5K per item, maybe less if your asking for multiples at once.

As someone who learned this trait on everything on one character, and all metals on another, it was a very expensive proposition. Figure at least 20K to purchase each item for research back when I did it. A little less now. And, since it is one of the latter traits people learn, it can be a months long process to gain the knowledge.

Thanks Nestor. It's funny, but most guys won't take my tip, and others even just gave me the item without taking my nirncrux! Lot of cool people. I have been looking in guild stores, weapons are like 15-16k and armor was much cheaper, but all over the place, like 3k to 10k.

I craft for free if you provide the mats. If you want to tip you can but I never ask. Had one guy tip me 10k. Awesome so I made his gear all purple, 20 grain solvents cost more than $10k but whatever. Then five minutes later he is begging for his money back cause he wants to buy something else. Gave it back. Never making stuff purple for anyone without agreed payment anymore. I have hundreds of blue and green upgrades. Struggle to keep purple in stock

Reverb wrote: »

A few basic pieces for research should cost nothing, and no reasonable crafter would accept a tip.

The exception is of you're asking for many different pieces and traits, or if you can't figure out what you want or can't communicate it clearly, and we have to spend 10 minutes or more working out your order. Then a tip of at least 5k is appropriate, and we'll probably never craft anything for you again.

Why not? If I'm going out of my way to help you, why shouldn't I accept a tip if offered?

Well it's clear that some people have no problem taking tips for spending 10 seconds crafting a defending bow for research, but I suspect most players would decline the gold.

Reverb wrote: »

Well it's clear that some people have no problem taking tips for spending 10 seconds crafting a defending bow for research, but I suspect most players would decline the gold.

It's *always* more than ten seconds. You have to include :
- Collect the data from the customer (what does he want exactly)
- Write it down or memorize it
- Collect materials
- Interrupt whatever you were doing
- Relogging to crafting alt
- Travel to crafting station (incl. loading screens, fighting mobs, getting lost, etc)
- Craft
- Send or transfer item to customer
- Discuss price/tip
- Social conversation (hello, thank you, please, goodbye, etc.)

Depending on the situation, some of these steps will not apply, but the point is, it's *always* closer to 15 minutes than to 10 seconds, even for a research item.

JKorr wrote: »

I have two maxed crafters, one has all 9 traits on everything done, the other one has crafting maxed, but is working on the 9th trait. I craft for 4 guilds. I log into all my characters every day, to get mail from hirelings if nothing else. When I'm on my crafters, normally parked near the crafting areas in riften or mournhold or davon's watch, I ask if anyone wants any research items made. If I'm not on my crafter, then I ask them to send me mail with what they want, and they wait until I do get on my crafter. I don't charge anything for research items. I do ask for nirncrux if they want nirnhoned, since the rng gremlins usually hate me when I'm farming in Craglorn.

The only time I'll ask for mats is for nirnhoned, the style mats if they want a "rare" style like Pact/Dominion/Covenant/Celestial and if they want cp160 gear. I don't have enough mats stockpiled to do multiple cp160 sets. I improve everything to green. For lower level gear, I'll make it for guildies for free even without the mats. If they want it blue or better, then they give me the tempers. If they want to tip, that's fine. The first guild I joined was super people who helped me a lot, and wouldn't take payment for anything. When the nirnhoned items first came out, and each piece for research cost 50k or more, my guildmates would make items for free as long as you had the nirncrux. I consider making research items for free paying forward the help I received.

Same here, but as one of the main crafters in my guilds they always send me craft stuff, style mats, and other stuff they don't use. I will accept tips if they want to give one, but as for the general population they can pay. If I happen to be near a crafting station and someone asks for research stuff, then yes I'll make it without chrage, unless nirn, if they have mats free if not market value.

I rarely craft for free. Or, better said, I craft for free for friends and never for strangers.

Not for the gold itself : I have plenty of it already.

But because I want people who ask to be serious about it, to know what they want, to really need a crafter, and not to ask around out of laziness.

If people start discussing the price, and argue that "they have plenty of friends who would do it cheaper or for free", then fine, that's exactly what I want them to do : bother their friends and guildies instead of bothering me.

But I am quick, focused, honest, reliable, and can craft anything. So if someone needs 12 different pieces, all with different and specific traits, in 4 different fancy styles and flavours, and are serious about it, I WILL take two hours, I WILL write it down, check the mats, help them with shopping mats and checking prices, etc. I will get them the exact gear combination that they want, patience included.

Those people usually tip me ON TOP of my prices (not required though, a price is a price, no need to add to it).

Being a high-quality master crafter feels rewarding. Playing the slave for lazy players who won't bother learning 2 traits or paying 5K isn't.

I cannot possibly blame people who craft for free and for anyone : they're nice people. But it does encourage lazy players to think crafters are there to fulfill their immediate needs right here, right now. We crafters aren't shoe cleaners (and that comparison isn't nice to shoe cleaners, a highly respectable job in many regards, but you get what I mean).

anitajoneb17_ESO wrote: »

I rarely craft for free. Or, better said, I craft for free for friends and never for strangers.

Not for the gold itself : I have plenty of it already.

But because I want people who ask to be serious about it, to know what they want, to really need a crafter, and not to ask around out of laziness.

If people start discussing the price, and argue that "they have plenty of friends who would do it cheaper or for free", then fine, that's exactly what I want them to do : bother their friends and guildies instead of bothering me.

But I am quick, focused, honest, reliable, and can craft anything. So if someone needs 12 different pieces, all with different and specific traits, in 4 different fancy styles and flavours, and are serious about it, I WILL take two hours, I WILL write it down, check the mats, help them with shopping mats and checking prices, etc. I will get them the exact gear combination that they want, patience included.

Those people usually tip me ON TOP of my prices (not required though, a price is a price, no need to add to it).

Being a high-quality master crafter feels rewarding. Playing the slave for lazy players who won't bother learning 2 traits or paying 5K isn't.

I cannot possibly blame people who craft for free and for anyone : they're nice people. But it does encourage lazy players to think crafters are there to fulfill their immediate needs right here, right now. We crafters aren't shoe cleaners (and that comparison isn't nice to shoe cleaners, a highly respectable job in many regards, but you get what I mean).

I'll give you an example. Last night I ran into a new player lvl 12. New to the game and new to my guild. He wanted lvl 12 training gear. Np I can handle that. I spent almost an hour with him, trying to figure out what he was attempting to build. I finally got him to tell me what sets, as he clearly knew but was afraid to ask. Then we got down to styles, which really didn't matter but wanted him to like what he was wearing. So while I took time to switch toon, consult with him on build, travel to two stations and build him some low level gear that will he useless in no time, I enjoyed the interaction. He was putting in the effort to learn the game. I told him don't worry about mats or gold, because I wanted him to have a decent experience playing. So I agree with you in that if they are trying I will always help.

But to those that want everything with nothing in return, or expect nothing in return, I simply don't have the time. If a random asks for gear I will ask a few question to see what kind of player they are, I will be patient up to a point. Had a guy wanted TBS cp160 in Dromathra, yep I can do that, 20k, "aw hell no, I'm not paying that". Ok have a nice day. Those players I do not have time for.