Gold Plans for Cataclysm

With Cataclysm literally just around the corner everyone should have a strong idea of what they will be doing with their professions and how they are going to level them.

I though I had mine worked out, the changes to Engineering were looking very attractive and I had stockpiled a new guild bank alt with mats to power level it at 85. The recent changes that have been made to it however have thrown a rather large spanner in that plan. Losing the ability to have Rocketboots and the Shield at the same hurt but I could live with it, the other bonuses more than compensated. It was the painful raid wiping and frequent backfires that were given to both that really made me question it. Sure there are some nice toys in the skill list but was wiping a raid worth the risk?
For me it was now obvious, the large profits that Blacksmithing have to offer were slightly out weighed by the fun and usefulness of Engineering, but when you take away some usefulness and add in more risk then the gold just plain wins out.
So I now plan to be a Blacksmith / Jewelcrafter in Cata and have filled up the banks a little more just to make sure I will have enough mats.

Now I am sure of my professions for the expansion I can properly plan for how to make gold.
I have played the AH a little this expansion but its only really been a growing part of my game since the release of epic gems. At best my total net worth has only capped at about 20k liquid with very little in assets. That is going to change in Cataclysm.

I have spent the last few months delving into the world of gold making. The site JMTC and its podcast 'Call to Auction' have been an immense help and just by applying the basics of what they teach I have been able to amass a large stock of items for Cata and keep myself at the 10k liquid mark to.

So what have I been stockpiling you ask? Its simple, items that will raise in value later in Cata.
Think about the value if you remember of Adamantite ore in TBC, most likely it was around the 20g mark during the middle of the expansion. Now think about the value it had middle of this expansion, on average I saw it sit at 40-50g a stack that's quite a difference. As History teachers will tell you the point of learning about the past is that when it repeats itself you do no repeat the same mistakes and better still repeat what worked. We can rather confidently say that Saronite will rise in price as Cata moves on and less and less people farm it, this means that the ore you buy at today's prices could be worth twice as much in 6months to a years time.

So what exactly is in my stockpile; three guild tabs of Saronite ore, two of Infinite dust, 1 Borean Leather, 1 Greater Cosmic Essence (sold as lessers) and a splattering of Eternals, Titanium ore and Titansteel bars.
That is a rather long term plan, I won't see a return for months maybe even a year depending on how long others wait until they unload their stockpiles.
How about the short term plans to fill my pockets?

My very first plan is to not repeat last expansions mistakes. Last year I leveled my JC as I leveled mining but did so in no real rush. As a result I was not first on the AH with gems (I had no real desire for it then) and I missed the brilliant golden opportunity that is early expansion gathering. In the first few days of Cata gathering mats will be very rare. Not many people will be farming them particularly in the opening hours after midnight and particularly the mid level ore from Deepholm and Twilight Highlands. The result of this rarity is HUGE prices, I am talking possibly into the thousands of gold a stack. The profit comes from very rich people who seek the realm first achievements. These people will not be able to get enough of that precious ore and herbs and due to their large wallets will pay near anything for them and with little competition your mats should fetch a very nice profit.

Its now been a couple days or even weeks and the mat prices are dropping, at this point my JC will have been leveled enough to get me into the new dailys and I will be stockpiling ore to help the final levels of Blacksmithing. After that I should be able to drop mining once and for all and use my ore stockpiles to powerlevel Blacksmithing and the remainder of Jewelcrafting up to cap and start putting my new piles of gold into mats. The first couple weeks will be big money for those that can get their hands on cheap mats and craft the epic weapons and armor, again following WotLK examples epic crafts will fetch 50% odd profit. The biggest factor to this is that the new Frozen Orb 'Chaos Orb' is BoP so any epic gear you want is going to be on the AH far more than in your own mats.

As the gear market starts to drop a little people will be well into raiding and the gem market is going to flourish by this point I should have more than enough recipes to make a killing selling gems on the AH.


From there onwards I plan to bring over my priest and use her to bring the Enchanting and Alchemy professions to the AH table. I certainly do not plan to ever reach the new gold cap of 1 million gold but I do aim to reach well into the 100k's this time round.