Did you hear the one about the poor scribe?

Only my kiwi readers will get this pic.  These billboards frequently pop up all across the country, generally making some dig at some piece of current affairs or other. They have become part of New Zealand popular culture over the past few years and "Yeah Right" has even entered the vernacular in our spoken language. For those that care just google "tui ads" and you'll understand more.

The glyph market is still very much alive and kicking on Cael. I cleared my mail boxes this morning on my three glyph sellers and had a total income of 4876g. Other than glyphmas, this kind of income (and most days I'm clearing 3k+) has never been seen before.

The predictions were that the glyph market would slowly die once Cata was released as players grabbed all their glyphs for their toons never to return. Expectations were that only new alts would be customers of the glyph providers. With the market awash with sellers, the competition to gain sales would mean prices would fall and the market would eventually die. Scribes started looking elsewhere for income revenues and battened down the hatches for the pain that lay ahead

Except it didnt happen.

The reasons are many.

Firstly many scribes saw the writing on the wall and left the market. Where once there were 10 sellers, only 3 major players remain. On other servers only single players dominate and are charging prices before unseen.

Throw into the mix that glyph production prices increased (3 inks v 1), Jessica Sellers still is the only ink exchange in the game and still resides in Dalaran, Jessica now only exchanges Blackfallow ink, herb prices have increased (as predicted due to less farming in lower level areas) and the grind to mill and create glyphs is the same monotonous grind it always was - well you can understand why people have walked away. Glyphs are just hard work.

But why are people still buying glyphs? I've thought about this and my own conclusion is mostly laziness. For me, I made every glyph for each of my toons. Even those I knew I'd never use, well I made them anyway. I sent them and learnt them and now I never need to worry about glyphs ever again.

When it turned out that Sard needed to use the major glyph of Psychic Scream - he just switched it. There was no need to buy it or make it - he just had it. If I had a high level druid, I would have all the feral glyphs even if I was moonkin/tree.

But that's just my personality profile - anally retentive many would say. Many others, it appears, arent. They buy them as and when they need them.

The other market is the one we always expected - alts. As more and more glyphs become usable (as the toon levels) the glyphs are purchased. I dont keep a completely accurate record of what character buys what, but occasionally a name will catch my eye and a few days later I will see them returning for their next batch of glyphs. I've also noticed that the key levels of 25, 50 and 75 causes a character to visit. It's that these three levels that a character can start to use glyphs (25) or use more glyphs (2x each at 50, 3x each at 75). Even though individual glyphs have differing levels for use, it seems that it's at these milestones that people think about reviewing their glyphs.

And as for prices - they creep ever upwards. This is mostly due to fewer sellers. Those that are left aren't dumb and have naturally let prices drift northwards, and without needing to communicate. We all know the game is awash with gold - what was once considered a fortune is now spent without a second thought (except by the miserly Breevok who still hasn't dropped old habits). We all know that spending 90g on a glyph now is done without a second thought by the majority, whereas 3 months ago we would be called crooks.

Inflation is rife, a topic for a future post me thinks. But players have money to burn (Mysterious Fortune Cards anyone?!) so they might as well line my pocket with in. and so it seems they are. Broke 560k last night - I love Darkmoon Cards I honestly do.

*Achievement Update - 6300 achievement points - 115 gained last night. Done by running old world dungeons and finishing a few explorer achievements. The level 90 elites protecting the Blood Elf starter zone hurt.

How sitting in 12th spot (up from 13th). I'll break into top 10 tonight. Picked up a load of cloth, enchanting mats, a couple of blue BoEs and much crap. Tundra Mammoth finally starts to pay its way a little :)