I spent the last few days browsing the Diablo 3 auction houses up and down, looking through almost all possible categories and crossreferencing them between each other. I haven’t found what I’m looking for though – yet. What I’m looking for is what I call the “golden goose”. I’m not sure yet it’s out there, I don’t know if I’ll be able to find it, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be vital to “cash out” in a volume that actually allows me to call playing a computer game all day work. So what makes an item a golden goose?

I – Availability

To use an item to convert gold into money, you have to be able to get your hands on it. Of course there’re cycles involved. It’s easier to get rid of stuff on the weekends and here in Europe Tuesdays are the worst, if you try to turn a buck. But aside from all that, it has to be possible to dump as much virtual currency into the item as I can create.

II – Demand

It’s not easy to find sure sales. Especially not on the real money auction house. From what I hear, that might be a little different in the US, but here people seem to be holding on to their money a little better. And of course there’s competition. I can’t constantly cash out, if I got people undercutting me like crazy.

III – Good Conversion Rate

Before the auction house went down yesterday I was able to do a few nice flips from gold to real money auction house at a conversion rate somewhere along the lines of two Euro on the hundred thousand. I don’t think those’ll be more than a lucky break in the future. What I’m looking for is something along the lines of fifty Cent to a buck for a hundred k. Taking into account how much gold I can make in an hour that’s around two to four bucks an hour. That’s not a lot, of course. But it’s a start.

I haven’t found it yet, but I might. It might not be a single item, it might not even be a single item category – but it’s what I’m looking for. And I think it’s what everyone trying to make a regular buck from playing Diablo 3 should be looking for. Did you find it yet?