06-05-2012, 04:20 PM
You only make a loss when you pay for all the mats. I don't know of many people who actually do that consistantly. Generally, you farm things and buy the last bits to make the craft work. As a result the mats price reflects this. Calculating from the value of the mats is not really all that accurate for much more than a general view.
If you do make an item as expensive as the mats, there is no point in buying the sword, since someone can make it and get the XP as well.
However, when I started playing side swords and Irish swords were very expensive, around 13k. So people made their own, we leveled up and then there were tons of side swords to throw onto the AH. The availability of the item effects it's value. This is of course self correcting, as no one will make them for a while. Claymores used to be cheap, so people stopped making them, the price is much higher now.
If you do make an item as expensive as the mats, there is no point in buying the sword, since someone can make it and get the XP as well.
However, when I started playing side swords and Irish swords were very expensive, around 13k. So people made their own, we leveled up and then there were tons of side swords to throw onto the AH. The availability of the item effects it's value. This is of course self correcting, as no one will make them for a while. Claymores used to be cheap, so people stopped making them, the price is much higher now.