money by gathering materials and then making basically whatever you want. Most of us don't have everything at 50 (I sure don't) so....

For the jobs you don't have at 50, craft everything at least once for the bonus XP and if you don't need it, throw it up on the Marketboard. As things are sold immediately use newly crafted items to top up your retainers and make sure each one always has 20 items on the market.

Yes you should undercut WHEN NECESSARY. When is it necessary? Look at the value of the item. Check sale history. Is it in high demand? Does it require rare/expensive materials? If the lowest price on a Marketboard item is twice it's value, ignore the lowest price listed and list the RIGHT price. If the lowest price on a Marketboard item is half it's value, ignore the lowest price and list the RIGHT price. The one that makes sense.

You can make these decisions when your retainers are both topped up with 20 items. You aren't desperate to sell one item. Gil is constantly flowing in.

Once I started keeping my retainers topped up at 20 items I find myself constantly seeing the message that items are being sold. Because of that I can sit tight on items that I know won't sell immediately because some desperate soul is selling the same item at a loss.

TL;DR Keep your retainers full. If you have 2 items up on the Marketboard you're going to be desperate and lose gil. If you have 40 items on the Marketboard, and KEEP it topped up, gil will flow and you can exhibit patience.

[monochromicorn]

both retainers....

i have 4, and 2 of them are full of crafting material, even though i hardly craft thanks to needing to level up my battle classes for my raiding static. i usually have 2 or 3 at 20 items each, and its true, when you have that many items for sale, it seems like they just fly off the shelf. thankfully, my botanist keeps me being able to sell that much.

[Jeannes]

I don't see the probably it's all very well made. Prices all depends on demand and supply. I think if anything FFXIV markets carry a good perspective on a real economy of your server.

if you can't sell, you're broken.

[Killabye]

so people undercutting you pisses you off so you undercut them?

[Thalassocrat]

I feel the biggest problem with the market is how people need to select the size of the stack being sold, instead of adding their wares to the piles. A system without such limitations, or an order-based system is much more efficient and less frustrating on the 1 gil undercutters. It also doesn't punish people for producing a lot of one item, and helps overall outflow of items.

I came to the forums to see if a discussion about changing the markeplace was being held. Particularly on the point of needing to select a stack size, rather than singles vs stacks, or orders. Looking forward to reading what people think about the current system.

[Urthdigger]

Maybe you need to sell items with a higher demand? I actually avoid pricing items to be the lowest, and instead aim to get 3rd-4th on the list. My stuff still sells, I get a bit more money, and I'm not part of the problem.

If you're so concerned with selling it NOW that it must be the lowest price at all times, you only have yourself to blame.

[Fornix]

The solution is rather simple. Whenever you buy something off the market board yourself, skip the cheapest items. Buy from somewhere in the middle.

This behavior is something which is seen more and more often on a lot of crafting items on Odin. There can be a listing of items for e.g.

5497
5497
5498
5498
5500
5500
5999
5999
6000
6500
7000
7000
7500
7500
8000
10000
10000
11000
300000
300000

And whenever I'd throw up items in the range of around 7500, the items rapidly sell. More and more often you also see it back in the sales history of the item that it's not the undercut pieces which get sold. But rather more and more crafters become aware that undercutting is hurting their own business.

Unfortunately in the case of end products this effect is often still lacking. Consumables and such are more often still purchased at the cheapest pricing. The same goes for battle materia.

[Adler]

The solution is rather simple. Whenever you buy something off the market board yourself, skip the cheapest items. Buy from somewhere in the middle.

Sure, you can do that. I would buy the cheapest for crafting needs or just to resell. Then again I am always selling the cheapest to get rid of everything fast...

[Squa11_Leonhart]

Some sellers are just not privy to the bulk sellers markets and don't realise they are shooting themselves in the foot by trying to undercut a person who is selling 99 at 500g with 10 at 300g.

Going to sell small stacks, price them higher than those selling big stacks.