GW2: Going for 1000 gold – Investing for the future

Investing is a bit different than making stuff and reselling it. Typically, when I make things they sell right away or within a couple of days. My profit margins aren’t extraordinary – not for an MMO, anyway – usually around 15-20% on whatever I’m making. Sometimes more, sometimes less. It’s not hit-the-lottery profits, but when I make a popular rune or sigil, I can be just about 100% certain to sell it, and if I’ve price it right, I’ll sell it for a profit.

Investing means I put money into something hoping it will be worth more in the future. That means I take some of my money out of my cash flow and, basically, let it sit in an item  – a recipe or a mini, perhaps – hoping it will be worth a whole lot more in the future. Investing is a bit more of a gamble than making and selling stuff (There’s a rant about Wall Street in there, somewhere, but let’s save that.), so I don’t put a whole lot of money into it.

Keep in mind you’re always hoping the ArenaNet gods behave as they have in the past and what you’ve invested in will go up in value. Minis from events almost always go up in value, for instance. But don’t forget, ArenaNet can behave like a Greek God – fickle and random. If they feel like it they can take something that was once rare and make it common or something that was once common and make it rare.

So all that said, there are things you can “invest” in, now. I’ll tell you, tomorrow.

My gold is about the same as yesterday, because I’ve been investing a little of my money.