Why is Ancestor Silk So Expensive?

Ravingar · October 2017

Of course the price of ancestor silk is really just simple economics. But if it spawns as much as all the other mats, then why is it significantly more expensive. In my opinion I reckon it's because the stuff is incredibly hard to see. Its the smallest mat, and sometimes it can be buried in the bushes, or hidden in the grass. Is this really the only reason why its so expensive, cause we can't see the damn thing? Or is there another reason? Either way, its interesting to see real life economics at play in ESO.

AzraelKrieg · October 2017

It's not just ancestor silk, it's rubedo leather as well. Both cloth materials are quite expensive on guild stores because they make up the bulk of armour in the game.

Narvuntien · October 2017

It is used a lot for daily crafting writs.

Law of Julianos crafted set is BIS for many mag users (including healers)

AzraelKrieg · October 2017

Narvuntien wrote: »

It is used a lot for daily crafting writs.

Law of Julianos crafted set is BIS for many mag users (including healers)

I would argue against Julianos being BIS for healers because of SPC, Mending and Worm Cult. But Julianos is definitely BIS for most mag DPS setups.

Betsararie · October 2017

I don't know but it's making a killing right now. Sold a few for 14k per stack. Keep buying! lol

zaria · October 2017

AzraelKrieg wrote: »

It's not just ancestor silk, it's rubedo leather as well. Both cloth materials are quite expensive on guild stores because they make up the bulk of armour in the game.

Rubedo leather is cheap, mostly because its drops from lots of mobs, also as crafted sets are not so good for stamina builds

It has also been an hard nerf on surveys, previously you got so many surveys doing writs you went pretty break even.
You could also do writs on level 1 crafters to farm surveys and have master crafter use them, this was an good farming method.
Stopped doing ancestor silk writs, 2K cost makes it non economical.

TheValkyn · October 2017

The Argonian slaves that we sent out to harvest are on strike right now.

RPGplayer13579 · October 2017

Narvuntien wrote: »

It is used a lot for daily crafting writs.

Law of Julianos crafted set is BIS for many mag users (including healers)

I never thought to use this set on a healer. I use Kagrenac's Hope on my healer.

WuffyCerulei · October 2017

Awhile ago the prices were suddenly inflated. I think it was a couple guilds' fault for raising the price, like they had tried to do with gold tempers ages ago. The price fixing was proven for the gold tempers.

Beardimus · October 2017

It's just supply and demand, HotR saw alpt of builds switch to one crafted as above, and people put prices up. Rubedo I have coming out my ears and it doesn't sell as well so I keep it. Also unsure how many heavy builds use crafted, hence light is the biggest demand.

In my opinion writs are still very worth it, due to surveys and wax levels.

ArchMikem · October 2017

From most expensive to least, it's Silk, Rubedite, then Rubedo for my Server. Rubedo is the cheapest because of the drops you get from certain Mobs, of which spawn EVERWHERE, so even when you're Questing or Dungeon Running you're going to find them more often.

You'd think Rubedite would be the most expensive, what with the PvP meta being Heavy Armor, not to mention all those Stam weapons people dual wield.

raj72616a · October 2017

WuffyCerulei wrote: »

Awhile ago the prices were suddenly inflated. I think it was a couple guilds' fault for raising the price, like they had tried to do with gold tempers ages ago. The price fixing was proven for the gold tempers.

the raise was too sharp to be natural market change.
unit price went from ~10 to over 30 in a few days and now stay above 50.

why aint there bots harvesting the silk and collapse thr market?

rynth · October 2017

because the silk is old like when the time your ancestors *** that silk

PlagueSD · October 2017

Ravingar wrote: »

Of course the price of ancestor silk is really just simple economics. But if it spawns as much as all the other mats, then why is it significantly more expensive. In my opinion I reckon it's because the stuff is incredibly hard to see. Its the smallest mat, and sometimes it can be buried in the bushes, or hidden in the grass. Is this really the only reason why its so expensive, cause we can't see the damn thing? Or is there another reason? Either way, its interesting to see real life economics at play in ESO.

Let me tell you a story about supply and demand...aka Economics 101.

High supply + Low demand = Low prices
Low supply + high demand = High prices

Since ancestor silk and rubido leather (and rubidite for that matter) are used in end-game armor, AND crafting writs, AND master writs, demand is high, therefore prices are high.

Tasear · October 2017

I always felt some of silk nodes suddenly became wood nodes, because of Heartwood shortage.

bellatrixed · October 2017

Because it spawns half as often as rubedite & ruby ash.

I regularly farm mats in several zones. Regularly I have half as much ancestor silk as I do rubedite and ruby ash, no matter the value. If I have 300 of those two I'll have around 150 of ancestor silk, If I have 1k ruby ash & rubedite I'll have 500 ancestor silk. It's been incredibly consistent for me, so I don't think I'm crazy.

I am always out of silk despite farming mats a few times a week because I run writs on 6 characters yet I have 2k+ of rubedite & ruby ash in my bags. Drop rates need to be increased slightly.

WuffyCerulei · October 2017

raj72616a wrote: »

WuffyCerulei wrote: »

Awhile ago the prices were suddenly inflated. I think it was a couple guilds' fault for raising the price, like they had tried to do with gold tempers ages ago. The price fixing was proven for the gold tempers.

the raise was too sharp to be natural market change.
unit price went from ~10 to over 30 in a few days and now stay above 50.

why aint there bots harvesting the silk and collapse thr market?

Cuz whoever would be botting would have to level clothing to 50. There's almost no doubt some guilds inflated the silk prices to excessively high. I don't wanna say which guilds I have in mind, but they've done it before.

Nemesis7884 · October 2017

AzraelKrieg wrote: »

It's not just ancestor silk, it's rubedo leather as well. Both cloth materials are quite expensive on guild stores because they make up the bulk of armour in the game.

leather is not / less expensive cause its a byproduct of killing stuff / dungeons

Nemesis7884 · October 2017

bellatrixed wrote: »

Because it spawns half as often as rubedite & ruby ash.

I regularly farm mats in several zones. Regularly I have half as much ancestor silk as I do rubedite and ruby ash, no matter the value. If I have 300 of those two I'll have around 150 of ancestor silk, If I have 1k ruby ash & rubedite I'll have 500 ancestor silk. It's been incredibly consistent for me, so I don't think I'm crazy.

I am always out of silk despite farming mats a few times a week because I run writs on 6 characters yet I have 2k+ of rubedite & ruby ash in my bags. Drop rates need to be increased slightly.

r u sure? i thought its just much harder to see?

Gargath · October 2017

I think we could have statistics from ZOS stating how much of weekly sales per item from all guild stores, direct sales and COD. It could be interesting to see the total outcome of all players and how much gold flows in this game

.

SoLooney · October 2017

Narvuntien wrote: »

It is used a lot for daily crafting writs.

Law of Julianos crafted set is BIS for many mag users (including healers)

BiS for healers? nope, i dont know what you healers you run with but it is spell power cure with worm, mending, infall aether, sanctuary

DRXHarbinger · October 2017

I have 59 stacks on my private guild bank..
OP if you're on eu I'll send you a few. I have 0 need for so many and they aren't shifting.

Cryptical · October 2017

People who say it’s because of market manipulation are forgetting there are 6 markets.

Of the three max level mats, ash and rosin are needed the least. A build takes maximum 2 slots for weapons. The leather scraps drop from creatures everywhere. If you have a craft bag, you may have as many stacks of that as you do alkahest.

No mob drops a silk mat. On a guild trader you can see stacks of leather scraps that all came straight from random mobs, but every bit of ancestor silk listed came from someone’s effort put explicitly toward that mat - either by searching it out in the wild or transporting light armor to a station and deconstructing it.

In the wild, the red patch of ruby ash appears on the screen in stark contrast to the ground - easy to see. So, it’s not hard at all to farm what you need for yourself. Same with that bright red rocks of rubedite that appear before some of the surrounding plants, you really don’t need keen eye to pick those red mats out from the background. Ancestor silk, on the other hand, is a dull red so it doesn’t pop on the screen like the ore. It is a set of thin wavy shapes, so it is more easily missed than the simple log.

So yeah, it simply is harder to see.

nursingninja · October 2017

There are a few reasons it's expensive. The crafting clothing sets are popular. You need alot of it to make CP 160 gear. And also writs and master writs.

akl77 · October 2017

Cos ZOS favours magicka over stamina, hence we have to play magicka, and magicka is light gears.

VaranisArano · October 2017

My experience on PC NA is that Ancestor Silk has retained its value because the Law of Julianos set has also retained its value to magicka DPS even into the end game. There really isn't an equivalent crafted set in heavy armor (Tava's in used by tanks who need warhorn uptime) and of the two main crafted sets in medium armor Night Mother's Gaze doesn't stack when worn by more than one DPS and Hunding's Rage is good but can be replaced by trials gear. However, I suspect the reason that rubedo leather is so much cheaper than silk, ingots or wood, is that the bots who farm mudcrabs or wolves for experience also collect and sell the leather. Consider how the botters quickly farmed clean pelts when Homestead dropped and that clean pelts have never recovered their value relative to the other housing materials.

GreenhaloX · October 2017

I've been selling a stack of silks here and there for about 12-14k on traders. I remember back in the days when I was selling same on the traders for 18-22k. So, technically, it is not as expensive as prior One Tamriel. Going on 2 year now on ESO, and I have never once spent a single gold on mats. Doesn't matter what it is; ores, alloy, kutas, wax, wood, rosin, alchemy plants, whatever. I have always farmed everything and have plenty of all mats; even the gold mats and rubedo. I also have never joined any farming group, i.e. bears, dreugh, wolves, crabs, whatever, and I have plenty of rubedo and waxs.

What I'm saying is you have to make time for farming those items. Any unrefined mats, plants and kutas are so abundant. You just have to get off your mount and pick it up. You have to make time for farming. Any mat is there all over the ground. Even if I was just on ESO for 1 to 2 hours, I made time for farming to pick those up, which all just over the ground. Hey, to each their own. If you have the gold to spend, instead of working to farm it.. it's all good. Game on..

Nemesis7884 · October 2017

some crafted gear could use some buffs to make it more appealing....would be good for economy and appearance

ereboz · October 2017

I assume it's because the game is so poorly balanced, the vast majority of dps builds in this game are magic casters. Mainly sorcs. This makes silk high in demand.

JerzeeDevil · October 2017

Put 1 measly skill point in the little used "makes materials easier to see" skill trees and VOILA! *magic*

casparian · October 2017

ereboz wrote: »

I assume it's because the game is so poorly balanced, the vast majority of dps builds in this game are magic casters. Mainly sorcs. This makes silk high in demand.

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