How to sell the wormhole

In previous posts, I have talked about finding wormholes, and who might be interested in buying different types.  This is great theory, but theory doesn't pay the bills until you have been given ISK.


Remember, you are going to be paid ISK largely for a bookmark to a system that you claim to be empty.  A bookmark that is generally going to expire tomorrow if your lucky, and is already expired if you are not.

As anonymous mentioned in a comment to an earlier post, wormholesales.com is your friend, post here.  The 'sponsors' of this site (Taggart) also run the in game channel "Wormhole sales".  There is also the default game provided channel "Wormholes" (TODO: Check on exact channel name).  Those associates you had from 2 years ago that were maybe thinking of wormhole space? Send them an evemail.  The Eve sales forums https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=topics&f=278 are also worth trying.  I personally have had success selling via my own blog.

Be polite, mention :

• The signature of the wormhole i.e. J100001
• That there are no active forcefields (after checking of course)
• Your asking price

As a buyer, I have an idea of what I am looking for in a system.  That signature allows me to use eveeye.com, staticmapper.com, or other programs to tell me what kind of system I am looking at, far better than even most sellers know.  What the signature does not tell me, and what I am buying from you, is how to get there.

Normally in Eve, when you have something to sell in Eve, it doesn't go 'off''.  Wormholes are different.  16 hours, 24 hour or 48 hours for higher class wormhole systems.  It has taken me 4 days to make a sale.  I do not want to leave my 'hauler/manufacturer/researcher' (and for you probably fighter) in a backwater wormhole for a week.  That is what scanning alts are for.  I scan down an appropriate exit with my 'do things' pilot, and then have my scanning pilot ready to fly in. 

My scanning alts have a basic scanning frigate, with a prototype cloak, expanded launcher and many probes.  Sister probes/launchers items are a bonus.  I am also in the process of fitting the new scanning mods (Scan acquisition, pinpointing and rangefinding arrays).

How long does that wormhole last?  Look at the entrance (i.e. not the K162 side) and compare the signature on this eve uni list. 

Wormhole sales are a 'trust' sale; two parties, generally unknown to each other, are making a large transaction.  Is the seller both competent and trustworthy.  Is the buyer similarly trustworthy?

Someone has to hand over something first; either ISK or a bookmark.  Options include :

• Someone deciding to trust the other party; possibly with a 1/2 isk up front, 1/2 on payment.
• Using a broker;  Taggart (via in game channel "Wormhole sales") charges a total of 10%; with the expectation of 5% paid by the buyer, 5% by the seller.  The problem with brokers is that they are not always available now, leading to a higher likelihood of wanting that scanner alt to hold the system for you.

Good hunting.  And if you happen to find wormhole with a highsec static and great PI, feel free to post it on wormholesales.com, evemail DoToo Foo, or even drop a comment here.

For an alternative guide to selling wormholes : https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=101693

What are buyers looking for in a wormhole system?

This is the same question as what ship does Joe Blogs want?  Is Joe an industrialist, a newbie, a bittervet?

There are different types of wormhole.

Class

Wormholes come in different classes : C1 (easiest) to C6 (hardest).  My personal experience is mostly in a C2 system, and we have travelled through quite a few C1's in our time. 


For more information about what to expect in a wormhole, including site difficulty and typical statics, look at http://talocanunited.com/wordpress/about-wormholes-classes-of-wormhole/

Newbies, semi-casuals, and those that dabble in reactions want a highsec static.  That is, a wormhole system that will always have an exit to 'safe space'.  These are C1 to C3 wormholes.  You are more likely to have a highsec static in a C1 than a C2 or C3.

The smaller the group, the smaller the wormhole you want; with each class of wormhole increasing the total mass and size of ship that can enter it.  C1 Battlecruisers and smaller.  C2-4; Battleships and smaller.  C5-6 : Dreadnaughts, Carriers, Freighters and smaller.

PVP'ers of any kind want exits that are not safe space.  Small group PVP'ers may want a 'C2' wormhole with a null/C5 static.  Large group PVP'ers might like a C5 system, with dreams of taking on a C6 system.  One does not simply walk into Mordor a C6 system,  though a fleet of 100 battleships and dreads would probably do it.  The problem in selling a good PVP system is that while industrialists are by training OK at logistics, PVP'ers are generally not (though there are some notable exceptions)

More experienced wormholers know that highsec static's mean more pesky highsec intruders.  There are more of them than there are of us (even the hostile kind of us).  Unless you have something specific in mind, the added bother of finding a way to highsec is often considered worth it.

PI planets

Some regular readers may have noticed that I seem to have a consistent theme : planetary interaction.  I prefer a lot of varied planets.  I want to make any kind of planetary interaction item out of a single system; the transport is a pain.  (That said, we do import the cheapest P1 items rather than farm them ourselves).  Gas and Barren planets are everywhere and somewhat boring.  What excites me is the other planet types.  I want to look at eveeye, type in the system name and see a green P4 Prod tick

However, a PI farmer will also want some access to highsec.  I don't mind a C1 or C2 static as I can get to highsec from there easily enough.  As a PI farmer, I would not enjoy only having a null static.

Failing that, getting the blue POS fuel tick is a bonus. Logistics is a pain.  Being able to make stuff rather than haul stuff is easy; even if you don't bother to bash down and replace the horribly expensive interbus customs offices.

Effects

Different wormholes have different effects.  http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Wormhole_environment_effects. Apparently no one likes a black hole.  (reduced missile velocity, drone control range, lockrange, falloff; increased ship velocity and inertia).  If I was to find my dream PI system, I wouldn't care.

Not important

From what I have seen, the number of existing anomalies or signatures is not a deciding factor.  These things re-generate over time, and can be blown through quite easily.  If we are going to spend 1B on setting up a large POS, with 1/2 of that per month in fuel, we are taking a longer term view.  It will make a difference to some, but has not been a question I have seen asked.

In summary

Good PI, C1 systems with a highsec static, no bad effects : Ask for the moon.
PVP systems (i.e. lead into other places to get fights); by all means try.
Poor PI, black hole c4 with a c4 static?  Umm.  Good luck.  Someone might want it for the PVE.

Next: How to sell a wormhole.

How to find a wormhole for sale?

Ok, so you are in a wormhole for either legitimate or nefarious purposes.  Now what is the first thing you do when you enter a wormhole?  Bookmark the entrance.  Second thing? Dscan.  Any force fields?  If yes, your not selling this wormhole today.

Your initial dscan is not enough to show you have an unoccupied system.  Larger systems will have some planets outside your range.  While you probably can scan down towers with combat probes, the far simpler way is to warp to the vicinity of every planet until you (a) have the planet on dscan, and (b) confirmed you can not see a force field.

Anything else you see is potential loot.  A hanger of any kind with an inactive field is an invitation to bring some friends and play loot pinata.  Even someone with as little 'active' pvp as me would play with such a present.


I would not recommend that you spend time simply looking for wormholes to sell.  Finding, then selling wormholes takes time.  I am yet to find someone who enjoys scanning for it's own sake.  Certainly not me.

That said, there are times you will be scanning anyway.  Whether it is looking for a way to empire space for POS fuel or to sell goodies.  Whether it is because you have an overfond liking for wormhole explosions (bad pirates, bad bad pirates - now go sit in the corner.  Or catch me and then blow me up.  Whatever works).

In this market, what most players want to buy is an entrance to an unoccupied wormhole system.  Your potential buyers are after a particular type of system, but that is a topic for a later post.


TLDR?
The majority of wormhole buyers are purchasing an entrance to an wormhole system that has no active towers.

Next: What are buyers looking for?

WTB PI wormhole with highsec statics

Foo Holdings has done well in wormhole space, and is looking at expanding.

We will be keeping our existing system, but we are currently looking at a 'casual hauling friendly' wormhole.  That is, something with a high sec static.


We will be doing PI, and lots of it.  As such, I am looking for lots of planets.  'Perfect PI' is desirable, or even the ability to make POS fuel, but I doubt I would reject a system that had a majority of the rarer planet types.


From what I have seen, the higher the wormhole class, the more planets, but we also know that higher class wormholes can have more 'concurrent visitors'.  We would prefer a class 1 wormhole with lots of planets.  If such a system is available, I would pay more.

I am not 'exclusive'.  If you already have such a system, would like to remain in it, but hand over the setting up of poco's to someone else, I am sure that we can come to an arrangement.

Now, we have just bought the bookmark to an empty C1->HS system.  That is, the smallest class of wormhole, with a hisec exit.  For those that don't know, on any given day, we do not know where in highsec our exit will be, just that there will be one.

We paid 100M.  The PI is OK, but I do want better.  I bought the bookmark because it is the best system we have found recently, and wormholes with highsec exits are not offered for sale as often as those with lowsec exits.  If a better wormhole system is offered in the near future, we will buy it and sell this one.

Over the next few posts, I will be talking about where to buy or sell a wormhole, and my understanding of what likely buyers for different types of wormholes are looking for.

Next : How to find a wormhole for sale.

Wh Sale Attempt #2

Ok; in first life I live Down under (otherwise known as Australia).

I am awake and at keyboard when you are asleep or at work; you are asleep or awake when I am a keyboard.

This makes selling a wormhole difficult; but not impossible.  My apologies to those that have mailed or whispered me.

So; you want to buy a wormhole but don't trust me without seeing it;  I want to sell a wormhole but don't trust you to pay once you know where the entrance is.  Mmmm.

I can put up a bookmark to the entrance on a contract.

If I was a buyer; what would I like to see?  There is a saying in MMO's: Screenshot or it didn't happen.

I can 'prove' (photoshop skills not withstanding) that I have been in the wormhole and have a fresh entrance; and provide a date/time.  (click for a larger picture)

I can show that I have scouted for control towers off the various planets.

Planet 8

Planets 1-7

I can claim that I am showing force fields but not moons on the above; but can't prove the order of screen shots.  I can fly to the control towers and show no force field. (again click to expand)

Tower on VIII

Tower on VI

(And also get better at using dscan in doing so)

I can offer some independent information about the wormhole http://www.staticmapper.com/index.php?system=J151311 ; showing there are only 8 planets.


I can put the bookmark in a contract in a nearby highsec system.  Not the same system; you might scan down the WH entrance directly from that; and that would be bad.  Not too far away; that would be annoying for the purchaser.

I can state that bookmark I am offering on contract is for this wormhole.

I can offer a public guarantee that if the bookmark goes stale; I can provide 1 more bookmark to an entrance.  This guarantee is limited to a refund of the sale price (I might get ganked).

I can spend way too much time doing this.

Edit: for serious buyers that can get a reliable (and online at downtime broker), please in game mail DoToo Foo.

Edit: sold

WH for sale (not mine)

There is a website; wormholesales.com; for 'explorers' to list what they consider suitable wormholes for sales.  (site guidelines state no active forcefields)


Taggart Transdimensional (the corp behind the website), also offer a 10% brokerage service (generally 5% from each the buyer and seller).

I have also been spruiking the benefits of wormhole space for small corporations.


Entirely coincidentally (really; I was drafting yesterdays post before we found it), our corp has found one worth selling; J151311.

EDIT: Being someone on at downtime; I am happy to sell a bookmark to the system via contract and/or via Taggart Transdimensional (in game channel Wormhole Sales)

The Wormhole we are selling:

• is class 2 (NPC's very roughly equivalent to L4 missions from what I have been told; I don't know - having done neither the anomalies or L4 security missions); 
• has sots of anomalies (generally means abandoned for a while);
• has a highsec and C1 static;
• has 7 planets but not a 'perfect planet' setup; meaning if you want to make all things PI you will be importing some parts.

It is good for a small number of accounts; who does not require perfect PI; and who does not require a pirates lifestyle.  (Our home C2 with a C2 and lowsec static is superior for that)

My recommendations for planning to be a long term resident in wormhole space is:

• Work out whether to set up a dickstar (defensive) or deathstar (offensive) for it. 
• Being able to put up a medium or large tower; (anchoring; space haul the tower)
• Have starter fuel : a few days of fuel blocks; 12 hours of strontium.  These can be pre-placed in anchored giant secure containers.
• A cloak

After your POS is initially set up and running you will probably want:

• Anchor and online up your defensive and offensive modules.  As a rule; Arrays go inside the forcefield.  Batteries outside.
• More fuel and ammo.
• Some equipment storage (corporate hanger array)
• Some ship storage/refitting ability (ship hanger array)

A medium term resident might be satisfied with an Orca on a logged out toon instead.

There are hunters who love to find someone putting up a POS.  So you want to minimise the time between starting to anchor and getting a force field up.  Think about pre-scattering some giant secure containers around the system; locked with supplies.  Do not sit uncloaked on your anchoring POS.  As soon as the POS is up; fuel it with both fuels.  I have never had a problem setting up POS; but have seen others have significant issues.

If you are planning on PI; how will you take down customs offices (interbus or old player owned)? How are you going to beat a 500hps shield (peak) regeneration; 10M of shield?  AFK with disposable ships?  At keyboard risking boredom. A mix of both?

If you are planning on setting up multiple POS for reactions or research; any WH has plenty of moons; but no moon goo.