Is it okay to buy expensive items for cheap from noobs?

Yes considering ive done my own fair share of Powerselling >.>

Yes it is. They should research the price and as long as you're paying what they're asking for, there's no harm done.

Of course if they're selling something I want for WAY too cheap, I tend to throw a bit more cash in. I still get my item cheap and they get more than what they asked for.

Uh, no. At worst I'll give him some extra gold to account for 75% of the item's worth. My crutch is that I apparently have morality and a soul. Something that seems to be ever-so-rare in these parts. They are only items in a game for christ's sake.

It's common sense to at least attempt to find out how much something is worth before selling it, really. It doesn't take someone who's been playing Guild Wars for 2 years to ask a question. Not to mention you can now press F10 to find fan sites and wiki.

If anything, the only thing that you take advantage of in this situation is someones ignorance. If they want to sell something for a price lower than what it's worth instead of doing a little bit of research, that's their fault. Whether they've been playing for a month or since release, they're being ignorant, and it's their fault.

I have morality and a soul too. But I don't see whats wrong with buying an item from someone who is ignorant.

And you're right, they are only items in a game. Who cares what they're sold for? The money they are bought with is only money in a game for Christ's sake.

When I picked up the game a week after release, my second drop was a black dye in Pre-Searing. Not wanting to dye my armor black, I traded it to someone for a blue dye. AFTER the trade, he called me a noob many times and informed me of the incredibly value of black dye. He even took his gloating to local chat, and half of Foible's Fair joined in the jeering.

As such, I've made sure I've never ripped off anyone that clearly doesn't know what they're doing. I've been offered weapons of 100k+e values for less than 20k plenty of times, and I let each person know what they SHOULD be selling them for. I even sit in Spamadan and Liar's Arch and read through the party search list, informing people of the mistakes they're making in the advertised trade values for their items. That's how awesome I am.

What I think sucks is people who hang out in low level areas and target people who are still trying to learn the game. Buying dyes for low prices because new players haven't seen a dye trader yet, or spamming for imperial credits at much less than market prices.

But if you are in a trading district, then you know you are in a "store." I see people asking for price checks in all chat all the time. If the above is not enough of a hint that you should try to do some research before selling, well, it's not anyone else's responsibility to figure out why you set the price you did.

I agree with you, I mean seriously, whats so hard about telling a noob that they aren't making a good deal in their trade? I mean you all say they should research and saying someone who's been playing the game for two years should be able to do research, but thats people who have been playing for two years. We're talking about noobs now, the people who are new to the game..know the basics but don't know what cost what so they put a price on it themselves. I had been playing guild wars for awhile until I found out about the guru site and the PC forum. I mean are people really that greedy and they use an excuse to cover their greed by saying its their fault they didn't do research? Whats wrong with an act of kindness by saying "you aren't really making a good deal in that trade you should really sell it for XX amount" and then refer them to the PC forum for future reference

I wouldnt do it personally, but im not going to say that people doing it are 'naughty ' as i dont really care what other people do, depends how you view the situation.

Good man you are Same thing had happened to my friend as well. He got a black dye in Pre-Searing and this was way back when the game had first come out and he didn't know what it was worth and didn't want to dye anything of his armor black so he sold it to someone for 75g only to find out how much it was worth later on.

You are taking advantage of a person. Would you buy an expensive antique for cheap from a poor old woman who is completely ignorant of its true price?

It does not matter if it is in game money or not, it is the principle itself.

That's called an extreme. It's also a terrible one. It is not hard for a person to ask in game what an item should be worth, in the eyes of others. We do not survive on Guild Wars money. My avatar requires no food, no sleep, no rest and is FAR from defenceless.

The old woman needs money to live and get by in the world. Taking advantage of the weak and needy is obviously the moral wrong thing to do. But taking advantage of someone who has all the resources sitting in front of them and they choose not to use them is an entirely seperate thing.

To those of you who take care of new players and choose not to take advantage of them, I give you my sincere admiration.

To those of you who exploit newbies for your personal gain, virtual or not, it's a sign of your character: REPENT.

If you decide to continue with your wicked ways, I hope your freaking motherboards catch fire you self centered jerks.



Oh. Have a nice day.

There's a fine line between doing something in a game and doing something in real life, and I do believe you have crossed that line.

In Guild Wars, you go to a web site and ask a question, or browse and look how much your item is worth. In real life, what do you do? You can't go around searching for how much the item has been sold for, it's a rare antique. You can go around asking people, but it's much easier to be scammed in real life then it is to be scammed in a game.

Yes, I'm a self centered jerk because I'm taking advantage of someones ignorance in an online game, where it's easy to research prices. Thanks for that unnecessary insult.

Actually, all trade is about exploiting someone's lack of knowledge, ingame or outside. Who is to judge what is wrong or right? Is it ok for you to make 10% profit? What about 300% profit?

Your shoes cost you $70, but the factory worker got paid $5 to make it. If you could buy that shoe for $5 from the worker, you would. If the worker could sell the shoe direct to you for $70, he would. So the middleman trades upon both your lack of information and brings both of you together for $65 - operation costs.

People make their decisions to their best of their knowledge, the lesser the knowledge, the lousier the decision. It is up to you whether you want to increase their knowledge or not. Buying a Superior Vigor rune for 1000g might just be the impetus to start a life of learning for the seller. Who knows what is the best thing to do?

Is it ok? No, not in my opinion. Not if they're off by a considerable factor. Its ok to buy things cheap in a poor economy, but not ok to take advantage of someone, imho.

it's the current state of the game - so many of these folks either forgot they ever were new, or they started LATE in the game. when i started playing, the wiki was pitiful (i became a contributor to help with that) and i only found guru when factions came out.

quite simply, if it's someone who's new, then common decency (something that's lacking in the microcosm that is guru) should have you give them at least a ballpark of what the item is worth.

and just maybe you should point them toward guru auctions, and the wiki (the unofficial, good wiki, not the other crap) and show them the light, as it were.

now, having said that, i'll acknowledge that many GW players have the ethics of lawyers or politicians. as it is, i'll keep looking out for the new guy, helping him get less new.

and as a thought for you folks who are so proud of yourselves for having screwed the new guy - remember, without new folks, the game dies. simple that. if GW gets a reputation for game you don't want to play, Anet stops making money, and those servers we use get turned off.

just a thought.

I think if they're offering to sell for a low price, it's fine, but if you know they're a newb and you offer a low price for their perfect r8 weapon, it's not so great.

i would tell them the real price of the item.....after i bought it ofc!!

Blaming the victim is not a sufficient justification of your actions. It does not matter how easy it is to find the price of the item, it does not matter whether it is in game money or not. It is a matter of a principle.


The OP mentions buying expensive item for cheap.

reminds me of the first black dye i got in pre...sold for 100g to a happy spammer. i got my first ID kit tho =)

yeah ripping people off is allright as long as your concience can take it.

I personally do not. However, people always have, and always will. You cant go around warning people about it...its just how the world is.