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Auction House Basics
How the modern auction house actually works, and the three numbers to check before you list anything.
Two markets under one roof
Since Shadowlands, the auction house has been split into two very different markets. Commodities are stackable goods such as herbs, ore, cloth, reagents, potions and flasks. They trade on a single region-wide market: you don't pick a seller, you buy the cheapest units first and the price climbs as you take more. Items are everything unique: gear, pets, recipes, transmog, mounts, and they're still listed one auction at a time on your realm group.
That split changes everything about how you make gold. Commodities are a volume game with thin margins and thousands of competitors. Items are a knowledge game where one well-placed listing can pay for a week of play.
The three numbers to check first
- Current lowest price — what you would have to beat right now.
- Typical price over the last week or two — tells you whether today's price is a dip, a spike or normal.
- How many actually sell — a 50,000-gold item that sells once a month is worth far less than a 5,000-gold item that sells ten times a day.
Addons and the official mobile app can show the first number. For the other two you need history, which is why almost every serious gold-maker runs a pricing addon (see our addon guide).
Deposits and the cut
Listing an item costs a deposit, which you lose if it doesn't sell and get back if it does. When it sells, the auction house keeps a 5% cut. Commodity deposits are small, but item deposits on expensive gear can add up when you keep relisting. Before undercutting someone by a single copper for the fifth time, ask yourself whether that item really moves.
Undercutting without starting a war
The classic mistake is undercutting by a large amount and dragging the whole market down. If an item sells steadily, undercut by the smallest amount that puts you first in line. If it's flooded, wait. Prices recover when the cheap listings are bought out, often within a day, especially around weekly resets and raid nights.