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Crafter Donation

Discussion in 'Tradeskills' started by Quidam, Dec 24, 2016.

  1. Quidam

    Quidam New Member

    I’m about to commission crafters for KA Mastercrafted items. How much plats is recommended to tip for his/her works?
     
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  2. Nolus

    Nolus Member

    That is a really good question, I haven't really done any crafting for more than guildies for a while. I'm not really sure these days. Plat is a bit inflated since last time I did.
     
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  3. Lojask

    Lojask Member

    I never know what to offer either. If commissioning, I provide all mats, and usually offer 1k or so - if they accept it that's up to them. I think crafters are more happy that you have the mats and are organised - one person did all my prayer shawl updates for me and was thrilled that I had pre-organised the mats for each step in my bag and told them exactly what I needed. You could just ask them what they want, the crafting community is a friendly and generous place.
     
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  4. Tbh if I'm not busy and I see someone asking in channels then I'll make for free, PoP, runes etc and I know I'm not the only one on Thurgadin - there's lots of nice people who'll help out if you have the mats. 1K plat is a lot to me, I'd be embarrassed to accept it for 2 mins work! /ponders if this is why I never have any plats:)
     
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  5. Caela

    Caela New Member

    I'm the same. I am happy to make anything for anyone if they have the mats - and I would feel horrible accepting 1K plat. I think human interaction with someone nice is "tip" enough for me.

    Guild mates usually make stuff I need - and I guess I've been horribly cheap with them :/

    I have, and would soon like to again, have a house decorating project commissioned - and I never know what to offer. I wish the decorator would just give me the price they want.
     
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  6. I do understand Caela - but speaking as a decorator who has accepted commissions in the past I've never known what to charge tbh. What is my time worth (let alone my materials which I've collected over the years)? The only certainty is fuel cost and who has time to sit down and work out how many items are going to be needed for a project and estimate costs?

    I've literally been paid 700 plat (a six-roomed house) to 300,000.00 plat (for a T1 Guild Hall) - and the first figure is the one I set (and which I thought was fair using my own materials and fuels). The second figure was given to me by a super-rich individual on our server who insisted on that payment when I was done. God bless him, that actually bought me a couple of nice bits of armour in ToT that I'd never have seen otherwise!

    So I don't accept commissioned work anymore - it's a tonne of work to try and work out costs for mats and fuels. Also, sometimes a project just calls out for a particular marketplace item and if I have spare station cash then I'll buy it (because people generally don't know what's player made and what's a marketplace item unless they inspect it) and you can't say to someone "Oh yeh you owe me the equivalent of £4.50 for that such-and-such" - and I have that typically British problem of talking about money IRL and in game. The upshot is that now I just occasionally build/decorate for friends and don't charge. That way I get to do the things that interest me and there's no pressure on me to meet deadlines or budgets. It's hard work being a decorator!
     
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  7. Lojask

    Lojask Member

    It doesn't help that there's a lot of disparity between the amount of plat people have. All Access people tend to have more because they can broker anything and everything, and f2p don't really have that luxury unless they have a friend who can broker for them or they buy the coins. So 1k plat is a lot to someone else, but to me (I have over half a million plat and that's not even a lot by some standards) it's a drop in the ocean.

    Also not enough people value their time highly enough. In the world generally, people want things cheap, and those that are happy to supply cheap get the sales, even though they are probably shortchanging themselves on the time and effort involved. If you're a good decorator or have a recipe someone really, really wants, then don't be afraid to charge for your time, and base your charge on how much it inconveniences you at that moment. If you've gotta zone to do something, or you need to set aside time and provide mats, then charge for it!
     
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  8. Will you be my agent?:)
     
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  9. Elyana

    Elyana Member

    There are so many variables at play when you commission work, that honestly its hard to give you a price. The BEST thing you can do is to talk to the person, and find out what they expect prior to hiring them. You can also do a little research on the broker. Check the price of the raw materials, subtract those if you have it, and you have an idea what someone might think their time is worth. This could also be a super inflated broker fee though so do not despair if the price seems high! Some folks put stuff up just to show they CAN make it.

    I just had a person help me with shawl combines over on IoR. They did not want to charge me at all, so I sent them a surprise in their mailbox later =p
     
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  10. katz

    katz New Member

    It is a bit awkward on both sides. When I have made things for people, I've been reluctant to state any amount and have just said thanks when they tipped me. I actually prefer they just put in a tip they are comfortable with rather than ask me. (as long as they are supplying all the items). I did craft several house items for someone once and just told them what the fuel cost. It was common mats and I have plenty so I didn't charge for those. They tipped me on top of the fuel costs so that was nice.

    When someone decorated a room in the guild hall for me, I gave them plat and sent them a gift from the marketplace but I was unsure as to if it was enough as I had no idea. In that case, it would have been great if I had known their actual expenses so that I could have made sure to have covered that and also a generous tip.
     
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  11. Regolas

    Regolas New Member

    I generally make for free, but if I need to make cash I will suggest donations are of a value comparable to the difficulty of getting a similar item another way.

    For example - an expeeimented item that's comparable stats to a heroic dropped item, and they provide the mats, I'd say 10-20% of the cost of the heroic item to make it is reasonable.

    In todays prices, that could be 5000pp or more!
     
  12. Benj

    Benj New Member

    I'm always willing to help someone out, if I'm able to. I only have one max level crafter (Alchemist) so it doesn't happen very often. I'm willing to supply my own fuel, and I expect them to provide other materials. I never ask for a tip, but happily accept whatever they give. The one exception was when I helped someone complete their Artisan Epic 1.0 and they offered 5000pp (which was my total worth at the time). I told them it was too much, but they insisted because I was the first person to offer help in over a month.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2017

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