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[JackFrost2012]

I'm looking to change tradeskills. Currently, I have a L31 character with tailoring 200 and skinning 225. Skinning is fine, but tailoring is nothing but a money pit - I could buy the few things I need in the Auction House for far, far less than it costs to make them. Can't say I'd miss the headache of selling items below cost or nonrefundable deposits on AH items, either.

So I'm looking to take up a secondary gathering skill, so I can have two money-makers in the run up to L40 and the mount. I was thinking of going with mining, but there's also herbalism to consider.

If I'm looking to add another pure gathering->profit tradeskill, what would you recommend? Also, do any of the crafting tradeskills ever become profitable, in the end?

 

[Joates]

Id say Mining and maybe enchanting... anyone agree?

 

[Sinatar]

Enchanting is the absolute WORST way to make money bar none. If you really feel like being poor be an enchanter. People see enchanters charging 10 - 12 gold for certain enchants and think "Hey, thats gotta be nice" until they get up that high and realize they have to disenchant 2 items worth around 250 gold for ingredients to do that 12 gold enchant.

If you want money be a miner, blacksmiths being the morons they are, pay out the ass for metal.

 

[JackFrost2012]

Yeah, I did enchanting for about 20 skill levels before it became immediately obvious it was a fast and easy way to spend all my money, always. If you're not in a guild with nightly instance runs, stay far far away from enchanting.

 

[Bregor]

The gathering skills make money for you.

The production skills cost money.

If you want the most profitable combination, get skinning and mining and sell the results at the AH.

 

[Meier]

Definitely mining.. I cant tell you how much metal I bought for my blacksmithing even with 300 in mining.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Alchemists are going to make a KILLING when bg's come out. That's all I'm going to say.

 

[SyNapSe]

Mining. It's incredible what people pay for the mining products.

 

[firex]

mining, but herbalism and alchemy make a profit. I have so many damn potions on my shaman and I don't use a lot of them. I can put them on the AH for pretty good prices (up to like 5g per stack of superior mana potions and stuff) because they are just that valuable. It's very expensive to train it though. New recipes can cost a lot, but the actual materials are dirt cheap. As soon as I can gather like 60 stranglekelp I'll be able to make a bunch of mana potions, which is awesome since I'm a shaman.

 

[Subitai]

Mining/skinning is the most profitable.

Although, as more and more people find out that making armor and weapons isn't that useful, I think mining and skinning will eventually fall alchemy/herbalism. I forsee more fights over flowers that you sometimes see in contested areas over metal veins.

I agree that enchanting is the biggest money pit. Breaking down good items into collectively less valuable parts.

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

LOL @ enchanting being the most profitable...PUHAHAHAHA

that is the ULTIMATE money pit.

and whoever said alchemy....lol....thats a Money Pit as well. Alchemists make good money late game...or when you're a higher higher level. (unless you are successful at auctions with stacks of potions and that would go for any profession except enchanting.....being successful in auctions is a whole nother thing.)

Skinning is THE money maker early on.

Mining is ok, but its just easier to make lots of money with skinning.....combine it with leather working and your making even more money.

the main reason skinning will make you lots of money is cause your gonna kill lots of animals anyways (unless your Hu....where there are times your just killing stupid defias).

<Edit> oh i see yall are including Auction house money making as well.

yea Just about any profession can make good money at the Auction house, If done correctly.

peace

 

[Claus]

Mining. Coming across an Arcane Crystal or Azerothian Diamond from a Rich Thorium Vein will get you around 15-20g on my server.

 

[Ferrio]

Alchemists are going to make a KILLING when bg's come out. That's all I'm going to say.

Yep, we don't make shit now. But wait till big time raids and such go.... it'll be nice. Best thing about alchemy is demand will never go away, only get better. I can't wait to get my hands on one of those +2000 mana potion recipes... those potions will sell for a shit load.

 

[Bregor]

Heck, even a simple stack of Iron Bars sells for at least 2G. And Iron is all over the place.

For those that say leatherworking or alchemy, let me ask: Does the product you make sell for more than the ingedients would? Because if it doesn't you are losing money.

 

[AeroGod]

Yep, we don't make shit now. But wait till big time raids and such go.... it'll be nice. Best thing about alchemy is demand will never go away, only get better. I can't wait to get my hands on one of those +2000 mana potion recipes... those potions will sell for a shit load.

Hell yeah the flasks that give an extra 2000 mana or 2000 hp and a multitude of other things are going to go like hotcakes for the BGs. I cant imagine everyone NOT paying out ot get that.

 

[Tortfeasor]

I did mining/engineering until engineering was built up to around 290 then dropped mining to pick up enchanting. I did 2 things for money. A higher level engineering item disenchantes into a Large Radiant Shard 100% of the time and it cost less then 1g to make. The shards were selling on my server for around 12g. Also, I would make Salt Shakers and sell them for 20-25g outright and 30g in AH. I basically had an unlimited amount of money with very little down time due to farming since the reciepies for each tem were so simple.

 

[Catchpenny]

I'll second mining as the best way to go...just copper stacks alone can frequently be sold for 50 silver or more. It's insane. Skinning and herbalism aren't as profitable, but you'll still make good money.

The crafting tradeskills can be profitable at high levels, or if you're judicious about what items to make. Powerlevelling them burns tons of money, though. If you're in it for profit, go with two gathering skills. Crafting skills are for those who enjoy making stuff for themselves or helping out lower-level guild members.

 

[Phoenix]

Mining is the best and Engineering is the worst as you really can't sell your stuff to anyone other than engineers (outside of a few items that no one really wants).

 

[Mr Nash]

I'd say keep an eye on alchemy/herbalism too. At the moment, it's not rip-roaringly profitable, but it is steady. The thing with it is that potions are always needed, so no matter the trends people will keep buying them, and it's only going to go up when BG gets here.

 

[Tortfeasor]

Mining is the best and Engineering is the worst as you really can't sell your stuff to anyone other than engineers (outside of a few items that no one really wants).

There are really only 2 items worth anything from engineering - The green lens because it can be disenchated into a large glimemring shard and the salt shaker which is required by high level (270+) leather workers in order to maked cured hides. I was able to sell every single salt shaker I ever made for 20g - 30g. It seemed like I was the only one on my server making them.

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

I would do skinning and mining until level 60. That'll make you some good cash. Then at 60 you can switch to some of the more expensive tradeskills (i.e. enchanting) when money isn't such a big issue. I switched to herbalism and alchemy myself. If buying all of my herbs from the AH becomes viable I might drop herbalism for enchanting.

 

[Ferrio]

I would do skinning and mining until level 60. That'll make you some good cash. Then at 60 you can switch to some of the more expensive tradeskills (i.e. enchanting) when money isn't such a big issue. I switched to herbalism and alchemy myself. If buying all of my herbs from the AH becomes viable I might drop herbalism for enchanting.

Really good herbs are BoP.

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

Really good herbs are BoP.

Yeah, I'll see. My herbalism is at about 250 now. Been too busy doing BRS/Strat/Scholo runs to get it maxed.

 

[Cathcart]

I can't even give heavy leather away right now. I put up 12 stacks for 40s the other day and got them all back. I guess I'll drop the price. I'm never getting a mount

 

[Son of Godzilla]

Engineering ain't bad, there's like 5 quests all requiring engie goods. Plus salt shakers sell great (25g? I never charged more than 5 ). I spend most my time mining Eastern Plaguelands anyway and have somewhere around 300 unused thorium. Gotten 27 arcane crystals, I'm saving 20 of em for the Arcanite Axe. I swear, hunters get totally shafted on late game melee weapons. What am I going to do with a proc weapon?

Anyways, yea Mining is great. Really, mining and anything else will get you profit.

 

[Shadax]

So far tailoring has worked for me. I was kindly twinked by a friend (he gave me 5g to start), and I've been buying my cloth from the auction and selling my finished goods and pretty much breaking even or making a small profit (I'm currently at 4g 99 s, never dipped below 4g so far). Not bad considering I'm already at Journeyman (75) Tailoring at Level 15. Profit should get better as I am able to produce more and more containers. As a mage, most weapons and armor I sell anyway, so it all works out. Mining sounds like it's a guaranteed profit center...I've heard 20 bars of iron can fetch 4 or 5g easily on the AH. A good 8 hours of straight mining one weekend should net me enough gold to put in the bank for that fateful day when I hit lvl 40.

 

[Phoenix]

I've thought of switching, but I'm hoping that when the expansions come out there will be a lot of new cool stuff for engineering Mining keeps me in money that I need for engineering items so I'll probably keep that around as well.

 

[JackFrost2012]

Profit should get better as I am able to produce more and more containers.

That's what I thought ... but the AH is so flooded with bags that they're being sold at under cost, and almost nobody is willing to pay the necessary premium for green/red/blue/black variants. People are fine with the default brown, if it has enough slots. Mining seems to be the future.