Lowering the cost of glyphs – looking at the manufacturing process

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Inscription has a very simple three step manufacturing process: herbs are milled (step 1) into pigments which create inks (step 2) which combine with parchment to make glyphs (step 3).

In my experience the vast supply of cataclysm herbs and the low supply of pre-catacylsm herbs on the Auction House adjusts this construction chain towards a four step process: cataclysm herbs are milled into ashen pigments (step 1) which create blackfallow inks (step 2) which are exchanged for the required inks (step 3) which combine with parchment to make glyphs (step 4).

Therefore there are three steps in this process that can give rise to a cost saving and can thus allow the Scribe to lower the cost of glyphs - Steps 1 to 3.

Before we look at each step lets be aware that the key part, however, is making this process as automated as possible.  Saving 1 gold in the 10-12 gold process cost of a glyph is not desirable if the extra time required is too high.  Personally, i do not want to spend more than 10 minutes in a week attempting to make those savings.

To put this in context, if i manage to reduce the construction costs of my weekly glyphs by 50 silver and i sell 500 glyphs per week (at 100 gold) then i have made 250 gold additional profits on the normal profits of 44500 gold.  Not much, but it all adds up and worth the 10 minutes.  In a month that is 1000 gold.

This is my process, and it takes 1 minute a day.  On my server the blackfallow inks go for 5 gold each.

Firstly, whilst all herb prices gravitate towards the cataclysm herbs there will be occasions when a lorry load of pre-cataclysm herbs are posted on the Auction House at a low value.  Make sure your snatch list has all the herbs listed so you can quickly go through them looking for the cheap ones and buy them up.

Secondly, have all the pigments on your snatch list – i have no idea why, but on occasion i get to buy some pigments at very much less than half the cost of an ink.

Thirdly, have all the inks on your snatch list.  There are plenty of times when the pre-catacylsm inks are going for less than 5 gold on my server and so less than the cost of the Blackfallow inks.

In summary, have all the above on your snatch list (all herbs, all pigments and all inks) and each day use your snatch list to scan the market.  Takes a minute a day.  And stock up on those that are going cheap in preparation for the Saturday morning milling and glyph construction hour.

As an added benefit, for those 10 minutes spent a week my awareness of the wider herb market is greatly enhanced, and that is no bad thing.