Baveux, I think you're missing the point of Mike's post and not reading the OP. As Mike indicates, I don't think it's arguable that the AH beats instance runs on effiency and profitability. Keep in mind, we're talking about a level 19 main, without higher level support.
In the AH, you can buy up cheap greens and DE them into much more profitable enchanting mats to resell. Number one, the amount of time spent on this is a lot less than running an instance (as well as travel time to and from the instance). Number two, the number of green drops in an instance will be relatively limited compared to the number of greens you can buy at the AH. For example, when my enchanting alt was getting started, I could buy up 40-50 low level greens at once for 4-5G total. I'd then DE them into 120-200 strange dusts that would sell for roughly 1G per stack. So, I'd make a profit every time. People are often looking to dump there low level crafted items for whatever coin they can get, so low level greens are usually dirt cheap. This is just the lowest level example, too...it gets more profitable with higher level mats. Number three, if you're just trying to sell the greens from instances, you're definitely not going to make as good money. You can make money, but not as efficiently. Primarily, you lose money on deposits on unsold items. And, a lot of items just don't have enough demand to be purchased by anyone but an enchanter (given the price is right) looking to DE it. If the price is too high for the enchanters and no one wants your "of the whale" item, then what? Vendor it? That's not a money making proposition.
Your specific example of a friend running WC is a bit iffy, too. I seriously doubt your 20-25G figure. That seems exaggerated. I've tried the perfect deviate scale routine. The drop rate on those is terrible (and I was even a skinner). Yes, you can make a deviate scale belt, but they don't always sell well...demand is pretty variable and there's always the undercutters. The time it takes to get mats to make them versus the money you end up making really isn't all that great.
I agree that crafting professions can (I repeat, can) create items that will sell. But, for the most part crafting professions are money sinks. And, to get to the level required to make those few sellable crafted items costs money, usually a lot of money. Also, the OP is level 19, so the number of sellable crafted items at or below skill level 150 is generally pretty low.
The other issue here is that the OP is a level 19 twink without a main to support him. So, he needs a way to make money without getting more XP. I don't even know if there are any instances he could run without getting XP. The easiest way make money in his case is play the AH. In particular, I'd say, disenchanting. Of course, he could also try day-trading enchanting mats. Buy low, sell higher.
wow, sorry, that got long.
Edited, Apr 10th 2007 12:46pm by azwing