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Thread: Lexy's Look at Getting RICH! [longer]

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    Phantom Watch
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    Default Lexy's Look at Getting RICH! [longer]

    Hello, I'm Alex.
    I play a 1xx Scania DK.
    I am good.
    But anyway, at level 59, I decided to start merchanting.
    What's merchanting?
    Well, it's something that made me 400 million pure mesos and 600 million mesos in equips [and over 1b on scrolls for failure scrolling] in four months.

    You know you want that Devil's Sunrise you've seen 'pros' wearing, and that flashy zakum helm, and.... well, everything and anything!

    Well, you know what?
    You CAN get those things.
    And you WILL!

    If you believe the following guide is... off, here's some other guides you can take a peek at!
    zigkid3's meso making guide
    An organized Basil guide! [forget the irony for a second please]
    Also: Mesos to Money, a guide by Lotz.

    Disclaimer!

    I did not copy any part of this guide, except in places where I have clearly stated so, or quoted so. I might have been influenced by others’ ideas, and I will [unless I forget] say so as well. Most of the ideas in this guide are mine and mine alone, unless you want to put them to use, of course!

    Also note that I play Global MapleStory, in Scania, and this may influence many parts of this guide, due to Scania's incredible amount of players.

    Table of Contents

    1) Starting off
    ~Methods of getting starting money
    2) Merchanting
    ~Finding
    ~Buying
    ~Pricing
    ~Profiting
    3) Scrolling
    4) Other ways to get mesos
    5) Ways to save mesos
    6) No NX? No problem!
    7) Tips from the pro [me]
    8) The Merchant Oriented Dictionaries. [MODs]
    9) Final Words and Acknowledgements



    1) Starting off
    Okay, you’re through with training. It’s disgusting.
    PQing? Total waste of time.
    Bossing? You can't even pay for the pots.

    Then, why not get rich?

    Advantages
    ~You’re rich

    Disadvantages
    ~“meso pl0x”
    ~waste [?] of time and effort

    Okay, so to become rich, you need three basic things.
    1) An initial investment
    2) Real life cash (able to obtain NX cash), not absolutely necessary
    3) Time and patience [if you don't have this, give up now]

    …guess that’s the same for anything in life, huh?

    The initial investment is what most people get stuck on. You need a few mil to start merchanting, and without ANY money at all, these few mil are diamonds—hard to find, and sharp when you get them, making you want to blow them out on random equips.
    If you don’t have a few million mesos to begin with, don’t have a high/medium leveled main character, or you blew your money on some odd things, you have a few options. I've compiled his handy guide to making 1 million mesos in a week, or less. Pls read! pl0x! plz!


    How to get one million maso in a week or less!

    The stupid methods
    Stupid method #1: Begging. Meaning, you’ll go to FM or somewhere and randomly trade people asking for mesos.

    Stupid method #2: Make friends with generous, rich people except me and try to get some mesos out of your 'friendship.' Note: this is called gold digging.

    The okay methods
    Okay method #1: Selling everything you have in your shop. You should have at least some equips, and these equips are probably very sellable in the FM. Take bamboo hats for example. In kerning city, you can get them for dirt-cheap prices, but in FM, you can sell them for more than 300k a pop.

    Okay method #2: [for people who've done alcaster's many quests] Buy All cures and Summoning Rocks from the NPC, and resell them at higher prices in FM.

    The LEXY method
    Day One
    Step One: Start out with about... 50000 mesos.
    Step Two: Go buy 75 leathers at 500 mesos each at Pig Beach. [-37500 mesos]
    Step Three: Make five work gloves at the Kerning NPC. [-5000 mesos]
    Step Four: Sell your work gloves at 50000 mesos each. [+250000 mesos]
    Day One outcome: +257500 mesos

    Days Two to Four
    Step One: Buy 300 leathers at Pig Beach for 500 mesos each. This might take more than a day. [-150000 mesos]
    Step Two: Make 20 work gloves [-20000 mesos]

    Days Four to Seven
    Step One: Sell 20 work gloves at 50000 mesos each. This will take more than a day. [+1000000 mesos]

    Final result?
    1087000 mesos.


    And... back to original topic.

    If you can't get real life cash, don't fret.

    If you can't get time/patience, please fret.

    Okay, so you’ve got these three staples. Now what?

    Well, you need a weapon.
    But not any ordinary weapon.
    It is single-handedly the most important item on the road to getting rich.
    It’s your noob-killer.
    It’s your crazy weapon that you worship day and night.
    It rules your life.

    It is your shop.


    Buy a shop from the CS ASAP. You NEED it for merchanting.
    Okay, NOW you’re set. Good luck.

    If you don't have a shop, you can still read through the rest of this guide, and it still will help you. See Section 6 for details.




    2) Merchanting
    This is something I love.
    This is something you’ll learn to love.
    You put in time, it spits out money.
    Godly!


    Places to merchant

    Okay, first of all, you need to know WHERE exactly to merchant.

    o Kerning City, near KPQ area
    o LPQ area
    o Popular training spots
    o Channel 1 Henesys, mostly on the left side of the map
    o Ludi Maze PQ area
    o Mu Lung
    o FM entrance, channels 1,2,and maybe 3.
    o FM [other players’ stores]
    o Zipangu Gachapon
    o Other places

    In depth:
    Kerning City is the budding merchant’s place to merchant. Most of your mesos made here come from 10% overall dex and 10% glove dex scrolls, which sell for a bit more in FM (I’ll explain pricing later).

    The LPQ area is not as popular as the KPQ area is, mostly because the players who LPQ are 5 to 30 levels more experienced, and many also have shops and can sell their own scrolls, so they don't need to sell them to you. Items to be bought here include almost every kind of 10% and 60% scroll.

    Popular training spots are also places to find merchanting opportunities. However, you usually find these opportunities while training, so if multitasking’s for you, go for it. The items you find in popular training spots depend on what the monster there drops, so go check hidden-street for what they drop. Also, some training people are too lazy to sell their own stuff, so you might get a really good deal everysooften [once in a blue moon, sadly..].

    Channel 1 Henesys is a popular place for buy and sell, but only on the leftmost side of the map. The people on the right side of the map are only there to hang out, and talk, and will f6 at you if you’re saying “B>SCROLLS@@@@@@@@” or ignore you. Items of all kinds can be found in Henesys, from staffs to potions to stars.

    LMPQ area [on top of the big thingy in the middle of Ludi] is becoming a great place to merchant, due to the incredible amount of LMPQers as well as the people spamming "J>PAP PARTY!$*&@%@" in channel 1 Ludi.

    The FM entrance [channels 1 and 2] is the most popular place to buy and sell items without a shop permit. Players come to the FM entrance to sell everything, and a great database of item prices must be drilled into your brain in order to get the best deals here. Also, channel 1 FM is the map with the most people at once in the entire game, and, some would argue, the map with the best money-making deals, since almost everybody without NX sells their items here [or on BasilMarket/SleepyWood]. This may cause lag.
    P.S.: My friend iDagger used to just sit around in the entrance all day. She got a +3 30%ed maple shield with 7 slots left for only 50mil, when 30% shield luk were 15 mil a piece. Personally, I find better deals in shops, but if you've got persistance [not wanting to move around constantly], you could try the FM entrance.

    Free Market
    Okay, so it’s something you hear everybody talk about, it’s something you see in almost every town, it’s something that will make you rich. It’s t3h FM! :O
    Okay, shops in FM aren’t everywhere. You need to know where to find shops, and where to find good deals.
    Shops in the FM are generally located in…
    Channel 1, FMs 1-6, 7-12, 13-17, 18-22 [all of the portals]
    Channel 2, FMs 1-5
    Channel 3, FMs 1-3
    Channels 1-20 FM 1
    However, some of these places are VERY overpriced, and you’ll make no profit if you buy from shops there. These inflated shops are located at…
    Channel 1, FM 1-4 [5, 6, and 7 = sometimes overpriced, not always]
    Channel 2, FM 1
    Channel 3, FM 1
    Channels 4 and 7, FM 1 are sometimes overpriced as well [not usually]

    Also, a heads up:
    When it's the weekend, more people will have their shops set up.
    For example, if it's wednesday, you might see ch 2 fm 7 empty, but when it hits saturday, ch 2 fm 8 might even have people in it.
    In addition, when there's holidays, the FM is UBER full. In Scania, FM 1 in all the channels were full during winter break.

    Here's some more places to merchant:
    Quote Originally Posted by firewizardjt View Post
    Yeah, any PQ area does find, except OPQ, I find.

    The showa gacha area is also a popular gacha items and cursed scroll merchanting area.
    Oh, NLC is a good place as well [for the gacha].

    Also, since I've been totally ignorant of the Zipangu gachapon area, it's time to add some words of my own.


    Finally, you've all heard of Basil, no doubt. If you haven't, it's www.basilmarket.com, and will be explained further below [don't blame me for being lazy and not putting it in one chunk... ^^]. You can find lower-than-FM prices on this website, and it's pretty consistent money. Try it out once you establish a solid merchanting foundation [or not, it doesn't really matter].

    Another place for buy/sell is SleepyWood.net, and SW is usually for higher leveled items with, naturally, higher prices. You CAN merchant here, but be wary: this is not a place for inexperience.


    Buying

    Okay, so now that you know where to buy things and everything about mules, I’m going to tell you exactly WHAT to buy, and HOW to buy it [pricing items is next, bear with me…!]

    How to buy what you want:
    Say “B>[item that you want] @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@” in crowded areas [such as Ch 1 FM entrance], because the “@”s put your text above other players’ text [in theory], making them easier to read.
    In places with less people, however, spamming “@” won’t do you any good, and it will get you f6 [o.o] or f7 [-_-] from other players.

    Some techniques:
    ~Saying @s in eights, and then putting a space between each set of eight.
    This is what you type:
    "B>Scroll @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@"

    This is what you'll see:
    ______________
    |.......Tiger:.......|
    |.B>SCROLL.......|
    |.@@@@@@@..|
    |.........@..........|
    |.@@@@@@@..|
    |.........@..........|
    |.@@@@@@@..|
    |.........@..........|
    |.@@@@@@@..|
    |.........@..........|
    !----------------!
    ........|...../
    ........|..../
    ........|.../
    .......(^_^)
    .....o=| |=o
    ......./ /\ \

    ~ Saying @s in fours, and then putting a few spaces between each set of four.
    This is what you type:
    "B>SCROLL..@@@@..@@@@..@@@@..@@@@..@@@@..@@@@"

    This is what you'll see:
    ________________
    |........Tiger:.........|
    |......B>SCROLL.....|
    |.......@@@@.......|
    |.......@@@@.......|
    |.......@@@@.......|
    |.......@@@@.......|
    |.......@@@@.......|
    |.......@@@@.......|
    !------------------!
    ........|...../
    ........|..../
    ........|.../
    .......(^_^)
    .....o=| |=o
    ......./ /\ \

    ~Spamming @ randomly doesn’t really work.

    ~Place “1” at the end of your buying phrase, and then saying the phrase again, except, with a “2.” Next, scroll up to the first phrase, and then start pressing “enter”, “down” and repeat, but say it steadily. This way, your buying phrase bypasses Maple’s “saying the same line three times in a row might disturb other people” or something like that, and it allows you to constantly maintain your speech bubble so that others can see it.

    Also, Owls from the Cash shop are a fast way to find what you need:
    Quote Originally Posted by Ulyana View Post
    Don't forget the NX Owls you can buy! They search through FM and give you a list of prices/stats for the item you're trying to sell (or buy). That's a lot faster than doing it manually, if you have the rl money to spend. ^.^
    [you needs lots of real life money.]

    FM TECHNIQUES

    Also, the FM is a VERY unique place to merchant. Not only do you put your shift - 2 spamming skills to work here, but there are also many other techniques involved here as well.

    o In GMS [not so sure about MSea], there is a HUGE maple television that blocks much of the map. NEVER stand at the edges of this monolith. If you do, people will not be able to click on you, as the edges of the TV are considered an NPC [non-player character], and thus potential sellers will click on the NPC instead of you.

    o You MUST be quick at spamming in the map. Find a somewhat less populated area of the map and start spamming your buying or selling line. Most of the people in FM are GREAT spammers [or advertisers], and you'll need to be right up there in order to merchant successfully.

    o Also, those annoying advertisers CAN come in handy. Their spammed messages are a bit slower than manual spamming, and you can easily cover their words up.

    o NOTE: covering up somebody else's spam with your own might lead sellers to access the other person's info, and won't be able to reach you.

    o If regular spamming isn't working, then you can always say in your spam "BUYING SCROLL@@@@ @@@ @@@ .... @@@ TRADE [your IGN]" This helps a LOT if you're spamming everybody else out and still aren't getting any trades, since other players can trade you by double/right clicking on you and pressing "trade", or they can type "/trade _____."

    o Finally, PET SPAMMING is a really really great technique, but you need to...
    ~Have a level 15 or higher pet
    ~Be able to type: "/pet ______"
    ~Find a semi-unpopulated spot, since players can't right click a pet, they must double click it, and it must be in clear view, or you can...
    ~type "/pet B>SCROLL @@@ @ @$@$@*&%*(@%* /TRADE [your IGN]"
    ~Note that pet spamming bypasses the "talking too much disturbs other players" rule, and so, you can do it much faster than regular spamming.


    WHAT to buy

    There are four main categories of merchantware: Scrolls, Gachapon items, Equips, and iTCG items.

    First, we have scrolls. Scrolls are a VERY good choice, but are also among the most unstable items in all of Maple economy.
    Among the scrolls, attack scrolls, and stat scrolls are very good. Other scrolls that give defense, etc. are not as good as say… 60% overall DEX.
    However, this is not to say that defense scrolls are not merchantable. In fact, most defense scrolls sell at 60~100k, and pretty fast, to boot!
    *Tip* When you’re buying scrolls, many people will trade you pet, def, 100%, and town scrolls. If you wish to avoid this needless hassle, just say so. What I mean is, say “B>scrolls, no pet, def…” instead of “B>scrolls” to limit the amount of misunderstandings.

    Next, Gachapon items.
    For your convience, I've thought up the pretty much entire list of gachapon items [not counting scrolls]
    Code:
    Gachapon Item List
    Colored Bandanas
    Colored Work Gloves
    Colored Wisconsins [hats]
    All types of Skis
    Pico Pico Hammer
    Colored Adventurer Capes
    Colored Gaia Capes
    Colored Strap Shoes
    Frozen Tuna [lv 10 and 20]
    Colored Paintbrushes
    Palette
    Sword Earrings
    Newspaper Hat/Sword
    Colored Umbrellas
    Saw
    Glowing Whip
    Nameless Sword
    Trumpet
    Shovels
    Hammer
    Red Brick
    .... D:
    And many other different gacha equips, including Streetlight, Blade Staff, Dragon weapons, Stonetooth Sword, and more.
    The most popular items to merchant are Pink/Purple/Yellow Adventurer and Gaia Capes, Colored WGs, and colored hats and shoes.
    For gachapon items, you'll need to take a hit and miss psychology. You won't often know the price of something until after you take the plunge, but after you buy it, you'll see the same item everywhere in the FM for lower, or higher prices. Often times, a bad deal burns the price of the item into your mind forever, so... go fail some, and try, try again!

    Now we come to equips. Many high leveled weapons [clean and prescrolled] are good merchanting items, though you must have an incredible P/Cing brain to get the most out of these.
    Also, take into consideration this following food chain [web?] of sorts [this is for equips ONLY, and this applies to most servers].
    Spear = 2h sword > Pole Arm = 1h sword > 2h axe> 2h BW > 1h axe = 1h BW
    Staff > Wand
    Bow > Crossbow
    Claw > Dagger

    As for the rest of the stuff in the maple world...
    Event items: Nab them on the first day, sell them at exuberant prices. If you get them later on, save up, and sell six months later at exuberant prices.
    Etc.: Just try whatever...
    Quote Originally Posted by xBuBbLeTeA View Post
    I don't recommend merchanting stars because their prices are dropping wayy too fast. A month ago, tobis were about 900k, now, they're 600k!~ If you don't sell out fast, you'll lose loads of money..
    So... just like many other oddities, the prices of stars fluctuate rapidly, and you should sell them quickly, before the prices drop, to earn some profit.


    Pricing

    Okay, PRICING, this thing that every merchant fears and hates.
    You might’ve heard of Basil Market, a website that runs MapleStory auctions.
    Many many people use this site not for forums and using auctions, but to get a P/C on something.
    IF you use Basil Market to P/C your items, you will DEFINITELY get MUCH lower profits than if you’d have put higher prices.

    ===How to get a decent P/C===
    NOTE: I do NOT advise this for every single item, as it takes SO long to find a P/C this way… However, it gives very accurate prices, which might be worth the time.
    1) Go to Ch1 FM1 to see the incredibly high end of the scale [usually OVERpriced by 5%~100%].
    2) Go to Basil Market to see the low end of the scale [usually UNDERpriced by 5%~100%].
    3) Look through other peoples’ shops for the item, and determine a price for the item that you are comfortable at [usually around the same as the other people]

    “Well,” you ask, “Why can’t I just go to the last step directly? Do you have to tell me what to do? Dammit! Who do you think you are, ****? you git mas defme nao omg you hax…” etc.
    You can go to the last step directly, but it will cost you in the long run.
    For example, if the average price of a 60% glove attack scroll were 2mil, and you find a shop selling one for 1mil, you might think that 60% glove atk is worth 1mil. However, if you use Basil and Ch1 FM1 for comparison, you’ll find that 60% glove atk might lie between 1.5m on Basil and 3mil in Ch1 FM1, forcing you to up your price to at least 1.5mil, if not higher.

    Also, if you spend a LOT of time merchanting in the FM entrance and the FM shops, you’ll eventually memorize most of the values of things. I never even tried to memorize anything [too lazy, duh… it’s almost like homework :/], and I still subconsciously managed to remember the prices of all the scrolls in Scania.

    Eventually, you’ll develop a P/Cing dictionary in your brain, and will be able to spot a good deal from a mile away!
    Scale: 1 mile = 1 shop

    The only problem with this is that maple economy is very unstable, and a simple new quest can throw everything into wack. For example, NLC was released along with a quest that gave 60% glove attack for very little work. This, added to cursed scrolls, led to the drop of 60% glove attack from almost 7mil to less than 2mil. If you depend on your mental P/C dictionary too much, your merchanting career might end unexpectedly along with a major patch.


    Profiting

    Okay, here’s your hard-earned result, your meso and bragging rights.
    Basically, just find a spot in the FM… and sell your stuff!
    List of good spots [In Scania!]:
    Ch1 Fm1 – You’ll never get a spot here
    Ch 2 Fm1; Ch1 Fm 2-3 – Rarely you will get a spot here
    Ch 3 Fm1; Ch 1 Fm 4-7 – Sometimes you will get lucky and find a spot here
    Ch 1 Fm 7-8, 13, 18; Ch 4 Fm1, Ch 7 Fm1 – Pretty good spot!
    Ch 5, 6, 8, 20 Fm1 –Good spot!

    Here's some good FM spots in Mardia:
    Quote Originally Posted by Allysiana View Post
    For Mardia:

    Channel 1 is the only place you will find FM shops.

    FM 1 is difficult to find a spot
    FM 2-4 is tricky, but if you spend about an hour waiting, you can find a decent spot in here.
    FM 5-6 usually will find a spot in the morning when people begin playing and they aren't using a mule character for their non-elfie shop

    Top Row FMs (7-12) are usually cheaper, less crowded, and easy to find a spot.

    3rd and 4th row FM platforms are only sometimes used during the crowded summer or holiday seasons, otherwise they remain empty.
    A “spot” is where somebody sets up a shop. You cannot set up a shop where another person has a shop set up. Also, when you double click the shop permit and enter the title of your shop, you enter an phase where you will “have” the spot [meaning other people can’t set up shop there], but your shop will not be up.

    FAQs of shops:
    Q: How do I sell something?
    A: Drag the item from your inventory to the shop.

    Q: How come I can’t set up shop here?
    A: Another person has a shop open there, or they’re setting up shop [their shop is not displayed, as they are still adding items].

    Q: How do I see what I’ve sold?
    A: You can just scroll down your shop inventory, or click the button that says “Items Available” to see what you’ve sold, for how much, and who bought it.

    Q: How come I can’t move?
    A: That’s just how shops are. If you really want to sell stuff, go away from your computer for a few hours and come back to see what you’ve sold!

    Q: How come I left my shop on overnight, and in the morning, I was out of MS?
    A: You either have… 1) Crappy internet and you disconnected or 2) A server check/patch came along, and you were forced out of Maple.

    Speaking of server checks and patches… They are a merchant’s delight. If you’re lucky, and you log into Maple IMMEDIATELY after a server check, you just might nab a very godly spot. In fact, if you log onto MS up to 10 minutes after a server check or a patch, then the worst spot you would be able to find would be one in Ch4 Fm1.

    Note: A spot in the back of the map is not as good as a spot near the portal leading to the FM entrance. These spots near the portal are referred to as “Door Spots” and many idiots brag about them.
    HOWEVER.
    Door spots are not as good as spots directly around the door spot.
    Many people have a train of thinking in which they click all around the shiny spot, and then ON the shiny spot. It just works that way, trust me.

    Note [2]: In your merchanting life, you’ll come across many people in shops saying “S>SPOT OMGOMGOMG I LUV CURYISHUT.” Well, you’ll probably be thinking, “What a noob” as well as “How can you sell a spot?” Welll…. if all the items in a shop are bought out, the shop closes, and the spot is up for grabs. Thus, you’ll see that these shops sell one very common item for say, 500k. So, if you spend 500k, the shop closes, and you can set up shop in the now-vacant spot! However, you MUST be fast. There are people who A/C [auto click] on spots, and they are called 'campers.' If you see a camper, do NOT buy the spot. They will take it, I guarantee it.

    Moving on to Hired Merchants...
    Hired Merchants are invaluable to the merchant. They will guarantee mesos almost instantaneously.
    However, there are some things to remember with Hired Merchants.
    1. You must reset them everyday. If they are not closed and then reopened in 24 hours, then they will disappear from the spot, and you'll have to go to Frederick (in the FM entrance) to pick up your items.
    2. When a server check or patch is coming, take down your merchant or you'll have to go to Frederick for your items.
    3. Hired Merchants often lag, and require two windows to set up. If your merchant lags and a person comes onto your spot, QUICKLY set up a normal shop, lest your spot be stolen.
    4. If you set up a merchant just before it expires, it will remain in its spot for another 24 hours, netting you an extra day of service.
    5. You CAN set up a merchant on a door spot (portal). Simply click the merchant rapidly while jumping. It might take a few tries, but you'll eventually receive the 'imput shop title' window.
    I HIGHLY recommend Hired Merchants if you're overflowing with things to sell. They will work for you, and will do it very well.




    4) Scrolling
    This is a VERY risky way of getting money, and it usually ends in disaster. However, if you’re feeling lucky, go scroll something, and hope to _____ [insert “God,” “Buddha,” Etc… Example: Chuck Norris] that it does not go BOOM!

    Basics of Scrolls
    Scrolls are useable items that can give you upgrades to your weapons. These upgrades range from weapon attack to LUK to ACC. However, scrolls are specialized so that they will only scroll a specific type of item [for example, a spear]. Also, scrolls might not work all of the time. There are 5 different type of scrolls: 10%, 30%, 60%, 70%, and 100%. These percentage values state how often the scroll works. For example, a 100% Cape DEX scroll will ALWAYS work, while a 10% Bottomwear Def scroll will work at a 10% rate.

    There are also “cursed scrolls,” which are 30% and 70% scrolls. A 30% scroll gives the same benefits as a 10% scroll, and a 70% scroll gives the same benefits as a 60% scroll. however, there’s a catch. If the scroll fails, the item you used it on has a 50% chance of destroying [as in, you’ll never get it back].

    In addition, scrollable items have “slots,” which refers to how many times an item can be scrolled [not how many times scrolls work]. For example, if you use 7 10% spear scrolls on a 7 slot Redemption and 2 work, then the result would be a +2 Redemption without any slots left.

    Note: “clean” items refer to items that have not been scrolled yet, and still retain their initial slots.
    Here’s a general list on what things have how many slots:
    Weapons : 7 slots
    Earrings : 5 slots
    Shields : 7 slots [Maple Shield has 10]
    Helmets : 7 slots [Green Bandana and Zakum Helm have 10]
    Shoes : 5 slots [Snowshoes have 7 slots]
    Topwear/Bottomwear : 7 slots
    Overall : 10 slots

    Also, “White Scrolls” have recently made their appearance. These scrolls aren’t really traditional scrolls. Rather, they are used in combination with other scrolls [% scrolls] and help the scrolled item retain a slot if the % scroll fails.
    However, the rarity and godliness of these trinkets are just so overwhelming that they are priced so high that the white scroll costs more than most items, making them unusable. However, we *may* expect a dip in the prices, so… be on the lookout for some +7 10%-ed godlies some of these days! :]


    Okay, so…
    What to scroll

    The most profitable scrolling targets are high leveled weapons, such as Omega Spears, Fans, Arunds, etc.
    However, you may not have a character high enough level to scroll these.
    But don’t worry!
    The new Legendary Spirit quest/skill is out!
    Simply talk to Eurek in Sleepywood/Leafre/El Nath/other cities, and complete the quest to be able to scroll anything in your possession!

    Also, many people scroll Work Gloves, and that may seem like a very good idea to you, but scrolling work gloves has never been, is not, and will never be a very stable source of money.

    Some random scrolling tips to live by
    ~Use a 10%/30% scroll first, if you can afford to, since the possibility of these working is near nil, but it’s the only way to get a “godly” item.
    ~If the item you’re scrolling is incredibly expensive, use 60%s, NOT 70%s. 70%s have a notorious nature of working until the last slot, whereupon the item breaks and you lose a lot of money.
    ~Quoth my new guild leader on the “‘eek, can’t lose it’ scrolling method:”
    Quote Originally Posted by Assault View Post
    Basically scroll 2 sets at the same time until you get what you want. The simple rule is to use the scroll on the worst item. If an item breaks, you start again. For example:

    - Scroll set #1. Scroll works. Now 2 DEX.
    - Scroll set #2 (the 'worst' one - it's 0 DEX). Scroll works. Now 2 DEX.
    - Scroll set #1 (either is now the 'worst one' - both 2 DEX). Scroll works. Now 4 DEX.
    - Scroll set #2 (the 'worst' one - it's 2 DEX). Scroll destroys item.
    - Buy 1 more set of earrings to replace set #2.
    - Scroll set #2 (it's 0 DEX) until you catch up with set #1 (now 4 DEX).
    - Continue as above...

    You just keep doing this until you get what you want. That way you always keep the highest scrolled item, and never risk having nothing. You may think it's a waste scrolling 2 items at a time, but with dark scrolls you will lose items anyway, so you may as well scroll 2 at a time. If you end up with 2 good items, you can sell one. So no worries.
    I’ve tested this out by scrolling WGs for Atk, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this method is strictly for rich people only. :[
    It costs a LOT of initial investment to go this way, and… you WILL cry over all your broken equips. D:

    ~Usually, though, I use my own “omg I feel luky 2day” scrolling technique, which involves wandering around FM for any random scroll, and scrolling something in my inventory.
    This costs even more than Assault’s method.
    But I somehow got a 10 dex wg and a +6 30%ed hand axe [which later broke on a 70% >_>] through this random flinging of mesos.

    However, scrolling always boils down to this:
    It’s unpredictable, and you might go for broke, or strike it rich! :]




    5) Other Ways to get Mesos
    TRAINING
    This is always talked of, feared of, but you can’t avoid it. Many people call training “GRINDING,” which obviously disinterests Maplers into going training.
    I see training as…
    [besides Grinding]
    a money-making opportunity.

    Training is a very stable way of getting money, but the income may be lower than what you’d want.
    But don’t fear!
    ALEX IS HERE!
    ^_^
    HOW to train:
    Quote Originally Posted by Majal aka Lotz View Post
    Also, another cure for grinding:
    RLRM (Really Loud Rock Music)
    Quote Originally Posted by austinpenguin View Post
    Or listening to ARR helps too.
    So here’s a list of good places to get good stuffs [this is SERIOUSLY lacking in everything, so… please help! T_T]

    All 3 Chronos = 60% glove atk, Esther shields, tobis
    Red Drakes = Steelies
    FoG = constant meso
    Wolf Spiders = Ilbis, Blue Screamer, etc.
    Lycanthropes = same as Wolf Spiders, only harder.
    Thanatos = Fairfrozens :O [ONLY IN MSEA]
    Gate Keeper = Magicodar :O [ONLY IN MSEA AS WELL.... DARNIT]
    Bosses:
    MM, ZMM = Ilbis, Scrolls
    Jr Rog, Crog = Scrolls
    Papulatus, Pianus, Zakum = go figure

    Also:
    Sakura Cellions is a good place to train while making money. ^_^
    Quote Originally Posted by austinpenguin View Post
    Go to Sakura Cellions to make cash.
    And:
    Quote Originally Posted by austinpenguin View Post
    I think I made 300k in an hour. Or more. Completely covered my pot cost and more.

    PQing
    Okay, PQing is Party-Questing, where you go into a party of a set amount of people, and do a group quest together [the exception here is ZPQ, where you can solo].

    PQs in GMS:
    Henesys PQ [HPQ]
    Kerning PQ [KPQ]
    Ludibrium PQ [LPQ]
    Ludibrium Maze PQ [LMPQ/MPQ]
    Zakum PQ [ZPQ]
    Amorian PQ [APQ]
    Guild PQ [GPQ]
    Orbis PQ [OPQ]


    Henesys PQ:
    Quote Originally Posted by xBuBbLeTeA View Post
    HPQ: Not a good pq in my opinon, only 2 stgs including bonus, In bonus, you kill pigs to get items. If you're lucky, you might get a GODLY item, otherwise, theres nothing good to this pq..Oh and the time limit sucks...advise you to bring at least 5 people inside.
    "GODLY" item not specified. X_X;

    Kerning PQ = Fast PQ, good experience, gives 10% overall dex at best.

    Ludi PQ = Slow PQ, mostly for fun, gives an assortment of scrolls, etc.

    Orbis PQ = Slow PQ, mostly for fun, gives prizes worse than LPQ

    LMPQ:
    Quote Originally Posted by austinpenguin View Post
    ...try LMPQ. Its fast money.
    Quote Originally Posted by xBuBbLeTeA View Post
    LMPQ is fast to complete, gives you O.K. exp, but TONS of posts if you rush through them. The pots are worth tons too. I did only half an hours of LMPQ and the pots i got made me skip my repot session for a few weeks. o.o
    So, it seems to be a good place to find pots [Mana Elixers].

    Ludi Maze Smuggle PQ?
    Quote Originally Posted by RoxStarz View Post
    ...Ludi Maze Smuggle PQ. You can make a horrendous amount of money doing that. You do the pq once, come out and put all but 30 tix in the storage place. Leader smugs tix in, everyone goes straight to exit, repeat til all the tix are gone, then do another tix run, and do it again. The exp is horrible, but you make tons and tons of $$$
    Guild PQ = I’ve never finished one, but it’s mostly for fun, and gives okay prizes.

    Amorian PQ = Must be married, gives good prizes [Onyx Apples, Chews, Refineds, etc.]

    Zakum PQ [needs a lil more room than the rest]
    The Zakum PQ is NOT to go battle Zakum, although you must complete all three parts of the Zakum quest to participate in battling Zakum.
    1st stage: The real “ZPQ,” where you explore a mine in search of 30 documents and 7 keys. This has a time limit of 30 minutes, and most can do it solo in under that time limit. To find out how to ZPQ, just go to youtube and search “Zakum PQ” or something… This stage awards 5 dead mine scrolls [which is about 500k in Scania, for 30 minutes’ worth!] and a quest item [Lava Ore?].
    2nd stage: This stage is a two step jump quest. If you are new to the ZJQ, then you may be in for a wild ride! ;] At the end of this stage, you get a quest item that will help you in the 3rd stage [Breath of Lava?].
    3rd stage: This is the final stage. All you need is 30 zombie’s gold teeth, which are dropped by the zombies in the mine entrance [minor zombies, not coolie zombies]. When you are done, give this to the NPC, and he will give you 5 Fire Ore [worth anywhere from 100k to 500k each in Scania].
    Thus, after about 1.5 hrs or so [depending on how fast you can do the JQ], you’ll get 5 DM scrolls and 5 Fire Ore, a total of 1m ~ 3m [Scania prices, may differ from server to server].



    Quests
    Many of those quests that Nexon/Wizet puts out there are totally useless, but some are real gems.

    OMG FINE!
    REALLY COMPREHENSIVE SUMMONING ROCK GUIDE [wtf?]:
    Quote Originally Posted by Caru View Post
    [Book of the Ancient] gives you axcess to shopping from Alcaster in El Nath, the money making items he sells are Summoning Rocks and All Cures.

    All cures are like 500 mesos from him and can be resold for 1-2k each
    Summoning Rocks 5k from alcaster, 6-7k in fm.

    It may sound like slow profit, but when you are totally broke (like I was after I splurged on my 11 att wg and 102 att arund right before the market crash)
    Its a decent way to get pot/startup money.

    Hermits who are hardcore grinding can easily go through over 100 rocks in their training session, and many have not done the quest. I'd regularly put up 1500 summoning rocks in fm1 ch2 at 6.5k and be sold out in a few hours. One time I walked away from the comp after I set up, came back and saw someone in my shop, then watched all of the summoning rocks get sold, the guy didnt like having to come to the fm once a day for rocks so he got a weeks worth. The good thing about merchanting rocks is you dont have to worry about the item becoming worthless, people are aware of the npc price and wont let it fall below that.
    Pricing/how to sell:
    Quote Originally Posted by Caru View Post
    Getting access to Alcaster is definitely worth it if you actually need to use the rocks as well, not just resell. Hermits/Archers <3 their rocks, and who in their right mind that completed the quest would pay the 6.5k market price when they can get it for 5k. Even if you don't normally train near El Nath you could stock up on them and go back to training until your supply runs out

    It doesn't seem like that much of a difference, but with 100 rocks thats a difference between 650k and 500k. It adds up really fast
    Quote Originally Posted by sleepyxdude View Post
    I usually see people selling them for about 6k in fm. The lowest I would go would probably be 5.5k and the highest around 7.5k
    Quote Originally Posted by Assault View Post
    I agree about the 6K price. You'll sell out quickly like that. Plus, make sure you sell them in bundles of say 20, 50 or 100. That way you don't get some idiot buying only 1 and messing up the numbers (it's surprising how many people won't buy 99 but will buy 100).
    Quote Originally Posted by Ulyana View Post
    I'd sell them in smaller groups than that, because I personally wouldn't want to buy that many. Hermits probably would, though. Maybe 20's?

    I'm working on that quest right now. =.=" It's awful. (Note that I never do quests, that's why it's been left this long)
    Etc:
    Quote Originally Posted by firewizardjt View Post
    Some priests want a rock payment for every door they do for your repotting run. It is handy to keep a few rocks for such occassions, and of course for your own use.
    Quote Originally Posted by firewizardjt View Post
    I bought my way throught the quest. Saving time on that quest is the main thing. Whatever money lost can be made up my training in the saved time and the money you'll make later throught merchanting.
    Summary of Summoning rocks:
    The quest is really freaking long, but easy--time comsuming and money comsuming.
    However, you can merchant the rocks fast[ish] and easily[ish], making some easy money.
    You should merchant the rocks in groups of 20, 50, or 100, because it's more appealing to the buyer.
    Rocks should be sold at 5.5k~7.5k, with 6k being the average price.
    Never sell the rocks below 5k, or else you'll be losing money.
    Finally, I'm done.

    P.S.: You can also profit from buying All Cures from Alcaster [the same guy who sells Summoning Rocks] and reselling them to PQers and/or in the FM.


    Back to Quests:
    DON’T do the Nependeath Juice quest, as Nependeath Juice takes a few days of hunting Nependeaths to find, and you could sell it for the amount the Bone Helm is worth.
    [If anybody argues with me oin this one, they're crazy.]

    So, here’s some good quests [tell me if I missed any!]:
    ~Jane and the Wild Boar = random 60% weapon scroll
    ~Mr. Wetbottom’s Secret Book [MALES] = Sauna Robe [M] (Female ones aren’t worth as much, because male thieves do not have an overall, and female thieves do… level 35 “Avengers.”)
    ~Lost Guard [Ludi], Huckle’s Ingredients [Orbis] = Eos/Orbis Rock Scrolls, repeatable
    More on eos scrolls:
    Quote Originally Posted by RavenBlade View Post
    There's this quest, floor 3, i think, Roly Poly 10 gives you twenty Eos Rock Scrolls for 5 hard walnuts and 20 killed black Ratz. Its worth it. Im not sure if it was there all along or you have to unlock it.
    At least its better than running for repeated goggles and propellers.
    MapleSEA only, I think....
    ~The Ore of Dark Crystal [Omega/Ludi] and related quests = Random 60% or 10% overall stat scroll [DEX, INT, LUK]
    ~Subani’s Legacy, ReVersal [NLC] = 60%/70% Glove Atk
    ~Icarus and the Flying Pill = Icarus Cape 1, 2, or 3 [random]
    ~Alligators Quests = 10% Weapon Scroll, 60% Cape Stat Scroll

    MUCH more on good quests at this sticky [recommended by Majal]



    Etc.
    ~Using the Exchange Quest [not recommended]
    ~Training on Exchange Quest monsters [recommended], such as Zombies and Cats.
    ~Scamming [lol, no, you n00b]
    ~Drop Game [lol, funny. NOT recommended]
    ~Gachapon [Risky.]
    ~Buying/Making items from NPCs and reselling them: This includes making profit from Summoning Rocks/All Cures, Crafting Work Gloves, etc.
    Making WGs can easily raise your mesos count, as can reselling summoning rocks and all cures, but not by much, so... use this if you will, but move on to the bigger fish when you're ready.
    Note: My friend, who has 500mil, constantly crafts WGs and sells them, and I don't know why. He's not making much profit... But, your choice.

    ~NLC pots [mostly ginger ales and warrior elixers] are pretty good to merchant, just don't expect such a big profit. This is because although NLC has a FM, it has no storage NPC. Many players can't transfer through a friend if they're not in NLC, so they just wind up going to the FM and buying some NLC pots at higher prices.
    EDIT: Some robber guy at the toe of the sphinx is a storage NPC!


    FAME SECTION
    FAME-ing = doubleclick on person, click on arrow pointing up.
    FAME = useless in all aspects of MS, except for "better drops" [rumor] and for no idiots calling you "haxxx0r"
    EDIT: Now that fame hack is out, the latter reason can be ignored.
    Other FAME things to know: you may only FAME once a day [24 hours], and you may only FAME a specific person once a month.
    FAME P/C: 5k minimum to 100k maximum, usually between 10k and 30k.
    FAME selling: "S>FAME __k!!!!"
    FAME buying: "B>FAME __k!!!"
    Places of FAME selling/buying interest:
    FM entrance [**]: Deal with the spam.
    Kerning PQ area [*****]: Godliest spot for buying/selling FAME.
    Ludi/Orbis/Ludi Maze PQ areas [***]: Pretty good.
    Henesys [****]: A very good place to buy/sell FAME [all across the ch1 map].
    Good training spots [***]: Most people who train 24/7 retain their daily FAME... that is, until you go over and buy it from them.




    6) Ways to save mesars
    Okay, so you're not in the mood for spending all this time making money.
    You just want to get some money while doing other things.
    So... you have to know how to SAVE MONEY.
    These tips are bunched in no order, and please suggest anything that you know that can help save money...
    ~For fighters: Don't use Warrior Elixers. Use Rage. It saves a TON of money. :]
    ~For I/L Wizards: If you can, go Ice first. Lightning uses up a TON more MP than Ice does.
    ~For everybody:
    o Train on things you can hit almost all of the time
    o Train on things that don't burn pots
    o Train on things that have good drops [see 5) for training spots for mesars]
    o Use Attack pots, it helps you kill faster and thus get more money
    o Use Grilled Cheeses from NLC to reduce the damage you take [or Pain Relievers, but Cheese is less expensive]
    o Choose the cheaper item ALWAYS, when it's about the same stats, but different prices. Examples: BBQ vs. Warrior Elixer, choose Warrior Elixer, 25 DEX chainmail vs. 23 DEX chainmail, choose the 23 DEX chainmail.
    o Don't buy godly equips, unless you have well enough mesos left over after you buy them.
    o BUY PRE-SCROLLED EQUIPS, unless you have enough mesos to scroll.
    ~For Magicians: Use that 1500 MP pot from NLC, it saves a ton of money, until you reach enough for the 60% MP pot.
    ~For most classes: Party with Priests when training on monsters that hit high damage.



    7) NO NX = STILL GET MESARS!
    Okay, so... here's an overview of how to get mesos... WITHOUT using NX!
    Non-NXed players can use almost all of the methods I've described in (5) and (6), so I will not mention those again.

    To all non-NXed people looking for mesos: Get ready for a rough ride.
    Merchanting without a shop... is tough.
    Also, you definitely will NOT fetch the same profits as those with shops.
    Before I go any further, if you can spare a $1.80 for NX, do so. A shop WILL make your life much easier. But if you can't, then here's this:

    MERCHANTING WITHOUT NX
    Anything an NXed person can buy and resell, you can as well.
    There are no restrictions whatsoever.
    However, the big difference is when you're trying to sell.
    Although NXed players must go through a somewhat tedious task of finding a good spot, non-NXed players go through worse.

    There are three main ways to sell what you need to sell.
    1. The best way to sell something is through a shop. If you have trustworthy friends with shops, ask them if they could sell your items.
    2. The next option is spamming "S>_____@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@." This can be done all places where you'd regularly buy items, but the best selling place would have to be the FM entrance, if you can beat the spam.
    3. The last [and perhaps better than 2.] method is going on Basil Market and selling your items.

    1. fetches the best prices of all, as though you had a shop yourself, but there are many downsides involved with this, including scamming and guilt for your friend.
    2. gets about 80~100% of the price of 1., but you can only sell so many items at a time, since with all your @@@@@s, you probably won't have room for more than a few names of items.
    3. gets the worst profit out of the three, namely 50~90% of 1. However, on Basil Market, you can sell in bulk, and you can have your auctions running while you do other stuff.

    ===Other specfics for Non-NXed people===
    ~Do NOT try to say too much: "S>DARK AVENGER 10 LUK 7 SLOT, 60% OVERALL DEX, 30% 2H BW, 100% CAPE DEX, 10 ATK WG, and 70% SPE." This is an overflow in information, and people will just ignore you.
    ~Do NOT say prices: "S>10 ATK WG 100MIL!!!" This often either rips you off for pricing something low, or nobody will ever trade you because you priced it too high.
    ~Do NOT say: "S>20 DEX SAUNA OFFER PLZ, NO NOOBSSS!!%@$(*%" This does many things to a potential buyer. First, it makes you look stupid. If you honestly want people to offer, and then say "no noobs," it's implying that you don't know the price yourself, and you're just saying that to make yourself look better. Next, buyers do NOT like to offer. Buyers are often merchants themselves, and if they offer something low, the seller might cancel the trade. Finally, @%(*#@ shows you need some anger management.

    Yeah, this part's kinda shor.



    8) Rebuilding
    Okay, so this title's pretty vague, but...
    By "rebuilding," I'm referring to "adjusting to price fluctuations."
    If you haven't been on for a while, or haven't been in FM for a while, and you want to rebuild your merchanting status, follow this part of the guide!

    So, you've probably been in FM before. Glove Attack 10% was 4.1mil the last time you saw it, and now there are craploads of black and purple scroll-like things all over the place.
    Don't fret! Here's four easy steps to becoming a multi-millionaire again!

    1) The first step to rebuilding is to relearn prices. You HAVE to do this. It is inevitable. Srsly. You can do this in many ways, including averaging the prices of items around the FM, checking BasilMarket, and joining a forum/guild for help!

    2) Next, you have to go get some money to rebuild, and these methods are described in parts 5, 6, and partially 7.

    3) After this, you have to refresh your memory on how to buy and sell [by reading this guide].

    4) Finally, you go out into the real world and get slaughtered for a few days, underpricing everything.
    But you'll get back up there after a while, I promise!




    9) PROTIPS
    1. HACKERS
    Are they good? Are they bad? Well, it depends.
    Some hackers deflate the economy while others inflate it.

    Notorious 'AsianMeso Farmers' usually hack and gacha on characters with asian names [ChunHong] and then sell everything they find on characters with random names [fhfe8fnwe].
    These meso farmers work for companies that sell mesos online. [example]
    They do anything to sell their items. Anything meaning underpricing everything until they deflate the economy to a little mud puddle.

    Next, there are your ordinary everyday hackers, who are regular maplers turned ebil.
    They are usually idiots at pricing items, since they've hacked their way up to their level, and have no knowledge of how much stuff costs.
    They usually price all scrolls at 10m each and all equips at 10m each.
    They have almost no effect on the economy.

    Finally, we have pro hackers.
    These guys are those level 14xs with fully NXed characters and who are in really famous guilds.
    THESE guys inflate the economy, since they know what they're doing.
    However, these guys get banned a lot, and there's not that many of them, so in the end, the meso farmer surge causes overall deflation of the economy.



    2. Shop setup
    Okay, so the title sucks, but whatever. How do you arrange stuff in your shop?
    There are many different ways of organizing your shop, including random, item-based, and Lexy arrangements, but these all... have [or SHOULD have] some very important aspects to them.

    Let's take a look at some arrangements.

    The random arrangement is like very unorganized, with weapons and scrolls intermixed.
    Example [since pbucket is being a hoe for me]:
    Code:
    SunSpear
    60% shoe speed
    Diamonds
    30% shoe dex
    Taru Totem
    There are also shops organized by groups.
    Example:
    Code:
    Scrolls
    Equips
    Etc. Items
    We also find smaller groups within these groups.
    Example:
    Code:
    60% scrolls
    70% scrolls
    10% scrolls
    Warrior equips
    Magician equips
    iTCG items
    Refined plates/jewels

    Now, let's look at a shop's structure.

    The top of the shop [items 1-5] is a spot for your items.
    They will sell very fast there, but not as fast as from the bottom of the shop.

    The middle of your shop [6th item to 6th from bottom item] is the worst place to put items you really want sold.
    They will not sell fast, as people who browse shops will usually scroll past the items in the middle.

    The bottom of your shop [last five items] is the best place to sell good items.
    Why?
    Because most people will do this:
    Glance over the top five items, scroll down until they hit the bottom of the shop, and look at the botom five items.


    Finally, some tips, what you've all been waiting for!

    First of all, placeholder items ALWAYS go at the very bottom of your shop.
    [A placeholder item is an incredibly high-priced item for people who get good spots and need to keep their spots.]
    NOBODY wants to see a placeholder item at the top of your shop.
    Middle... well, it's never done, but you could give it a shot.

    Secondly, purposely high/low priced items are very useful.

    If you put a low priced item at the top of your shop, people will 1) buy it, and 2) be interested in your now 'noob' and merchantable shop.
    Note: High priced items do not belong at the top, unless you're asking for a P/C, or offers.

    If you put constant prices for most of the middle of your shop, and stick a different colored price-ed item smack dab in the center, people will not simply scroll past it.
    They will be interested in this odd, different colored thing, and scroll back to see it.

    If you place a low priced item at the bottom of your shop, the results are the same as those you'd get if it were at the top.
    Note: High priced items at the bottom are a waste of space.

    Thirdly, different types of items, strategically placed, are useful.
    If you fill up a shop like this:
    Code:
    60% spear att
    60% glove att
    60% wand matt
    30% staff matt
    30% dagger att
    Work Glove
    Work Glove
    Work Glove
    Black Versal Materia
    ...then it will be boring.
    Colorful, but boring.
    Organized, but boring.
    A better way to organize a shop to attract buyer's attention is like this:
    Code:
    60% wand matt
    60% overall int
    60% spear att
    Work Glove
    30% staff matt
    70% overall dex
    10% shoe jump
    30% spear att
    Obviously, the Work Glove will attract buyers, no matter what its price is.
    Then, the buyer will look through the items around it, and see if anything is buyable.



    3. Hardcore merchanting
    Okay, so we come down to the root of all hatred towards merchanters.
    "SCAMMER" and "NOOB" and "FK YOU" will appear frequently in whispers, so I don't advise anybody to do some evil merching on their main characters.

    Basically, what I deem 'hardcore' merchanting is what most merchants do 24/7.
    Many go so far to say that it IS merchanting.

    In any case, this kind of merchanting is when people directly lie and 'scam' to rip people off. I prefer not to do this, yet I cannot deny that it is THE fastest way of getting mesos through merchanting.

    The Zipangu Gachapon is THE BEST place to merchant, no doubt about it. Simply surf channels and look for people standing next to the gachapon, and trade them, or spam 'B>scrolls and gachapon items.'

    People who use gachapon can be divided into three groups: Noobs, Idiots, and Pros. [sorry for the naming]
    Noobs are usually the level 30- people who try gachapon without any clue of prices. They are horrible at pricing, and sometimes drop items such as brown work gloves to get some inventory space in order to gacha more.
    Idiots are the level 8x+ people who gacha looking for money. They sell items at incredibly erratic prices, and don't know what they're doing.
    Pros are the merchants and FMers who gacha looking for profit, and know what they're doing.

    As for how to get cheap items off of these radically different types of players....
    Noobs are easy to buy from. Simply give a low offer, but no less than 1m per scroll/item. They will attempt to raise the price by a few hundred k.
    Idiots are harder to buy from. If you offer for something, they'll either 1) call you a noob, cancel the trade, and CC, or 2) say 'sure' automatically. For idiots, you must ask them to offer. They will give you incredibly odd prices for an assortment of items. If something they say strikes you as cheap, home in on it, and buy it. Do not be persuaded to buy a bunch of overpriced items along with the cheap ones.
    Pros are pros. You cannot buy anything from them, lest you be ripped off.

    The FM entrance is harder to merchant in, simply because of the increased amount of spam.
    However, the FM has a really big advantage over Zipangu: you can buy things other than dark scrolls and gachapon items. Namely, you can nab iTCG items in the entrance.

    As for general hardcore merchanting (wherever it may be), stick to these guidelines.
    • Offering is tricky. You should take the safe way out, and ask the seller to leave on offer, and try to see how much P/C knowledge they have based on their offer.
    • Trading people directly instead of spamming and waiting for trades works wonders. People who spam 'B>scrolls' intimidate sellers, whereas people who trade directly can establish a somewhat more 'personal' relationship with the seller.
    • IF you offer a price, and the seller offers only around 100k more, the seller is a fm-noob, and is simply trying to get an extra 100k while losing potential profit. When in this situation, immediately take up their offer, lest they cancel trade out of frustration for that last 100k.
    • Always treat the seller with respect, and be optimistic. Use lots of smilies and always say thank you.
    • IF you do offer, give a price, and then immediately after it, say that you're offering a good price. This will give the seller the notion that you believe that your offer is high. If the seller is a fmer, he/she will call you a noob, but if he/she fails at prices, then he/she will immediately take the offer, or offer ~100k higher (discussed above).



    8) The Official Merchant Oriented Dictionary[-ies].


    Abbreviations

    Note: Check this thread for a LOT more abbreviations.

    This minute handbook is for merchant abbreviations exclusively.


    A/W ~ Autowin
    Basil ~ Basil Market
    Basil prices ~ Prices equivalent to those on Basil Market (sometimes used to replace "cheap prices")
    C/O ~ Current Offer
    Dark Scrolls ~ 30% and 70% scrolls
    FM ~ Free Market (usually referring to the Free Market Entrance)
    Gach/Gacha ~ Items obtainable exclusively from Gachapon (used to refer to equips)
    iTCG ~ Items from iTCG card codes (more info)
    L/O ~ Leave offer
    L/N ~ Leave name
    L/N/O ~ Leave name and offer
    M/I ~ Minimum Increment (usually used in Basil Market/auctions)
    MTS ~ Maple Trading System
    S/B ~ Starting Bid (usually used in Basil Market/auctions)
    SW/Sleepy ~ SleepyWood (sometimes referring to the market there)
    Zip/Zipang ~ Zipangu (referring to the area where the gachapon is located)


    Merchant Encyclopedia

    Table of contents
    • Mule
    • Offer


    Mule
    A mule is a secondary character where you store mesos, sell items, or perform meso transactions [any, or any combination, of the three]. Note that mules are usually the character that merchants merchant on, although there are some exceptions.

    Obviously, mules are useful in that they can sell your items. ...duh. But can't you do that on your main character? Why does it have to be so complicated?

    Well... the usefulness of mules comes from their anonymity as well as from the extra space they offer.
    Before we go into the anonymous nature of mules, let's discuss a mule's function as a storage space.
    Many mules are made only for storage, and these are called storage mules. Storage mules are almost always warriors, since warriors offer the most item space.
    However, some mules are used for storage and for selling items simultaneously. Obviously, the stored items are the best items in the merchant's repetoire, and are stored on the mule for sale on the very same mule.

    Also, mules are very important because they offer a degree of anonymity. If you on a mule, people can't threaten to 'KS' you, because mules don't train. People can also threaten to mass defame you and/or actually mass defame you while you're on your mule, but it doesn't really matter because you're on your mule.
    Mules are often part of a mule/merchant guild as well, and this adds even more anonymity to the mix, since 'guild ks wars' can't happen in the fm.

    Mules can be either on the same account as your main character, or on a different account.
    If a mule is on the same account as your main, giving nx items [shop permit, hired merchants, owls, etc] and transferring items [via the bank] are very easy to perform.
    If a mule is on a different account, you can play on your main while your mule sells items. [this is if you have two available computers, of course]

    Mules are generally warriors, thieves, or mages [no bowmen].
    Warriors have the most 'slots' in their inventory, meaning that they can hold more equips, use items, and etc. items than any other class.
    Thieves have haste, which lets them move about the FM quickly.
    Magicians have teleport, which lets them move about the FM very quickly.

    However, if you have mesos/real life money enough, you can take any class and make it into a mule by using NX cash to buy more slots in your inventory and/or through buying speed equips [although this still cannot compete with teleport].

    Finally, mules can do this for you:
    Quote Originally Posted by darksidehero View Post
    a suggestion if i may:
    Quote Originally Posted by darksidehero View Post
    create an alias, a character out of character, play the part well and the owner may find you quaintly amusing and befriend you or sell it to you for reduced price. My alias is green man :) Green man ftw
    check the sig.
    using this method i got my hp warrior a tuna for 2mil =]

    Example:
    Quote Originally Posted by darksidehero View Post
    Me: Hi i'm green man
    Quote Originally Posted by darksidehero View Post
    person: lol
    Me: says green man
    person : ._.
    me: green man often talks in 3rd party
    person: Lols your cool, anyways, offer
    Me: Green man would like to offer.. 1.5mil
    person: But! i was advertising for 4mil!
    Me: Green man is sad D;
    Person: LOL alright <3333
    Me: -silent- Yesssssss
    person: fine 2mil
    me: ok =D


    YEAAAAY tuna
    A final note about storage:
    Buying extra slots in your bank helps a lot.
    Also, the new addition of the MTS helps reduce mule overstuffing. You can simply put a bunch of items in the MTS, priced at ridiculously high amounts, and withdraw those items into the MTS's built-in storage!



    Offer
    An offer is a certain price that somebody wants for an item. Offers are made by either the buyer or the seller of the item. Offers are a very important part of a merchant's life, since it sets the price at which an item is bought/sold.

    Definition through example:
    I want to merchant a pair of Orange Skis.
    I trade a person selling Orange Skis.
    I ask, "How much?"
    He replies, "Offer."
    At this point, I must think over my offer carefully.
    If my offer is too low, he will not accept. On the other hand, if my offer is too high, he will accept immediately, and I will have lost a lot of money that I could've saved.
    I know from past experiences that Orange Skis can be sold in the FM at 3mil.
    Thus, I say, "Is 2mil okay?"
    He says, "Sure."
    I recieve the Skis, and 1mil in potential profit.

    Offering is very hard, and it is the dividing line between both noob and pro merchants and customers.

    Different types of offers [given that the merchant is the one buying and offering]
    A low offer that is accepted is a merchant's dream. This shows that the customer is a "noob."

    A medium offer that is accepted is what usually happens. Both the customer and the merchant are on equal levels.

    A high offer that is accepted is the worst case scenario. The customer is smarter than the merchant, and realizes immediately how stupid and "noob" the merchant is.

    A low offer that is snubbed usually happens with low offers. The customer has a valid idea of what price the item is, and the merchant has been exposed as a "scammer."

    A medium offer that is snubbed reveals a very smart customer and an average merchant. The customer is able to sell the item elsewhere for even higher prices than average prices, and is probably a merchant him/herself.

    A high offer that is snubbed shows a stupid merchant for offering so high, as well as a stupid customer for not accepting such a good offer.


    NOTE: I know these dictionaries are not complete by far. Please offer suggestions!




    10) Final Words
    Okay, now you know how to get incredibly filthy rich now, so go DO it!

    Wait, hang on a sec.
    Okay, so here’s what you should buy with your money [yes, this may seem stupid right now, but you’ll really need this later to guide you.]
    ~ZHELM
    ~GODLY WEAPON
    ~GODLY ARMOR
    ~PINK/PURPLE CAPE
    ~DEX/INT EARRINGS
    If this guide serves you well, then you might just need somebody to decide what to do with your mesos for you, since you’ll be too busy being filthy rich!

    This guide could not have been possible had it not been for…
    ~iDagger, my maxed-out-mesos friend and role model
    ~ProjectNeil, for complaining about being a poor 8x Sader
    ~Niccus, for discovering the monetary value of APQ, and being the highest leveled [90] pure poison mage I know
    ~Aborts, for his quote, and for being my guild leader!
    ~Elornire, for being a unknown guildie whom I forgot x_x
    ~All the guilds I’ve ever been in: Debonair, ScarletMoon, Pastel, ImaginAsian, PQLeqends, Dharkan, and…
    Quote Originally Posted by Elornire View Post
    you were also in Nocturnes for a little while as well.
    I still don’t remember, but okay… D;
    Oh, and Recondite, Literacy, and HolyExile, love you guys!
    ~KoM, for getting me my zhelm
    ~Hidden-Street, a Maple Encyclopedia
    ~Basil Market, for being there whenever I needed some item
    ~MapleTip, for being my backup Hidden-Street
    ~Wizet and Nexon, for making and maintaining MapleStory
    ~Viewers like youse.

    And finally, I thank the Sleepywood Gachapon Machine.
    If it weren’t for you, I’d’ve wasted hundreds of dollars on gachapon.
    Thank you for teaching me a lesson by giving me only elixirs for $30.

    ~'Lexy's Guides~

    Contributors!
    firewizardjt
    Allysiana
    YomiGaeru
    Ulyana
    Majal/Lotz
    xdgr
    SparkTurtle
    austinpenguin
    Caru
    xBuBbLeTeA
    sleepyxdude
    zigkid3
    darksidehero
    Teleclast
    RavenBlade
    RoxStarz

    P.S.: THIS GUIDE WAS LAST UPDATED IN EARLY 2008. I've created a supplement with more advanced merchanting techniques, and it's available on the Hidden-Street and Southperry forums. This supplement is pretty much timeless in its usefulness, but it was last updated in August of 2009.

  2. #2

    Default

    This is a good guide. The money making methods are especially wanted. Too bad people are afraid of starting to merchat since newbs can get burnt. People might also be unwilling to fork out RL money.

    My contribution::)

    You can add Thanatos's name to the list of huntable monsters. It is not a boss monster, and it can be poisoned and sealed, which makes it very huntable for Fairfrozens.

  3. #3
    Phantom Watch
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,677

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by firewizardjt View Post
    This is a good guide. The money making methods are especially wanted. Too bad people are afraid of starting to merchat since newbs can get burnt. People might also be unwilling to fork out RL money.

    My contribution::)

    You can add Thanatos's name to the list of huntable monsters. It is not a boss monster, and it can be poisoned and sealed, which makes it very huntable for Fairfrozens.
    That's some FAST reading skills. O_O
    And thanks! :]

    And.... sleep time. X_X

  4. #4

    Default

    Wow, that's a really nice guide.
    Gj. xD

    EDIT: At what lvl would you reccomend trying to solo MM?
    Is the illbi droprate good?

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Thardor View Post
    Wow, that's a really nice guide.
    Gj. xD

    EDIT: At what lvl would you reccomend trying to solo MM?
    Is the illbi droprate good?
    Ask Majal on the Wolf Spider's Ilbi drop rates. He's the one who made so much money out of those.

  6. #6
    Jr. Necki Allysiana's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    322

    Default

    Nice guide, but I'd also like to point out that in other worlds, the FM shop areas you mentioned are vastly different.

    For Mardia:

    Channel 1 is the only place you will find FM shops.

    FM 1 is difficult to find a spot
    FM 2-4 is tricky, but if you spend about an hour waiting, you can find a decent spot in here.
    FM 5-6 usually will find a spot in the morning when people begin playing and they aren't using a mule character for their non-elfie shop

    Top Row FMs (7-12) are usually cheaper, less crowded, and easy to find a spot.

    3rd and 4th row FM platforms are only sometimes used during the crowded summer or holiday seasons, otherwise they remain empty.

    Edit: Sorry. Also - Guild PQ can be fast for a high leveled guild and almost every time we PQ, someone usually gets a 60% scroll. The ones I know for sure are 60% overall def, 60% overall dex, 60% cape luk.

    Also, another great way to make mesos is go bargain shopping. Sometimes I find an item for an unbelievably low price in the FM shops, and I can sell it for more than the price I got it for. (ex: finding an onyx apple for 800k and selling it at the going rate of 1.4mil.) I rarely do this method; but whenever I'm hunting for an item I need in the FM, if I find a truly cheap item, I tend to go for it and turn a fast profit. A lot of the stores that say "Quitting Maple, Cheap Stuff" are lies; don't be fooled by those shop titles - either know the prices of popular items (I keep an updated chart of the scroll prices in excel and print it out once and a while if they change, it may seem like work, but it saves me time from always going to check and alt-tabbing from maple all the time just to check a scroll price.) or check before you buy the supposedly great bargain.

    <3 Foxy

  7. #7

    Default

    Suggestions pl0x

    If a person is willing and has enough money, they could go into the 14 DEX/ 5DEX 9 SLOTS bathrobe/sauna robe business. It's quite profitable, since my 30% scrolls seem to pass.

  8. #8
    Jr. Necki YomiGaeru's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    In a cave full of fluffy wabbits
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    Default

    Nice guide, only thing i dont like with it, like all guides like this i have read is when you say "by level 40 everyone should have a couple mil" I have a lvl 71 ranger, and a lvl 45 Page, and I'm lucky to keep 100k.

    But hey, I have bad luck I guess, I can train for 5 hours and not get a single equip drop, and all my scroll drops are def scrolls.

    YomiRizer[9x]Ranger || Donaxys[5x]Page||Araelun[3x]F/P Wizard
    ||Windia||


    YomiRizer - Is now a Ranger

  9. #9

    Default

    It's a pretty good guide, yes, but people hate hardcore merchanters.

    People who buy things in FM 1:1 are either very rich or very stupid. I keep a steady income by gaching at Zip and selling the dark scrolls, but I sell all my items at a fair price rather than jacking the price up. Why? Nothing ever gets sold if it's too high. Go through FM 1:1 and see how many slots are actually cleared out of each shop. Smart people either spend the time to go through every single shop, OR use an owl (my preference)...

    ...Which leads me away from my rant and to an actual addition to your guide:
    Don't forget the NX Owls you can buy! They search through FM and give you a list of prices/stats for the item you're trying to sell (or buy). That's a lot faster than doing it manually, if you have the rl money to spend. ^.^

  10. #10

    Default

    Wow, I have to say that this is the most well thought-out meso guide ever.

    ...Can I rate this more than five stars? D8

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