Hall of Fame – 250K Gold Club: Menagilda of Terokkar-US

The Warcraft Econ Hall of Fame interviews the few elite players that have hit the World of Warcraft gold cap of 999,999 gold 99 silver 99 copper as well as ones who have obtain 500k and 250k. We have with us, Menagilda of Terokkar-US, who will be sharing their story with us today.

Please tell us a little about yourself and your gaming experience.

I play a Night Elf hunter named Menagilda on US Terokkar.  I have been playing World of Warcraft for almost 2 years.  I have recently started a gold blog called Mama Dorg’s Gold.  It’s new so there is not much on it yet, but I will be updating it weekly.  You can follow me on my gold making journey.

I was in school for a long time getting my Bachelor’s and then Master’s degree with little time for playing around.  When I finished, I was ready to have some fun.  My son had been playing WoW for quite a long time and I was fascinated with it. In 2009, my son bought the game for me for Christmas but it took me about a month before I installed it.  I spent the first 6 months trying to learn the game and I was a very casual player.  My toon didn’t reach 85 until a month before Cataclysm.

I am not a video gamer.  But I am probably one of the longest role-playing-gamers in the World of Warcraft.  I played table top Dungeons and Dragons (1^st & 2^nd Editions) for many years.  Before that, I played Zork on an Apple IIe with 5 ¼ inch floppies.  Before that, I played a game called Dungeon on a DEC mainframe.  That’s right, I said mainframe.  Playing WoW is just the next progression for me.

Do you raid or PvP most? Both? How do you enjoy the game?

I do not raid and I have done very few dungeons.  Early on I realized that anytime I went into a dungeon, it was evident that everyone else had done the dungeon hundreds of times.  It was expected that people in the group already knew all the mechanics of the fight.  I never ran the dungeons enough to learn the fights.  I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing, or where I was supposed to be going.  As such, it became too much angst and not much fun.  So about 6 months ago I stopped attempting to do dungeons altogether and started focusing on gold-making.

I am a casual PvPer.  I even bought the Bloodied Dragonscale set when it was “on sale.”  I have the most fun taking my level 45 female Dwarf rogue into Arathi Basin. They do exist!

Why did you choose to collect this amount of gold?

The Vial of the Sands.  That’s what got me started.  When it was revealed on the Cataclysm PTR that a mount would be available for alchemists that would turn you into a dragon, I knew I had to have it.  I started actively working on making gold to purchase the unfarmable materials.  I also started making the potions and truegold needed.  Well, I have put together 386 artifacts, including 6 canopic jars, and still have not had the Vial of the Sands drop. *sigh* Someday it will.  But this made me realize that I could make gold if I put some effort into it.  So now the journey begins.

Anyone or resource you would like to thank?

Like others, I would like to thank the gold blogging community.  I have learned so much not only about making gold, but about the game as well. Since I am not a video gamer, and have not been playing WoW since Vanilla, I have much to learn.

The Undermine Journal had been my most valuable resource and I would be lost without it. I study TUJ to find out what sells, what doesn’t, how much people are willing to pay for an item, and how low they will sell an item. I use it to research prices to analyze the market and decide the best way to make gold.  I also use it to check out my competition to see what they are selling and ‘borrow’ their ideas if I can.

How did you go about getting to this gold amount? Any creative or original ideas?

I have had a lot of trial and error.  I basically made this gold with just one character, so my options were limited. I tried selling different items that I could make, and if it didn’t sell, I would try something else.  I can’t do any of the high-end crafted gear that sells for thousands of gold.  The highest I can do is Truegold and PvP rings and necklaces.  I really just try to do the best with what I have.

When the flask and truegold market bottomed out, I had to look for other means to make gold.  That is when I started flipping pets and experimenting with cooking.  It gave me an income, and I was able to transmute truegold everyday to stockpile for the 4.2 patch. Once the patterns from the Molten Front vendors opened up I sold all the truegold at a good price, including what I had saved for The Vial of the Sands. *sigh*

I have a good working knowledge of the market prices of the items that I sell.  If an item is listed on the auction house too low, I wait until the price rebounds before I sell it.  I know the market will usually come around.  If someone is selling an item for a stupidly low price, I don’t undercut them.  I will set my price above theirs and at a level I am comfortable with.  Yes, their item will sell, but then so will mine.  Many times I will buy the item for the stupidly low price and re-post it at my price.

I read the gold blogs and if there are suggestions given about what to sell, I research it to see if it will work on my server.  Many times I see that the item is not a gold-maker for me.  But once in a while I find the suggestion that has potential.  They have not been blockbusters, but I have been able to make a decent amount of gold from them.

What is your master list?

My Master List includes:

• Truegold
• Inferno ruby
• Shadowspirit Diamond
• Cata flasks
• Potion of Tol’Vir
• Potion of Illusion
• Potion of Concentration
• Potion of Mighty Speed
• Mythical Mana Potion
• Mythical Healing Potion
• Volatile Water
• Volatile Air
• Primal Might
• Nightmare Tear
• Cut blue gems (WLK & Cata)
• Raw green gems
• Pets

What items are in your Snatch list?

I scan through the different categories of The Undermine Journal and if I see something that I can use, or re-sell, then I buy it.  But I am generally on the lookout for:

• Volatile Life
• Azshara’s Veil
• Stormvine
• Pyrite Ore
• Obsidium Ore
• Elementium Ore
• Raw WLK blue gems
• Motes of air, fire, water and mana
• Primal fire, water and mana

How did you learn to do it?

I learned to make gold by studying the market and determining the value of an item.  I also learned from reading the gold blogs, patch notes and related WoW websites.

What addons, if any, do you use to help you make gold and why are they needed?

I use auctioneer to help determine the market value of an item.  I also just started using TradeSkillMaster.  This has been wonderful for posting glyphs on my low-level scribe.  I have also just set it up for gems, potions and enchanting materials.

Are you still going for more gold?  If so, do you have a new goal? Are you close?

I’m just getting started.  My DK JC is almost level 85 now and has been great for supplying gems to my alchemist to transmute.  I have a whole army of alts with different professions that I am slowly leveling.  They are holding their own right now, but once they reach high level my gold making potential will skyrocket!

Do many people know you have this amount of gold?

No, nobody does except my son.  And he thinks I should be raiding.

Did you spend your gold on fun things? What have you bought? What things would you like to buy?

I feel like I have been spending a good chunk of my gold to outfit all my alts in the BOA gear. I did buy a chopper.  Actually, my son is an engineer, so I gave him the mats and he made it for me.  So I got it pretty cheap.  The mammoth would be nice to have.  But what I really want is The Vial of the Sands. *sigh*

If you were the professor of a gold making 101 college class, what would be some things you would talk about?

Learn your profession and learn it well.  Squeeze every bit of gold-making potential out of your character.  Study the markets so you know what people are selling and the prices of items.  Read what other people are doing to make gold and try to incorporate ideas into your own gold-making system.

How about an advanced gold making class?

Expand your horizons.  Level other characters with complementary professions.  Research and analyze the market to uncover untapped areas. Learn the art of undercutting and re-setting market prices.

Do you have any good farming strategies or spots? If you don’t farm, please suggest something to farm if you had to pick the best items and locations.

I do farm (gasp!).  I never had enough gold to buy all the mats I needed, so I go flower picking.  Every herb I pick and every node I mine I see gold coming from the ground.  I also find it kind of relaxing.  I can only take so much fishing though.  I put a bobber on my pole just so I know when 10 minutes up, even though it feels like 45 minutes.

I have a secret fishing spot for Lavascale Catfish in Deepholm.  I turn them into Lavascale Minestrone and sell them for 15 gold each.  This fishing spot has a high rate of Lavascale Catfish and other sellable fish.  I have not fished up any junk.  Go to the Crimson Expanse and fly all the way straight back into the corner.  There is a ledge where the red mist won’t get you, and neither will the Fungal Behemoths.  I will usually catch between 15-20 lavascale catfish in 10 minutes.

What was the best deal you ever came across?

Best deal?  I have not found anything really big.  I just discovered going shopping on the auction house in the wee hours and finding great deals on mats.

Do you remember any of your worst deals?

Sure do!  It’s not huge, but I was just starting my gold-making venture and this hurt. It taught me to pay attention. I was posting a bar of truegold on the auction house and was distracted by someone in the room with me in real life.  I inadvertently posted the truegold for 375 gold instead of 735 gold.  It sold in under a minute.

What are your future plans with WoW?

I am going to keep playing and make more gold!  I am in the process of leveling all my alts to take advantage of the other professions.  I have a level 84 DK with jewelcrafting/mining, a level 61 druid with herbing/mining, a level 55 priest with inscription/alchemy, a level 48 mage with enchanting/tailoring, a level 45 rogue with engineering/mining, a level 12 shaman with jewelcrafting/alchemy, and a brand-new warlock with leatherworking/skinning.

What are you predictions for the future WoW economy?

I am waiting to see how the epic gems will play out.  If they are available to just raiders, I’m out of luck.  I’ll just continue on as I am now.

Please tell us a little bit about how you handle your real life finances. What are the differences and similarities with how you do things in WoW?

I have always had to raise a family and run a household on a shoestring.  I am very frugal with money and much of that transfers over to WoW as well. I do take more chances with gold in the game, and I have been winning. That is what makes it fun.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview for Warcraft Econ. Do you have any last words?

I think anybody can make piles of gold if they put some time and effort into it.  Learn what tools are available to you for making gold and apply them.  Also learn the auction house and discover the gold-making opportunities buried within.