There are a lot of guides on youtube that use copious amounts of these for white frosting et. Same with Chili Peppers, Apples and Garlic.
I agree on the drop rates being completely horrible, but people aren’t creative and that’s driving up the prices too.
The bag space thing, while traipsing across the world trying to find a herb I don’t have yet is nuts. It’s not as bad as other crafts because I know I’m only going to use 6-7 Helms, but these 40 bowl of ruox I’m sitting on waiting to unlock the next pattern for them sucks. I’m stuck at 120ish right now. I might be able to get to 125 if I blow all my garlic and chili peppers but they are so dang hard to find, and I don’t want to pay 80c each on the TP.
I took cooking because it didn’t compete for mats with Leatherworking, but I’m ready to go back to Huntsman.
Outside of Copper this might be true, but getting 2 pieces of copper from an item that vendors for 30c is a nice profit to rip when copper is selling for 27c each.
Leveled a Char to 15 in the starter area including an extra level of just farming for cloth and wood. I got 3 total.
Just like GW1 there is a huge inflation in vanity items.
The trading post actually simulates a stock market (commodity market) in real life, and just like a stock market you are required to buy the cheapest. There was a big issue with computerized trading doing exactly what you are describing, fractions of pennies and auto adjusting quotes to make themselves cheaper by an insignificant quantity but to get ahead of the line.
The markets responded by the suggestion in the OP that dictate minimum bid increments based on the price of the stock. That’s why you see something like Berkshire trading in $10+ increments where only stocks under $1 can trade at sub penny levels.
I don’t think there should be any penality for repricing every few hours, 24 at max. You’re not relisting just repricing.