Auction House

Learn how to effectively buy and sell items on the World of Warcraft Auction House. Master bidding, buyouts, deposit fees, and pricing strategies for maximum profit.

The Auction House (AH) in World of Warcraft allows players to buy and sell items. You can search for items by category, level range, or exact name. Items can be acquired through bidding or a direct buyout.

Buying:

• Search: Use tabs to narrow your search by category, level range, or type the item's name. You can also shift-click an item in your inventory.
• Bid: Enter a bid amount. If you are outbid, you can bid again. The time remaining on the auction is a significant factor in winning. Shorter times increase your chances of winning.
• Buyout: Select the buyout price to purchase the item immediately. This is typically higher than the starting bid.
• Bidding On: A tab displays all your active bids. You cannot cancel a bid once placed.
• Winning: Won items are sent directly to your mailbox.
• Gear Replacement: For gear, consider replacing items that are three or more levels below your current level. Avoid constantly buying new gear for every level, as this can deplete your gold reserves later in the game.
• Blue vs. Green Items: Prioritize blue (rare) items over green (uncommon) items, as they offer better stats for a potentially small price difference. Spending 20 gold on a green item is generally not advisable.
• Twink Gear: Be aware of specific level brackets (19, 29, 39, 49, 59, 69, 79, 80) that are popular for battlegrounds. Gear at these levels can be scarce and expensive, but if found cheaply, it can be resold for a profit.
• Level Brackets: Avoid buying new gear at levels 56-60 and 66-70, as your initial quests in Outland and Northrend will provide adequate gear. If purchasing gear in these ranges, ensure it is from the next expansion world.
• Dungeons: Research dungeon quests and their rewards online, as they may offer better gear than purchasing from the AH.

Selling:

• General Strategy: Approximately 50% of items listed on the AH may not sell. Enchanters often seek cheap gear for disenchanting, but their offers may be lower than vendor prices for high-level items.
• Deposit Fee: All items listed for sale require a deposit fee, which is not refunded if the item does not sell. This fee can be substantial for high-level gear. Early in the game, fees are low and easily covered by a single sale. Late in the game, listing too many items can be costly. The deposit is refunded if the item sells, but the AH takes a commission.
• Starting Bid: Do not set the starting bid lower than the default. Consider rounding up to the next gold amount. If the market price is lower than the default, it might be better to vendor the item.
• Buyout Price: Set a buyout price that is not unreasonable. If it's close to the starting bid, the item is more likely to sell quickly. Increase the buyout price for high-demand items with low supply, or if you have the only item on the market. You can also choose not to set a buyout and let players bid.
• Undercutting: Pricing an item slightly below the lowest current price can be effective, but excessive undercutting can lower the market price and reduce your profit. Undercutting by a single copper is generally frowned upon.
• Class Knowledge: Understand which classes use specific gear and weapons to better target your sales.
• Player Wealth: Many low-level characters are controlled by high-level players (level 80s), allowing for higher buyout prices on certain items.
• Low-Level Gear: While high-level players have gold, avoid setting excessively high buyouts for low-level gear. Consider offering fair prices, similar to what you might look for yourself.
• Materials (Mats): Crafting materials are consistently in demand. Only overpriced mats will fail to sell. You don't always need to be the lowest price for mats, as buyers will often purchase cheaper ones first, eventually leading to your item being the cheapest. Deposit fees for mats are typically low.