I recently wrote a piece several days back on the problems with enchanting your items from the demand side. There’s also some issues from the supply side. We’re the only profession that’s not able to put any finished products on the auction house. Blacksmithers can put up their crafted items. Alchemists can put up potions and flasks. Leatherworkers and tailors have their own BoE blues. Even Jewelcrafters can put up gem cuts.
But enchanters? We need to pay house calls to players who want our services individually. Only face to face can we earn any gold.
Rumor has it that this will be changed some time in the future. I’m not sure of any details at the moment, but I’m thinking what they’ll allow us to do is create Enchanting “scrolls” that can be applied to items. It would be similar to a silver spellthread or those other leg patches. This way, we’ve got something tangible that we can then put on the auction house. If they want to prevent twinking on certain levels, it would be easy to do by adding a level requirement for the item or the user of the enchant.
We can only hope.
Yeah, I heard this too– I can’t remember if it was planned for a patch or for WotLK.
My boyfriend, an enchanter, is pretty happy about it.
As I understand this one, there were requests to put enchants on scrolls so they could be posted on the AH but Blue said no-go. I think there was something about it on one of the early episodes of WoW Insider Radio.
I actually hope they don’t make enchanting completely remove the face-to-face aspect. I’m a bit biased, as I only do enchanting on an alt, for DE purposes of BoE stuff that won’t sell on AH.
As a new lvl 70 who has been trying to get the best enchants for my quest greenies and normal-mode 5man dungeon blues, I’ve had the toughest time just locating enchanters who have the formulas for the enchants I want, such as Savagery or +35 2H Weapon, or Boots Dexterity.
In the end, I was able to find what I needed through tons of social networking, asking around to lots and lots of people, until I finally found enchanters that had the formulas, and were willing to perform the service for me.
So from my perspective, I like the concept of a face-to-face profession, but I do wish Blizzard would provide a nice way for Enchanters to list their services for others to browse. Then the only challenge will be in arranging a face-to-face meeting, NOT in simply finding the name of a toon with the formula you need.
I agree with Amava. I make some of my best money because I’m the one that’s on and in the city when somebody should “LF Enchanter for [Special Enchant that Leiandra has]”. With some of the expensive patterns I have, I use the AH less and less. Even with tailoring, I usually don’t make something (except Spellcloth) without having a buyer lined up already. Yes, I’m probably losing out on a lot of money, but I’m sure I’d get nothing (as far as enchanting goes) if they all went up on the AH.
Furthermore… I have clients that always come to me because they know I have certain enchants. I get referrals that way too.
Anyway, I know it’s a pain to sit in a city and spam the trade channel “Enchanter LFW”, but it can be quite lucrative.
Amava/Leiandra: I have to ask, are you guys on low-pop servers? On Ner’zuhl, just about everyone has like mongoose or executioner. When I’m going through major cities, I always see at least one person advertising mp5/hp5 to boots or 12 agility. I have no doubt at all that enchanters make good money. It’s just hard to compete with others that have access to better stuff than you.
At least by allowing Auction Housability, I can at least put up stuff that I KNOW will sell. Stam to shield, health to chest, and others will always be popular. Spellsurge might not be nor is plus healing to weapon. Such specialty things might still involve people having to hunt down enchanters socially because I know I’m not going to go out of my way to farm all the lifes/waters and put it on the auction house. Don’t get me started on shard price. It’s as bad as oil even! 🙁
Galadria: Grrr, I hope they reconsider.