Why you need extra retainers

[Alistaire]

Horn glue I understand. http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Spruce_Plywood

The ingots...I got nothin. Both available in nq form from vendors and no high level synths. Iron ingot shows up in one 1-star synth, the i55 pvp shield. Steel ingots...nothing.

Without divulging names you blocked out, is it mostly different buyers or repeat customers?

Also if you need an answer to why people want (because using the word need is silly no matter what) extra retainers, having 3 covers all 3 cities. Quite often I'll move items to the city of the lowest priced guy. No point undercutting by a small amount if you're not selling in the city with the higher chance of certain things selling.

[DreadRabbit]

The ingots...I got nothin. Both available in nq form from vendors and no high level synths. Iron ingot shows up in one 1-star synth, the i55 pvp shield. Steel ingots...nothing

Here's the thing though: a lot of players will NOT look up where you can purchase mats from NPCs. If it's not available within a town vendor or their class' guild, they automatically assume you can't buy it from an NPC. I know quite a few people that will buy things from the residence districts' vendors and from beast tribe vendors and put those items immediately back on the MB at double or triple the price. And it sells. Quickly.

[Gamer3427]

Here's the thing though: a lot of players will NOT look up where you can purchase mats from NPCs. If it's not available within a town vendor or their class' guild, they automatically assume you can't buy it from an NPC. I know quite a few people that will buy things from the residence districts' vendors and from beast tribe vendors and put those items immediately back on the MB at double or triple the price. And it sells. Quickly.

This. As an example, you can buy cinnabar for a measly 3 gil at the tradecraft vendor in any of the three city-states, as well as the vendor at the Alchemist guild. On the market however, NQ cinnabar sells for about 40 gil each, and while not selling quickly, does sell. People are lazy. Especially if they have a little excess gil from leveling another DoH or DoL. Rather than trying to find out where something is sold or obtained if they don't know, they'll just buy it off the MB without a second thought......

EDIT: I should say "on the market for my server" it sells for about 40 gil each....

[Aeyis]

Here's the thing though: a lot of players will NOT look up where you can purchase mats from NPCs. If it's not available within a town vendor or their class' guild, they automatically assume you can't buy it from an NPC. I know quite a few people that will buy things from the residence districts' vendors and from beast tribe vendors and put those items immediately back on the MB at double or triple the price. And it sells. Quickly.

The items in question are HQ. You cant buy HQ items from a vendor anywhere.

[DreadRabbit]

The items in question are HQ. You cant buy HQ items from a vendor anywhere.

That's true, but Alistaire was wondering why bother when you could get the items for much cheaper as NQ. Or at least that's how I understood it.

Now if people are making HQ leveling gear for mates or their own classes, then you're right. No choice but the MB if you can't harvest/make the mats yourself/too lazy to.

[Nalien]

Here's the thing though: a lot of players will NOT look up where you can purchase mats from NPCs. If it's not available within a town vendor or their class' guild, they automatically assume you can't buy it from an NPC.

I think Dark Matter is my favorite, I used to be able to sell the stuff for something absurd like 500G a piece... Costs 80G off an NPC... Right next to the Market Board...

Even today I can still get something like a 4~6k profit off just buying a stack and reselling it, not like it sells slowly either. It's... Amazing...

I can kinda understand not bothering with the beast tribe vendors, since they're generally out of their way. Dark Matter though... 5 seconds away from any given Market Board, tops. Heck the repair NPCs probably offer better value for money...

The items in question are HQ. You cant buy HQ items from a vendor anywhere.

The items in question are also of a tier where HQ shouldn't matter. Not in those quantities anyway. The only people who would need them in such quantities are serious crafters, and then the only one I can fathom is Horn Glue for Spruce Plywood. I'm guessing those sell the most with novice crafters who don't have a solid rotation trying for their Artisan's.

@OP. Honestly, I'd take extra Retainers solely on the Venture benefit. I have two Retainers farming shards/crystals for me the majority of the time. I am never wanting for either as a result. Don't think I've ever bought any off the blatant RMT bot Retainers, and I'm someone who'll occasionally decide it'd be fun to spend the day rotating Unspoiled Nodes and churning out stacks of NQ Darksteel Nuggets/Twinthread/Gold Nuggets/etc. to make money, it's not like I don't burn through crystals or anything.

[Ashkendor]

Here's the thing though: a lot of players will NOT look up where you can purchase mats from NPCs. If it's not available within a town vendor or their class' guild, they automatically assume you can't buy it from an NPC. I know quite a few people that will buy things from the residence districts' vendors and from beast tribe vendors and put those items immediately back on the MB at double or triple the price. And it sells. Quickly.

Yep. When I have a dearth of things to sell, I'll go buy a stack of linen or velveteen from the sylph vendor and list it in stacks of 5 at a steep markup. It usually sells out pretty quickly. Honestly, most of the key to making money is just making sure that you have as many items as you possibly can listed on the market at any given time. I sell everything from dodore crafting/gathering gear to ingots to allagan crafting mats to fleece to food... well, you get the picture. Diversify!

Hell, I probably make as much money selling Krakka Roots as I do selling Thavnairian Onions. It's not always about selling big ticket items. Listing high-volume items in small quantities allows you to make a pretty hefty profit off of them.

[Shadray]

The ingots...I got nothin.

Steel ingots are turned in for leve quests, it'll be people lvling trade skills wanting x2 for HQ turnins.

This is whe he'll have the same customer for a bit then it changes.