It’s been a while since I’ve written on this site, but when you see the magnititude of this post I hope all will be forgiven. The following is essentially the result of a math geek with too much time on his hands. Read on for how this could benefit you now and in the future.
A friend and fellow gold-making enthusiast, Frontendloader, created an addon which scanned my realm’s entire AH and dumped it’s output information to a text file. The information file contains every item on the Auction House, it’s bid price, buyout price and quantity of items. I’ve then used Microsoft Excel to lookup this data, for the purpose of manipulating it and calculating things with it.
Exporting Auctioneer Data to Excel
Find Out Cost of Power leveling Professions
1) Obtaining a total figure on a profession power leveling mats shopping list.
Find Out Best Gold Making Profession
2) Calculating profit and loss for each profession. A lot of the individual profession spreadsheets out there do this already but with user input data instead getting mat prices fresh from the AH and comparing them with end product prices fresh from the AH.
Which Server Has The Best Economy
3) Comparing economies with friends or if considering server transferring.
4) I want to see more ideas in the comments section of what could be done with an AH snapshot. If you can envision it, I can make it!
I have so far done #1 from the list above and included some screenshots below. In doing so I learnt that people can corrupt data fairly effortlessly. For example, one goose on my realm listed linen cloth for 1000g per unit which blew out the power leveling budget for tailoring. I have since excluded such nonsense data.
The costs of power leveling jewelcrafting, inscription, alchemy, leatherworking, tailoring, engineering and blacksmithing are based on the material costs at www.wow-professions.com. I have excluded from them vendor items such as tailor threads and alchemy vials since the value of these is widely known. For cost to Power level Inscription, since there are multiple herbs that result in each ink you require, I picked a typical one for each ink group.
As you can see, this is a good way to find out how much it would cost to power level a profession. It is not without flaw however, some items can be obtained much cheaper off the auction house. A good example of this is the rods required for power leveling Enchanting; buying them from the AH is expensive (and in turn Blacksmiths make good profit on them) and much could be saved by having them made by an alt or friend. When looking at the figures, you also need to consider that you can sell or disenchant many of the items made to offset the total cost.
Cost of Power Leveling Professions
Cost of Power leveling Jewelcrafting
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 100 | Copper Bar | 0.5000 | 50.0000 |
| 20 | TigersEye | 3.6003 | 72.0060 |
| 120 | Bronze Bar | 0.9048 | 108.5738 |
| 60 | Shadowgem | 9.4768 | 568.6091 |
| 80 | Heavy Stone | 0.7566 | 60.5244 |
| 30 | Moss Agate | 27.1150 | 813.4497 |
| 140 | Mithril Bar | 3.2988 | 461.8333 |
| 80 | Solid Stone | 0.4429 | 35.4315 |
| 25 | Citrine | 19.3262 | 483.1543 |
| 15 | Truesilver Bar | 6.3515 | 95.2731 |
| 5 | Aquamarine | 8.5377 | 42.6884 |
| 50 | Thorium Bar | 2.0312 | 101.5600 |
| 10 | Star Ruby | 10.7819 | 107.8188 |
| 20 | Large Opal | 7.4887 | 149.7733 |
| 10 | Blue Sapphire | 1.5506 | 15.5060 |
| 10 | Essence of Undeath | 11.2994 | 112.9938 |
| 20 | Huge Emerald | 9.8210 | 196.4201 |
| 55 | Golden Draenite | 8.5611 | 470.8622 |
| 40 | Adamantite Powder | 10.0056 | 400.2227 |
| 10 | Primal Earth | 3.3252 | 33.2520 |
| 10 | Adamantite Bar | 3.3080 | 33.0801 |
| 70 | Sun Crystal | 2.1189 | 148.3252 |
| 46 | Eternal Earth | 4.2263 | 194.4093 |
| 7 | Forest Emerald | 5.0409 | 35.2864 |
| 28 | Earthsiege Diamond | 34.4473 | 964.5234 |
| 1 | Frozen Orb | 21.3507 | 21.3507 |
| Total | 5,776.9275 |
Cost of Power Leveling Inscription
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 110 | Peacebloom | 0.2636 | 28.9937 |
| 80 | Briarthorn | 5.1952 | 415.6176 |
| 200 | Wild Steelbloom | 1.2024 | 240.4779 |
| 210 | Goldthorn | 2.6540 | 557.3295 |
| 160 | Sungrass | 4.3702 | 699.2245 |
| 100 | Dreamfoil | 1.6718 | 167.1790 |
| 260 | Terocone | 1.3593 | 353.4092 |
| 380 | Adder’s Tongue | 0.4792 | 182.0930 |
| 57 | Book of Glyph Mastery | 35.5714 | 2,027.5714 |
| Total | 4,671.8956 |
Cost of Power Leveling Enchanting
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 1 | Copper Rod | 11.6289 | 11.6289 |
| 125 | Strange Dust | 0.6680 | 83.5028 |
| 1 | Lesser Magic Essence | 0.4998 | 0.4998 |
| 1 | Silver Rod | 3.0000 | 3.0000 |
| 12 | Greater Magic Essence | 1.3202 | 15.8423 |
| 25 | Lesser Astral Essence | 0.8523 | 21.3074 |
| 122 | Soul Dust | 0.4531 | 55.2842 |
| 1 | Golden Rod | 8.6352 | 8.6352 |
| 1 | Iridescent Pearl | 11.3346 | 11.3346 |
| 2 | Greater Astral Essence | 0.9229 | 1.8458 |
| 163 | Vision Dust | 1.3857 | 225.8721 |
| 1 | Truesilver Rod | 24.9666 | 24.9666 |
| 1 | Black Pearl | 14.6972 | 14.6972 |
| 20 | Purple Lotus | 2.6871 | 53.7425 |
| 2 | Greater Mystic Essence | 0.7737 | 1.5475 |
| 10 | Lesser Nether Essence | 6.1377 | 61.3766 |
| 5 | Greater Nether Essence | 11.9506 | 59.7530 |
| 15 | Lesser Eternal Essence | 6.7689 | 101.5332 |
| 240 | Dream Dust | 0.7968 | 191.2226 |
| 10 | Illusion Dust | 2.9219 | 29.2194 |
| 1 | Arcanite Rod | 35.7787 | 35.7787 |
| 1 | Golden Pearl | 120.2555 | 120.2555 |
| 8 | Greater Eternal Essence | 17.5737 | 140.5896 |
| 8 | Large Brilliant Shard | 11.4516 | 91.6126 |
| 1 | Fel Iron Rod | 59.9822 | 59.9822 |
| 375 | Arcane Dust | 2.5921 | 972.0299 |
| 14 | Greater Planar Essence | 10.2011 | 142.8159 |
| 13 | Large Prismatic Shard | 5.1641 | 67.1331 |
| 20 | Lesser Planar Essence | 5.3605 | 107.2105 |
| 15 | Nightmare Vine | 8.3400 | 125.1000 |
| 15 | Primal Might | 128.9999 | 1,934.9988 |
| 1 | Adamantite Rod | 60.0299 | 60.0299 |
| 1 | Eternium Rod | 56.0950 | 56.0950 |
| 1 | Titanium Rod | 83.2000 | 83.2000 |
| 742 | Infinite Dust | 1.5695 | 1,164.5984 |
| 39 | Greater Cosmic Essence | 15.0932 | 588.6351 |
| 52 | Dream Shard | 8.1462 | 423.6008 |
| 124 | Eternal Earth | 4.2263 | 524.0599 |
| 10 | Crystallized Water | 1.7734 | 17.7343 |
| Total | 7,692.2717 |
Cost of Power Leveling Alchemy
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 59 | Peacebloom | 0.2636 | 15.5511 |
| 59 | Silverleaf | 1.0679 | 63.0069 |
| 95 | Briarthorn | 5.1952 | 493.5459 |
| 35 | Bruiseweed | 0.9964 | 34.8736 |
| 20 | Mageroyal | 0.9503 | 19.0064 |
| 35 | Stranglekelp | 3.5550 | 124.4265 |
| 30 | Liferoot | 0.9100 | 27.3005 |
| 30 | Kingsblood | 0.8934 | 26.8030 |
| 45 | Goldthorn | 2.6540 | 119.4278 |
| 10 | Wild Steelbloom | 1.2024 | 12.0239 |
| 70 | Sungrass | 4.3702 | 305.9107 |
| 15 | Khadgar’s Whisker | 1.2652 | 18.9778 |
| 4 | Iron Bar | 0.5443 | 2.1774 |
| 1 | Black Vitriol | 1.4643 | 1.4643 |
| 4 | Purple Lotus | 2.6871 | 10.7485 |
| 4 | Firebloom | 2.5075 | 10.0301 |
| 19 | Arthas’ Tears | 4.2852 | 81.4193 |
| 40 | Blindweed | 3.2996 | 131.9847 |
| 75 | Golden Sansam | 5.3512 | 401.3379 |
| 18 | Mountain Silversage | 2.6990 | 48.5819 |
| 35 | Felweed | 1.5777 | 55.2183 |
| 20 | Ragveil | 1.3780 | 27.5604 |
| 35 | Dreaming Glory | 0.6584 | 23.0432 |
| 10 | Netherbloom | 5.0034 | 50.0342 |
| 20 | Talandra’s Rose | 0.8466 | 16.9325 |
| 5 | Pygmy Suckerfish | 1.1327 | 5.6633 |
| 85 | Goldclover | 0.3721 | 31.6300 |
| 35 | Tiger Lily | 0.4783 | 16.7418 |
| 25 | Adder’s Tongue | 0.4792 | 11.9798 |
| 20 | Icethorn | 1.5400 | 30.7995 |
| 40 | Lichbloom | 2.0808 | 83.2318 |
| 56 | Saronite Bar | 2.0470 | 114.6299 |
| 5 | Dark Jade | 6.1592 | 30.7960 |
| 5 | Huge Citrine | 2.1000 | 10.5002 |
| 5 | Eternal Fire | 21.1370 | 105.6850 |
| Total | 2,563.0438 |
Cost of Power leveling Blacksmithing
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 133 | Rough Stone | 0.1340 | 17.8233 |
| 190 | Copper Bar | 0.5000 | 95.0000 |
| 24 | Coarse Stone | 0.2388 | 5.7312 |
| 5 | Silver Bar | 3.2951 | 16.4755 |
| 120 | Bronze Bar | 0.9048 | 108.5738 |
| 150 | Heavy Stone | 0.7566 | 113.4833 |
| 5 | Gold Bar | 0.9331 | 4.6656 |
| 230 | Iron Bar | 0.5443 | 125.1984 |
| 50 | Steel Bar | 4.5467 | 227.3337 |
| 5 | Truesilver Bar | 6.3515 | 31.7577 |
| 150 | Solid Stone | 0.4429 | 66.4340 |
| 320 | Mageweave Cloth | 0.7109 | 227.4948 |
| 20 | Mithril Bar | 3.2988 | 65.9762 |
| 430 | Dense Stone | 0.8153 | 350.5816 |
| 80 | Thorium Bar | 2.0312 | 162.4961 |
| 155 | Rugged Leather | 1.4460 | 224.1354 |
| 10 | Fel Iron Bar | 3.3068 | 33.0677 |
| 70 | Netherweave Cloth | 0.4112 | 28.7862 |
| 320 | Adamantite Bar | 3.3080 | 1,058.5622 |
| 441 | Cobalt Bar | 2.0882 | 920.8869 |
| 20 | Saronite Bar | 2.0470 | 40.9392 |
| 7 | Crystallized Air | 2.6698 | 18.6887 |
| 33 | Titanium Bar | 14.7061 | 485.3029 |
| 13 | Eternal Earth | 4.2263 | 54.9418 |
| 13 | Eternal Shadow | 3.7209 | 48.3713 |
| 13 | Eternal Water | 5.9085 | 76.8110 |
| Total | 4,609.5184 |
Cost of Power leveling Engineering
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 40 | Rough Stone | 0.1340 | 5.3604 |
| 100 | Copper Bar | 0.5000 | 50.0000 |
| 15 | Coarse Stone | 0.2388 | 3.5820 |
| 39 | Linen Cloth | 0.1519 | 5.9226 |
| 120 | Bronze Bar | 0.9048 | 108.5738 |
| 5 | Moss Agate | 27.1150 | 135.5750 |
| 40 | Heavy Stone | 0.7566 | 30.2622 |
| 80 | Wool Cloth | 0.9431 | 75.4474 |
| 20 | Medium Leather | 0.3239 | 6.4786 |
| 4 | Steel Bar | 4.5467 | 18.1867 |
| 180 | Solid Stone | 0.4429 | 79.7208 |
| 155 | Mithril Bar | 3.2988 | 511.3155 |
| 12 | Mageweave Cloth | 0.7109 | 8.5311 |
| 40 | Dense Stone | 0.8153 | 32.6122 |
| 130 | Thorium Bar | 2.0312 | 264.0561 |
| 20 | Runecloth | 0.3781 | 7.5618 |
| 95 | Fel Iron Bar | 3.3068 | 314.1432 |
| 20 | Mote of Earth | 1.2529 | 25.0581 |
| 10 | Mote of Fire | 3.2761 | 32.7605 |
| 40 | Adamantite Bar | 3.3080 | 132.3203 |
| 30 | Netherweave Cloth | 0.4112 | 12.3370 |
| 284 | Cobalt Bar | 2.0882 | 593.0428 |
| 8 | Frostweave Cloth | 0.7829 | 6.2631 |
| 43 | Crystallized Water | 1.7734 | 76.2577 |
| 10 | Crystallized Earth | 0.5643 | 5.6428 |
| 14 | Borean Leather | 0.7488 | 10.4834 |
| 9 | Eternal Shadow | 3.7209 | 33.4878 |
| Total | 3,487.8461 |
Cost of Power Leveling Tailoring
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 160 | Linen Cloth | 0.1519 | 24.2980 |
| 165 | Wool Cloth | 0.9431 | 155.6102 |
| 760 | Silk Cloth | 0.1619 | 123.0173 |
| 396 | Mageweave Cloth | 0.7109 | 281.5248 |
| 740 | Runecloth | 0.3781 | 279.7848 |
| 725 | Netherweave Cloth | 0.4112 | 298.1431 |
| 30 | Arcane Dust | 2.5921 | 77.7624 |
| 20 | Knothide Leather | 1.4612 | 29.2231 |
| 2975 | Frostweave Cloth | 0.7829 | 2,329.0809 |
| 240 | Infinite Dust | 1.5695 | 376.6895 |
| Total | 3,975.1340 |
Cost of Power Leveling Leatherworking
| # | Item | Cost | Total |
| 57 | Ruined Leather Scraps | 0.1863 | 10.6173 |
| 130 | Medium Hide | 1.4951 | 194.3657 |
| 240 | Light Leather | 0.1996 | 47.8982 |
| 130 | Medium Leather | 0.3239 | 42.1108 |
| 20 | Heavy Hide | 16.4940 | 329.8799 |
| 305 | Heavy Leather | 8.3834 | 2,556.9430 |
| 20 | Bolt of Silk Cloth | 1.3787 | 27.5742 |
| 410 | Thick Leather | 0.7213 | 295.7397 |
| 460 | Rugged Leather | 1.4460 | 665.1761 |
| 100 | Knothide Leather Scraps | 0.2946 | 29.4581 |
| 430 | Knothide Leather | 1.4612 | 628.2975 |
| 28 | Wind Scales | 1.5274 | 42.7664 |
| 1750 | Borean Leather | 0.7488 | 1,310.4250 |
| 100 | Crystallized Water | 1.7734 | 177.3434 |
| 18 | Eternal Water | 5.9085 | 106.3537 |
| 10 | Arctic Fur | 52.2245 | 522.2453 |
| 10 | Nerubian Chitin | 3.4653 | 34.6530 |
| 5 | Frozen Orb | 21.3507 | 106.7537 |
| Total | 7,128.6011 |
Finding out Profit of Each Profession
I’ve already began work on spreadsheets to examine profit and loss calculations on crafting items and gear with Tailoring, Leatherworking and Blacksmithing using the data obtained from the AH Scan Snapshot. Check back shortly and I’ll show you the results of those spreadsheets. I also plan to make ones that lookup prices for ore, herbs, gems and glyphs, to assess the viability of Jewelcrafting or Inscription on your realm.
In the future, we are looking to produce an End-User version of the addon and spreadsheet so that you can all simply press the AH button ingame to get a spreadsheet full of useful information. Right now it’d require a couple steps like pressing the getall button at the auction house, using an .exe to convert that output file into a spreadsheet format then inserting that spreadsheet into the master spreadsheet we’d provide.
In the meantime, if you were able to find out any information about your servers auction house, be it the highest priced items, which items at the most profitable to make with each profession, figuring out which profession makes the most gold or anything else what would it be?
Popularity: 5% [?]






Looking forward to when the addon is available for Joe Public.
Regarding Inscription, if you have access to another Scribe to mill your ink and trade it to the Ink Vendor, could you reduce all of your prices to 0.4792? Milling 1500 Adder’s Tongue would provide all of the inks needed for the lower levels. (The 75 Snowfall Inks left over could probably be put to good use to cut your costs even lower.)
Amazing post, definitely looking forward to trying it out.
Hey man I would really love if you would post the glyphs and other things that you find sell a lot and well, pretty much what do you would recommend us selling? I have just went into the inscription game and I am unsure as to which glyphs to make and I thought why not come to you, the master of inscription and ask you what you make money from,
.
Anyway man love your guides and everything, and I hope you make a little post about what to sell with inscription for the best results
full inscription guide coming in a few days, be on the lookout for it
It would be real cool if you included how much time to post as, ie. 48 hours.
And Addons you use!
Sorry for badgering you, but I’m looking forward to it
It’s important to note that it will cost a good deal (a few hundred gold?) to purchase all of the skills as you’re leveling up as well. Keep this in mind before and as you’re leveling up each of these professions.
Would it be possible to get a beta/alpha version of both spreadsheet and addon ?
I dont understand.. sorry im really unknowledageable and unskilled at math but maybe you can help me, for engineering, 3,487.8461.. is that 3.4k gold and what? or more then 3487 gold? is that silver or whats going on omg
this is very cool. Careful though, some of your data looks ugly. Heavy leather for 8g a piece? I usually see it for 1-2g ea. (god, I remember flipping it from <1g to 3-5g a stack in TBC when I got my start as a gold-making gnome.). For 8g a piece, I'd roll a skinner and farm it, damn.
Also you say enchanting requires 15 primal mights, but unless you are doing some weird shit, it only needs 1, that cuts your enchanting cost down quite a bit.
Another one I noticed is frostweave cloth. I can usually find this for 30-50s in qty, and you have it for 78s.
your low level gem prices are really high too. I usually find tigerseye for 1g, shadowgems for 2-3 (often much less), moss agate for 5-10g. Only citrine gets really bad, and even that doesn't usually get to 19g, just sometimes there isn't any and you have to prospect for it. In general, if your gem prices are really that high, prospecting is the way to go.