> Of course, in a more nuanced understanding of reputations, it would be > appreciated by Everquest players that the skills that got a player to > Grand Wazoo are not transferrable when the nym is sold.
And indeed, it is so appreciated. "Ebayer" is just about the worst epithet someone can be called in the Everquest world. Ebayers are feared and dreaded, because they breed chaos and random unanticipated meaningless instant "death". But the economics are compelling. There are MANY specific items of gear in Everquest that can each take 50+ hours of gameplay to obtain. If I were in a position to spend that same time doing professional work at $100 per hour, the opportunity cost to me of obtaining that item could exceed five grand. Viewed in that light, purchasing a character on eBay that is pre-equipped with, say, four such items for a mere $700 is a downright bargain. Effectively, I'd be paying some fourteen-year-old twenty-nine cents an hour for his ample spare time.
