Hi.
Whats the math behind a HQ item price?
Thanks in advance.
Pretty simple really. Most crafters I know (myself included) price hqs like this -
Cost of materials x number of synths to get one hq (so, if a tier 1 synth, I assume 12, tier 2 I assume 4, tier zero I assume 50- probably a tad high on that one) minus gil return from the sales of the nq (be that real sales or npc'ing). This gives me the minimum I can sell that sweet hq for and break even. Then, I study sales trends for that item to estimate the value of that piece, and price the hq somewhere between break even cost and double that value. Noteworthy is that this margin doesn't change if I hit that hq early- you have to plan for crap luck later.
Then, after doing this math I stop myself before crafting because I can buy it cheaper from someone who has finished their shield.