Trading is the activity of buying and selling goods between other players, especially on large scales, and is one of the most profitable businesses in the game. Trading is not for everyone, although it does not require any skill points — it does require a lot of Gold, Knowledge of Supply & Demand, and maybe an add-on or two to be an exceptionally good Trader.

Now I will explain the Basics of Trading, my Recommended Requirements, and some Tricks of the Trade. Be aware that Trading is not for everyone, but for those who really enjoy doing business ;)

Basics of Trading
There are two big rules to being a successful Trader…
1 — Buy low, sell high.
2 — Find out what players want, then find a way to give it to them.

You should pay attention to Zone and Guild Chat, find out what items are popular and what they are going for in regards to prices. Some items are very flexible in prices, others (such as rare Motifs) are a little harder to budge the prices since a lot of players know their value.

There are two main ways of finding buyers for your goods.
1 — Socially,
Finding players in Zone or Guild Chat is a quick way to sell goods, and avoid taxes. You can also advertise your price of buying/selling and wait for them to whisper you.
2 — Guild Stores,
The easiest way of selling goods, you will pay a small tax to the Guild — but may also list many things for sale at once, giving more free time to work on other things. Remember, Time is Money.

Trading Requirements
If you plan on buying and selling in large amounts, you will need decent amount of Gold to start off your capital, at least ~20,000g. Your buying power will allow you to take advantage of all the good deals or “underpriced” listings you come across — then over time you can flip them for profits.

You will also need a good understanding of Supply and Demand, more experienced players will typically do a lot better at Trading for Profit than newer players, due to the fact they have been around longer and have seen what is popular and what they go for.