When I started playing the game I would trapse across the dunes in relative safety knowing that I had a stack of powders and oils so that I could get to a party camp in safety. These stacks were anywhere from 5-10k, not a bad deal when looking at the relative joy of not dying. Here in lies the problem.
I understand that as people craft they use economics to their advantage and that competetive nature of crafters adds to a healthy economy. For about a year, a person could buy a stack of oils for 15-19k, this was a high price but one I as willing to pay. Last evening I got a party invite in Sky, I wanted to go since It would have been my first XP party there (mainly go there for pop itmes and gods). I noticed I only had 2 oils in my inventory (time to buy more). I go to the Auction house to get some more check the going price and low and behold.......
WTF! 30k a stack.......
Now some people might say this is because of the rising prices of Slime Oil and Beehive chips.... Those people would be wrong. I farm both, Slime oil has dropped from 10k a stack to 7k, and beehive chips are steady at 12k. It is obvious that the crafters who are able to make Sneak Oils are taking advantage of something that non-mages need to have to get around in this world.
I have thought up some ways to counteract this blantant disreagard for fellow players but none seem possible, let alone proable.
1. SE adds NPCs that sell Oils and powders at fair prices and unlimited quanities so that people can't overprice them and or buy them out for sale on the AH.
2. Level alchemy myself and sell them lower prices, therefore taking the wind of of the lungs of the abusers. This seems the easiest but also has a flaw. I leveled cooking so that I could make pineapple juice for cheap considering cause they only cost about 150 gil to make 1 and people sell them for about 700-800 gil. I made a few and put them up in my bazaar for 300 gil, great deal. Problem is, someone bought them all at the reduces price and bazaared them for the normal 700gil. So i tried the AH, saw someone buy them all at my price and then re-sell them at the normal AH price again. Yes, I was fooled twice by this before I figured out my generosity was being abused.
It is getting to the point I get kinda pissy at camp changes and/or slight disorganization because one small mistake cost me...... about 5-6k now. If anyone has any clue as to a good way to fix this problem, please, let me know. It is driving me towards just leveling mages jobs so I can do it for free. and yes, even in sky, a half competant mage can recast sneak and invis without catching magic aggro. Sorry if this sounds abrupt but the situation needs to be dealt with or by the end of this year we will be paying 50k for a stack of something that is a nessecity and not just a luxury item.