Bazaar vs Auction House — the short answer
Bazaar is faster (30–90 min per flip), easier for beginners, and scales with volume. Auction House has higher margins (10–50%+) but requires 1–7 days per flip and deeper item knowledge (reforges, pet levels, enchants). Start with Bazaar to learn mechanics, graduate to AH once you have 5M+ coins and understand item valuation.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Bazaar | Auction House |
|---|
| Item Type | Commodities (stackable, identical): Enchanted Sugar Cane, Wheat, Bone, etc. | Unique items: Pets (leveled), reforged gear, enchanted weapons, dungeon loot |
| Flip Speed | average 30–90 min (buy order fill + sell offer fill) | often multiple days |
| Profit Margin | 2–8% per flip (1.25% fee eats margin) | 10–50%+ per flip (larger spreads, less competition) |
| Volume | High (flip thousands-millions of items per day) | Low (usually 10s of items per day) |
| Capital Required | 500k–3M to start, 100M+ to scale and at least Skybock Level 7 | 3M–10M minimum, 500M+ for high-value pets/gear |
| Complexity | Low: Pick item from Bazaar Flips, place orders, wait | High: Evaluate reforges, enchants, pet XP, compare recent sales, time listings |
| Best For | Beginners, low capital (<5M), players who want fast turnover | Experienced flippers, high capital (>5M), players with item knowledge |
The Bazaar: Speed & volume
How it works
The Bazaar is a commodity market where all items of the same type are identical (fungible). One stack of Enchanted Sugar Cane is indistinguishable from another. You profit by:
- Placing buy orders below instant-buy price (1–10% cheaper)
- Waiting 5–60 min for fills
- Placing sell offers above instant-sell price (1–10% higher)
- Collecting 2–8% margin minus 1.25% Bazaar fee
Advantages
- Fast turnover: Complete a flip in 30–90 min. Reinvest profits 10–20 times/day.
- Low barrier to entry: Start with 500k–1M capital. Beginner-friendly.
- High liquidity: Top items trade 50k+ units/day. Orders fill reliably.
- Compounding power: Flip 10x/day → 20% daily return → 1M becomes 10M in 13 days (theoretical max).
Disadvantages
- Low margins: 2–8% per flip. Fees eat 1.25% of gross profit on each order.
- Competition: Popular items have tight spreads due to many flippers.
- Price volatility: Events (mayor changes, updates) can crash prices 20%+ overnight.
The Auction House: Margin & uniqueness
How it works
The AH lists unique items where each has distinct attributes (reforge, pet level, enchants, dungeon stars). You profit by:
- Finding undervalued auctions using AH Flipper (items 10–50% below market)
- Winning BIN (Buy It Now) or sniping timed auctions in the last 5 seconds
- Relisting at median market price (2–5% below lowest active listing)
- Waiting 12h–7d for sale
Advantages
- High margins: 10–50%+ per flip. Rare god-roll items can 2x–10x.
- Less competition: Requires knowledge → fewer flippers → larger spreads.
- Skill-based edge: Learn reforge values, pet meta, enchant tiers → consistently beat market.
- No sell fee: Only 1% listing fee (refunded on sale). Keep full margin.
Disadvantages
- Slow turnover: 1–7 days per flip. Capital locked for longer.
- High capital requirement: Meta pets cost 10M–100M+. Need reserves to flip multiple items.
- Steep learning curve: Must know which reforges add value, optimal pet levels, enchant book combinations.
- Liquidity risk: Niche items (off-meta pets, outdated gear) can take weeks to sell.
Which should you choose?
Start with Bazaar if you:
- Have <3M capital
- Are new to flipping (first 30 days)
- Want daily profit (compounding is key)
- Prefer low-risk, predictable returns
Graduate to AH when you:
- Have 5M+ liquid capital (can absorb 1–2 day holds)
- Understand item stats (reforges, pet abilities, enchant values)
- Are comfortable with 1–7 day flip cycles
- Want to scale beyond Bazaar's 2–8% margins
Hybrid strategy (best for 10M+ capital)
Split capital 60/40:
- 60% in Bazaar flips: Fast turnover, daily profit, compounding base
- 40% in AH flips: High-margin plays, 1–3 active listings at a time
This balances speed (Bazaar) with margin (AH). Bazaar profits fund AH capital; AH windfalls boost Bazaar volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make more total profit with Bazaar or AH?
Bazaar (high volume): 1M capital → 2–5% daily → 60k–150k/day. Over 30 days with compounding: 4M–16M.
AH (high margin): 5M flip → 30% margin → 1.5M profit in 3 days. Over 30 days (10 flips): 15M.
Winner: AH has higher ceiling, but Bazaar is safer and faster to scale for beginners.
How do I learn AH item valuation?
1. Study recent sales: Check AH Flipper for sold items with similar stats.
2. Join trading Discord servers: Ask experienced traders about reforge/pet tier lists.
3. Track meta shifts: New dungeons, balance patches, or mayor perks change demand.
4. Start small: Flip cheap items (100k–500k) to learn without risking millions.
Should I flip both Bazaar and AH simultaneously?
Yes, if you have 10M+ capital. Diversify to hedge risk:
- Bazaar crashes don't affect AH inventory.
- AH slow periods are buffered by Bazaar daily profits.
No, if you have <5M capital. Focus on mastering Bazaar first to build capital faster.
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