Mining VS Enchanting

[rgirty]

I recently dropped enchanting (only used it for de purposes) for mining. In this time I have found that mining seems tedious and very boring. Perhaps I waited too late to start it as I have to run around lower level areas to try and level it up. I have also been aggrevated by having to sell my soulbound items to vendors instead of being able to DE them, this is especially true of BOP items.

In the end, with mining at 300 how profitable is it? I know if you find arcanite and have it transmuted into a bar they are valuable. My wife does alchemy so I wouldn't have to pay for the transmute. I won't be able to get to the arcanite until later levels and then i expect it to be rare and have to compete against others for the nodes.
With enchanting at later levels I could simply farm an instance, say SM library DE the bop's for the de mats or other instances.

I kind of rambled on there, but to summarize. How profitable is mining at 300 skill? I'm only at 50 skill now and don't want to spend the time leveling it up if i'm never going to get anything more valuable than arcanite. I find running around looking for nodes extremely snoozeworthy.

[LeTHaL_BaNaNa]

I took both :D

Mining is very profitable on my server, because one stack of iron sells for around 4g and even 5g if I'm lucky, and I'm only at 230 skill :D

[Seeo]

I've got both too...

But I think I'm gunna drop mining for engineering.

Enchanting can be profitable... just keep ALL OF YOUR DE's, you'll eventually need them. I can tell you on my main I have hmmm 130 gold? On my bank toon, if I was to liquidate ALL my mats... I'd say there's about 1200-1500 worth of gold right there. Poor little lvl 1 Dwarf Pally... responsable for keeping all that safe... poor guy...

And you can farm for greens and whatnot, sell sweetass fiery enchants for 30-40g a shot, get some good formulas... farm the stuff... make money or die trying!

[rgirty]

I'm going to switch from mining to enchanting, strictly for DE purposes. I'm not going to stand around and hawk my enhanting warez. I don't like any aspect of mining. I think it is a negative money maker for me as in the time it takes to find 5 nodes I could make a lot more cash doing something else. I'm also thinking of all the times i've run SM trying to get the arcanist rod and got the dagger.. i could have de'd that thing for some decent cash by now.

[Mexy]

dark iron ore sells for 1g each on my server. Mining DI ore, I can make around 35g/hour at no cost to me.

[rgirty]

Mexy, that is some good profit.

What I'm more interested in, is the ability to make extra money in my normal activity. For example while i'm out getting xp or grinding i can also skin the mobs for extra $$. When I run a certain instance or get drops i can't use or are BOP i can de them for money. While mining seems to be a good money maker, you seem to have to be out searching for nodes. I haven't noticed running across an abundance of them in my normal playing. Yeah, there are some here and there but not enough to make a real income. While I could have DE'd a ton of stuff for easy $ by now.

Just my viewpoint, maybe i'm lazy! LOL

[dgrampa]

When I rerolled on a new server and knew I wouldn't have friends/guildies to help me out with money, I chose mining/herbalism. Mining is without question the easiest way to make money while leveling up. I'm not talking about the higher end stuff either, you can spend 1-2 hours in a starting zone and collect 300+ copper ore. That stuff sells for a minimum of 35s a stack and for as much as 1g a stack or more. By the time I hit 30 I had all 6 bank slots purchased, all with 16 slot bags, and still had more than enough gold for my mount. Once I hit 60 I dumped herbalism for enchanting to DE all the BoPs I had left from my earlier days. So I'd say yeah, mining/enchanting is good, but you will make more money with herbalism at first. Some of those herbs sell quite nicely, too.

[Grendo]

I agree with dg that mining/herbing or another gathering profession is much more proftiable than mining/enchanting while leveling.

As you near 60, DEing items becomes more profitable as you arent contesting for a node or bush that isnt in high supply but in great demand (like arcanite) during regular gameplay.

In addition, the items after 50ish provide better DE materials, and arent DE'd as often because upgrades become more sparse. Less competition on the AH = more profit from essences for you.

Ive also found that selling lesser essences is more profitable in common stack sizes instead of full stacks of lessers, or Greaters. Many non-enchanters only need X number of essences for a recipe they want done, and dont want to pay 5x what they need to. In addition, many dont realize that 1 greater = 3 lesser, so they dont bother even searching for them on the AH.

[rgirty]

Skinning and enchanting ftw for me then.

[Leonavice]

Enchanting brings in the gold especially when you start getting level 50 stuff. However, be calculative on what you would DE. In general, DE weapons instead of armor, since weapons give greater eternals which goes for much higher than illusion dust. Most of the time, high level armor with worthless combination of stats vendors for more than the illlusion dust that you can DE from it.

[rgirty]

I went ahead and picked up enchanting, I leveled it up to 225, went to ulda trained to 250 and picked up all those recipes. I have all the mats needed to level on up to 300. I don't think i'm going to advertise my abilities in the trade channel but if someone puts out a wtb some enchant i'll probably do it.

[arten]

IMO enchanting is a horrible money sink. Its cool to help out friends and whatnot, but to make tons of money, i think those days are over. To get best recipes, it usually takes a lot of money and grinding. And most ppl that are able to afford topend enchants on Topend weapons/armor are usually in a guild - and most guilds have a guild enchanter.

Plus if you want to sell enchants, you have to sit in IF spamming trade channel repeatedly. This is time better spent farming usually.

[rgirty]

IMO enchanting is a horrible money sink.

QFT!
Although, i do like being able to do my own enchants, enchants for my wife/friends. It is expensive but i do enjoy it and that is the point i think!

[Scrapples]

300/300 mining works for me, lvl up a bit and hit badlands once you get your routes down you can make some serious gold off iron/mithril and once you get up to 300+ you`ll find and learn routes in Winterspring/Sithius for arcane. Just mail it to alt waiting by the bank/AH. Enchanting is only good for DE imo

[Leonavice]

Enchanting is good if you are enchanting for the guild. Having to stand at the AH like a prostitute however, is not my cup of tea.