New Store. New Customers. New Project

On Saturday evening I re-opened my "Friendly Furnishings" shop on EQ2 Extended.  Over the past week or so, I've noticed that business has slowed down.  Some of that is to be expected as more players choose the carpentry profession.  However, chat in general has quieted down also.  I'm starting to suspect both slow downs could be related to the football season.  I see many guild members coming and going for game kick-offs. Regardless, I'm still making a nice profit and because I enjoy the crafting so much, it remains my preferred activity in EQ2 Ex.

Harvesting Brick Wall
I have reached a bit of a wall in acquiring components.  My carpenter has outpaced the harvester just enough that it has become a stumbling block.  I can't harvest the resources needed for the last 2.5 recipe books I've acquired.  *Sigh*  I'm loathe to go out and level just 'cuz.  However, I can't offer competitive furniture pricing by purchasing items off the broker either.  As a short term solution I've stocked up heavily on lighting fixtures.  Legendary items especially, have good profit margins - wide enough that the rare can often be purchased and still prove profitable.  I have enough reserve funds now that I can afford to shop for certain rares on the broker and purchase them when the price is right, in advance of actually needing them.

Successful Re-Opening 
The two most popular sets this weekend were my Qeynos Kitchen Starter and Vale Tavern Bar.  Several players weren't even aware that kitchen items even existed.  I expected bedroom and living room sets to be more popular and had stocked up those items the most.  Hmm, is that a chick thing?? Oh well, I ended up grabbing items off the showroom floor and replacing them after the fact.

I received nice feedback on the new shop.  It was suggested that I take pictures and add them to the Norrathian Home Show.  I hadn't considered doing that yet.  I've seen some of the homes on there and mine PALES in comparison.  I think I'll wait until I get a few more levels and unique items under my belt.  

Frequent customer turned friend, Ziyi and Twinkle stopped in to say hello which was a nice surprise on Sunday evening.  I'd just returned from visiting a new customer's 7-room house in Kelethin.  Yes, I said I wouldn't take on large projects again but they're hard to turn down when people are enthusiastic about hiring me.  Plus it's another way to keep crafting and leveling even while my main can't harvest what I need to progress.  My fees include a good cushion for having to purchase some of the required raws.

New Full Home Furnishing Project
The player whose home I visited, actually wanted me to decorate the outside.  I was like uh?  He claimed to have an outside that was the size of Kelethin itself.  When I went to see if for myself, he showed me a bug that allowed a teleportation pad to give him access to an outside size that was all of Kelethin minus the buildings.  My mouth fell open.  He said it was a known bug and there since the Echoes of Faydwer expansion.  I wondered and mentioned that it might have been tied to the new outdoor areas being added to the larger homes.   Perhaps the code based had been added during the EOF development cycle.  

Regardless, I declined that part of the job.  It's too massive for me to contemplate doing alone and I didn't feel right working on something that is a known bug.  For all I know, SOE considers it an exploit. They could at any time locked him out of his little paradise and shove the contents into a black hole.  I didn't want to go anywhere near that situation.  He was happy enough for me to do his actual house. We discussed a few ideas, he game the appropriate permissions and sealed the deal with the necessary down payment.

This project is one room more than the Erollisi Manor home I recently finished but the rooms are considerably smaller.  Depending on work and personal commitments, I should be able to finish it in less than two weeks.  I'm hoping for one week but we'll see.  I have to go out and do at least one massive harvesting session in T3 and T4 before I begin.  I will also need to make back-up inventory of the shop's most popular sets and crate sold items.  I can't completely neglect my little store.

Comments

[Stabs]

Ha ha, I love the idea that someone tried to contract you to decorate Kelethin. I wonder if landscape transformation might be on the cards at some point in EQ2's future. After all you can build player cities in SWG.

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

@Stabs... Yes, it was funny once I got over the shock. He has a whole crafting area on one of the levels where I could make the items on site. I think I'll pass on that part too since it's within the "bugged" zone and use the sanctioned facilities. :-)

[Ziyi]

I think I saw you at the Community Lounge Oktoberfest Party yesterday, in disguise!
Hihi well at least I think it was you.
I found out I'm not too good with spirited drinks!

But anyways, on to your art; we've finally decided to set up guild headquarters in Halas for the time being, as a result of the Qeynosian real-estate crisis, and I've been thinking of offering a pressie to Aeci, since she actually brings in the most money but never buys anything for herself! She's a martial artist you see, and not very big into worldly possessions. But I want to do something anyway, so I was hoping you would have some ideas how to create an oriental themed meditation pad for her.
Let me know!

(oh and I was wondering if I could link your blog on mine, I like to ask first)

xox
Ziyi and Twinkle
The Qeynos Silverhawks-who-operate-out-of-Halas-for-the-time-being
www.qhawks.com

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

@Ziyi - Hmm, let me give that some thought. I think I will be purchasing some recipes that Aeci would enjoy in a meditation room. I'll get back to you both after the Kelethin house is completed.

I was at the festival for a short time on my main. Most of the time I was trying to figure out how to turn off player names to clear up the screen and lag. I quickly gave up and reverted to dancing around on the tops of tables. Us Fae don't hold our liquor very well.

I had to dash away suddenly when a guild member sent me a tell about a gift for my shop!! See the newest post.

For sure, link me, I'd be honored.