These rough guidelines will tell you which trade skills are worth your time, what they are
good for and what products will be your top sellers.
6.6.1 Alchemy
Alchemists can make a decent profit. Their products can be used up fast and you can be
certain of a steady demand. The best place to sell is the auction house, but unlike
smithing, you can also make money by occasionally offering your products in a trade
channel. Keep some extras in the bank for trade channel offers. Transmutes are very
good and should be offered as often as possible, but have a very long cool down period.

6.6.2 Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing can generate the most profit in the game through the auction house.
Smiths can create items that sell outstandingly well, but take the most components to
build (thus the most time to create). The key to constructing items is that you should
always level with what you need to craft. If you need iron, get into an iron mine and
grind enemies that give you experience, mine away whenever one respawns.
Weaponsmiths can generally make more per item but require more components.

6.6.3 Engineering
Most engineering components require you to have engineering. Engineers don’t want to
buy stuff from others, they make it themselves. If you intend to make money with a trade
skill, you shouldn’t pick engineering. You can sell EZ-Throw Dynamite, mechanical
squirrels, and components, but that won’t sell for much. Sorry, no soup for you. It’s a
very good choice to increase your own effectiveness in extreme situations: Mainly PvP
and difficult group encounters.
6.6.4 Enchanting
Another profession you won’t be making much money early on. If you intend to take this
up, expect to make nothing until you get beastslaying. If you intend to sell, head to either
Ironforge (Alliance) or Orgrimaar (Horde) and get watch other enchanters, keep track of
the prices and sell for a little less. You will also find group mates and general zone chats
to be important sales channels. Minor beastslaying will be your best seller, no matter
what degree of enchanting you have, so be sure you always have the materials around
for that.
Set up a system where you are getting the components for your enchanting cheaper
than you sell the enchanting for. Always take tailoring with enchanting and make items
closest to 20, 40, and 60 to get the best enchantment materials. Handstiched Linen
Pants are the best for what you need and disenchant into small glimmering shards 10%
of the time, these are used for basic enchantments that people will buy. For the
beastslaying ones, you’ll need to disenchant better items, those in the 30-40 minimum
level requirements, they also require large fangs that you should get from Stranglethorn
Raptors and tigers who drop them 5-6% of the time. Bring along a friend with
leatherworking.
6.6.5 Leatherworking
Leatherworking is a mixed bag as there aren’t nearly as many options for leatherworkers
as there are for other professions. The best way to make money is to set up deals with
enchanters. Whenever you see an enchanter offering to enchant goods, offer to sell
your magical items to him at the vendor price plus 10%. Unlike tailors, you’ll have a
steady stream of money and unlike smiths you won’t have to deal with the insecurities of
the auction house.
You can deal in the auction house, but you will have many competitors, especially if
you’re playing a horde race. It’s very important that you stick to these, unless you need
to make something to up your skills and grind leather whenever possible.