Time is Money Friend

Out of total boredom I decided to do some quick math on a few items in the game.  Using the concept that a mount recently was added for sale at $25 and pets have been sold for $10 I would like to take a look at the real life cost of items in game.

In 2007 (the example I found so I will use it) the middle class income was between $36,000 and $57,660.  That would translate into a median of those would be roughly $46,830.  Lets just call that $52,000 based on inflation and the fact it makes for easy math.  $52,000 is $1,000 per week.  $1,000 per week means $25 per hour.  So we are going to use $25 per hour when translating time spent and actual cost of items in wow.  Yes, some make more and some make less.  That is why we will use the $25 per hour number.  To make everyone happy.  Oh, who am I kidding, it is to make me happy because it makes my math easier.

Deathcharger's Reins is a mount that is often farmed for so it will be our first example.  The Reins are a 1% chance drop.  That does not mean that going in you will get it if you go in 100 times.  Each time is a 1% chance.  As someone figured out it would take 916 times doing it to get to a 99.99% chance of getting it.  There is no sure way to make sure you do get it with 100% certainty. Now lets assume you can solo this (which I hope you can otherwise you cut your chances down even more as you will have to roll against others if it does drop now.) and can do it in 15 minutes.  Assuming no breaks at all you can do this 4 times per hour.  That means that it would take 229 hours to get to that 99.99% chance.  Most will get it sooner then 916 times.  It seems, with no proof to back it up, that most people that farm it, it takes them near 200 times and not near 200 hours.  We will continue to use 229 hours however. 

Cost for getting the Deathcharger: $5,725

Reins of the White Polar Bear is another mount that is sought after, not to mention my favorite ever. Unlike the other mount which can be farmed over and over in an amount of days depending on how much time you spend in one sitting this mount you can only try for once per day so it will take months.  Which means it not only cost the same as the deathcharger but it also could take a much longer time.

Cost of getting the White Polar Bear: $5,725 and well over 7 months.

Timbermaw Hold reputation just took me 3 hours to go from honored to exalted.  I do not recall what it took to get to that original honored so my totals for it will not be correct.  But we can guess 2 hours otherwise.

Cost of getting Timbermaw Hold Exalted: $125

Protector's Mark of Sanctification has still has not ended up in my hands.  Sure I've seen a bunch of them drop but I also have to roll against many other people, all of which want 5 of them.  Which means this is going to take some time to get as you can only make one run per week in 25 man and one in heroic 10 man.  Worse even then doing one daily per day for the bear.  I do not know exact numbers but I would say as of now I have most likely spent close to 100 hours in 25 man content with hopes this will land in my hands.  So the cost of this is still not final but so far it has a cost that keeps rising.

Protector's Mark of Sanctification: Cost so far $2500 and counting and I need 5 of them.

So you see, cost in game of items is absolutely fucking crazy.  At this rate, by the time I get 5 marks for myself it will have cost me well over 10,000 to get it because time is money friend.

Farming herbs?  Not free, it costs you money.
Farming ore? Not free, it costs you money.
Farming mounts? Not free, it costs you money.
Farming pets? Not free, it costs you money.
Farming reputation?  Not free, it costs you money.
Leveling a character? Not free, it costs you money.
Level a skill?  Not free, it costs you money.

Everything you do in the game cost you money.  Sure, it is imaginary money in this case being you would not be making that $25 per hour otherwise but it is perfect for what you are using here as an example.  Imaginary items for imaginary pay you would have received.

With those numbers in mind it makes me think that My Little Pony for $25 was a steal.  Come of think of it, even if everyone is against it, I would not mind paying $25, $50, hell even $100 for a Mark of Sanctification instead of paying the $10000 I am currently going to end up paying for it. (That is sarcasm for people that do not know I am against selling gear)

Time is money, friend and Blizzard is way undercharging for the things they are offering.  My Little Pony should have cost around $5000 if anyone at Blizzard had ever taken a math course in school.  Because, based on other things, that is really what it would be worth in real life money.