Ever
since the Black Market
Auction House was announced to the public, we have found ourselves
pondering just exactly what this new addition might entail. As it is
with all unknowns, rumors and theroies of all sorts have flown across
the internet, trying to pinpoint the facts behind the Black Market
Auction House. Some of this information is spot on, while other sources
provide information that leaves much to be desired.

Having trouble separating fact
from fiction when it comes to Mists of Pandaria’a new Black
Market Auction House? Read onward to find out everything you need to
know about this new and exciting feature. The truth behind the Black
Market Auction House just might surprise you.

What is the Black Market
Auction House?
style="padding: 5px; float: right; width: 250px; text-align: center;"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/232588" target="_blank"> src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/232588/preview"
width="245">Step
behind the partition where you will find Madame Goya, mistress of the
Black Market Auction House.

One of the most basic questions
asked by many players is what exactly is the Black Auction House? The
answer is the Black Market Auction House is a new type of auction house
being introduced in the new Mists of Pandaria expansion. What makes
this auction house so special is that it will offer players the chance
to bid on items that are not normally sold on NPCs. Located within the
Tavern of the Mists at the Veiled Stair, the Black Market Auction House
is not a safe zone and frequently this place on a PvP server may result
in more than a few face gankings.

What’s for sale in
the Black Market Auction House?

So what is it that this new
auction house has that will separate it from the rest and make players
want to spend their hard earned gold? Get ready to get excited (I know
I am). The Black Market Auction House will include a little bit of
everything, including rare mounts, hard to obtain pets, high-level
crafting recipes, as well as hard to get gear, such as the tier 3 sets
that were previously removed from the game, for both wear and
transmogrification purposes. However, just like buying a kidney off the
real black market, these items won’t come cheaply. Items on
the Black Market Auction House will start out at a hefty sum and then
be bid on by players further raising the price. This auction house is
not for the faint of heart when it comes to cash.

Black Market Auction House =
Mists of Pandaria’s Gold Sink

Under the fancy items and shiny
newness of the Black Market Auction House lies a brutal truth that
becomes glaringly clear when you spend any time thinking about it; the
Black Market Auction House is a gold sink and nothing more. While some
of you may be wrinkling your nose in disgust at the word, I for one am
applauding Blizzard for finally adding a much needed new gold sink into
the game. Well done dev team, well done.

Now before you light the
torches and grab your pitch forks, let me explain. While many of you
may not be fond of gold sinks, especially since they seem to give extra
rewards to players with tons of gold, they are a needed part of the
World of Warcraft economy and ultimately benefit all players equally.
Gold sinks not only keep the economy in check, but also help to keep
prices of goods low. This is an appealing concept considering the out
of control economy and outrageous prices we have seen thus far in
Cataclysm.

How does this work you ask?
Prices on the Auction House, as well all know, can be pretty crazy.
Most of us think that no one actually pays those prices, but the truth
of the matter is that someone out there does. These people have the
time to farm or savvy to work the Auction House so they have amassed
huge fortunes of gold. Thanks to the fact these people can and will
spend large amounts of money on things in the Auction House, those of
us with little time to farm or desire to play the Auction House game
suffer.

style="padding: 5px; float: right; width: 250px; text-align: center;"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/232589" target="_blank"> src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/232589/preview"
width="245">Could
the Black Market Auction House be a forerunner for a Real Money Auction
House?

This is where the good old gold
sink comes in. A gold sink may seem like it is giving those players
with tons of gold yet another reward, however, that is simply not the
case. The gold sink is designed to entice these overly wealthy players
to spend large portions of their gold and remove it totally from the
economy. Less gold in the hands of these players means that they are
less willing to spend tons of money on other items such as herbs or
potions, thus prices fall, evening the playing field all around. This
is exactly what the Black Market Auction House is designed to do. So
give the Black Market Auction House a chance, you may find that gold
sinks are the horrors you thought they were.

Black Market Auction House Vs.
Real Money Auction House

While it is obvious that the
Black Market Auction House is a gold sink through and through, after
the launch of the Real Money Auction House in Diablo III, players are
wondering if this is the next step in line for World of Warcraft. The
answer thus far is no. All the information we have points to the fact
that purchases made on the Black Market Auction House will be for in
game currency and nothing more.

Will this change in the future?
It is hard to say anything with certainty when it comes to Blizzard,
however, I feel the answer is likely no. A Real Money Auction House on
top of a subscription fee seems like to much of a burden for WoW,
unlike the free to play Diablo III. I find it likely that introducing a
similar Auction House into World of Warcraft will cause an uproar in
the player base that would kill huge amount of brand loyalty. Many
players still resent the introduction of the Blizzard Pet Store which
offers up virtual pets and mounts for real cash. However, if WoW ever
goes free-to-play (which is unlikely to be anytime in the near future),
all bets are off as a Real Money Auction House will become an appealing
way for the company to make some extra cash.

How do you feel about the Black
Market Auction House? Will you be spending any of your hard earned gold
there? Do you think Blizzard will eventually use the Black Market
Auction House to sell items for real world money? Share your thoughts
with us in the comments section below!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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