Hot Dog/Bun Theory

There's a phenomena that happens in real life markets that I like to call the Hot Dog/Bun Theory. When two items are meant to be used together, they can be sold in contrasting quantities so you're forced to buy more than you need. With hot dogs commonly sold in packs of six, the buns are found in packs of eight. This means you're buying two extra buns or having to buy four & three packs of each to come out with even pairs.



Stacking Strategies
As this applies to WoW, it assumes you can either coordinate the market so everyone posts the same, or control it individually. A prime example of this is green-quality gems. Both the daily Jewelcrafting quest and the Icy Prism cooldown require these items.

With the Jewelcrafting daily, I make sure to buyout all the affordable single-stacked gems of the day's required colors and post my own in stacks of two.

With the Icy Prism mats - 3 Chalcedony, 3 Dark Jade, 3 Shadow Crystal - I post in stacks of four or five, depending on what the demand allows for.

I've gotten Chalcedony and Dark Jade prices up to the 13-15g range on my server. These pay for all of my Saronite Ore prospecting, allowing any green-quality and blue-quality cuts to be pure profit.


This method is applicable to other markets as well:

• Tailors need Eternal Life, Earth & Shadow in pairs. You can easily manage your own three-stacks to be the best deals.

• Arctic Fur is now accessible with a Dalaran vendor trading for 10 Heavy Borean Leather. Stack more than 10, less than 15.

• Herbs are milled in stacks of five, but bought in large quantities so you might only benefit from those buying for flask mats.

• Inscription Inks require multiple pigments so sell these in odd quantities.

• Six Snowfall Inks are used for Darkmoon Cards of the North, so sell in stacks of 5 during Darkmoon Faire weeks.