Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel

Vaskor’s link to an article about one of the former leaders of GoldMerch, one of the larger merchanting clans on Runescape, was really interesting to me. I decided to do a little research into some merchanting clans to get some more info.

Just to put it out there, I don’t really merch. I’ve never been in a merch clan. Being able to dictate market prices in order to boost your own profits has always seemed suspect to me. The article openly stated that they used people in order to make cash, while others would lose it. Not only that, but if you just happen to need whatever object is being merched is, chances are you won’t be able to get it, and if you do it’ll be at a highly inflated price.

Individually figuring out trends, buying low and selling high, is completely fine. Blatant price manipulation is another. However, as annoying and distrustful as I see it, it is within the rules. For some people, this is how they want to play the game, and who am I to say what they can and can’t do? We all play differently, its what makes the game great.

I came across an interesting website which lists about 40-50 merch clans, what item they’re buying, what stage of the process they are in, and what the dump price is. I’m on the fence about posting a link to it or not. On one hand I don’t want to give any free advertising, this site has never been about helping out merch clans. On the other hand, it would serve as a good warning. Perhaps you wanted to buy a certain item, you can see that maybe this isn’t the best time to do it. I think there’s too much risk so I’ll just say if you can work Google, you can probably find it.

So I turned private off and decided to sit in a few of these clan chats. I have to say I was impressed. It’s rare you log into full, public chat and see no spamming. I shortly realized it is because usually only 2-4 people in the chats have ranks and can actually be ‘heard.’ The format is basically you PM a ranked player, and he/she’ll answer your question publicly in the clan chat for all to see. They’ll also reiterate the dump prices over and over. Usually the title of the clan chat is the item which is being merched.

Contrary to my preconceptions, for the main part, everyone seemed incredibly polite and helpful. Which, the more that I think about it, has to make sense. Everyone in these chats are the ones who are making the ranks their money. Most state that the entire clan votes on items, however checking the items which they have selected, seeing their prices change a couple days prior to the ‘vote’ points out that these are predetermined and have already been hoarded by the few ‘in the know.’ The ‘vote’ is a way of making people feeling included. Comparable to the government limiting the use of butter during WWII, to make people feel involved in the situation they have no control over. The dump prices are set up so that the few who started the merching can get out, while the item is still selling. Anyone who stays in up to the so-called ‘dump price’ is going to be at a loss.

These clans are really run like well thought out businesses. There’s research involved, a certain hierarchy established, a routine to be followed, etc. They do generate enormous amounts of profit for those who utilize them well. Its easy to see how a player can stumble in one of these chats and get carried away. You’re in a clan chat with 100 other people, all of which are seemingly going to do the same thing, the prices are in fact rising on said object, it feels like you can’t lose. Then all of a sudden everyone dumps before you and you’re at a loss. If you try to speak up about your loss, you can’t. No one can hear you, unless you PM a ranked player and why would he let your complaints be heard in front of all the new potential buyers.

I didn’t invest in any of merchandise. Its just not my thing. It was interesting to sit in and get a first hand account of how these things work though. I’ll be keeping tabs, jumping in a clan chat here and there just to make sure I’m not getting burned if I need an item. I’m sure if you do it right there’s a lot of cash to be made, but I’ve made it this far and I feel as if I’m doing quite alright.

I had a lot of time to check the chats while I sat at the GE, checking the prices while I was working on a Fletching level. Got that up to 82. It was about time I put some of those Maple Logs to use. I got my Thieving to 71 a couple days ago. I figured I’d go check out Pyramid Plunder and wow. What a difference a room makes! I went from averaging 5000xp/run to about 8500-9000xp/run with a few runs being over 10,000xp. I quickly knocked out level 72 in that and have a feeling this will be less annoying to get to 75 than I thought.

Also congrats to Jaxana, who's helped me many times with tips, advice, events, good conversation, with her getting 3 99's in a span of about 10 minutes! That was awesome.