Budget Leveling Guide for Tailoring 1-300 - WoW Classic

By RenataKane Updated: 2024/11/16

Budget Leveling Tailoring 1-300 in WoW Classic

Making Bolts of Cloth until they grey out (you'll usually need all of these and more to complete your tasks)

Making the most profitable Bags from an opportunity/vendor cost standpoint

Filling in skill points as necessary with some of the most cost-effective tailored items

EVERYONE needs bagsDreamweave Circletdozens Best Profession to Pair with Budget TailoringWhere to Farm ClothMats Needed For Tailoring 1-300 on a BudgetFarmed

150-180 Linen Cloth

300 Wool Cloth

600 or 800 Silk Cloth (depends on path)

800 Mageweave Cloth

900 to 1080 Runecloth (depends on path)

Farmed from Other Profession

50 Heavy Leather (optional)

70 Rugged Leather (optional)

Vendor Items

75 Coarse Thread

155 Fine Thread

120 Silken Thread

70 or 80 Rune Thread (depends on path)

18 Red Dye

150 Blue Dye (100 optional)

Vendor-Purchased Recipes

Pattern: Red Woolen Bag

Pattern: Azure Silk Cloak

Pattern: Runecloth Bag (optional)

Budget Leveling Tailoring 1-300 in WoW ClassicLeveling Tailoring 1-751-50: Bolt of Linen Cloth - about 90 bolts

Each = 2 Linen Cloth. Opportunity Cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 154%

Needed: 180 Linen Cloth

This is actually more than you will use - you only need 75 - but this recipe is stubborn about giving up its last points. If you're ever in a position where you need to vendor linen, make sure to always combine it into bolts before selling. Feel free to stop any time after making 75.

50-75: Linen Bag - 25 bags

Each = 3 Bolt of Linen Cloth + 3 Coarse Thread. Opportunity Cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 133%.

Needed: 75 Bolt of Linen Cloth, 75 Coarse Thread

These sell very well to beginning players. Price them reasonably and they'll be flying off the shelves.

Learn Journeyman Tailoring Before Tailoring 75Leveling Tailoring 75-15075-107: Bolt of Woolen Cloth - 50 bolts (will need 100 bolts to complete all projects)

Each = 3 Wool Cloth. Opportunity Cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 101%.

Needed: 150 Wool Cloth

Wool is not easy to farm, but make these until the skill goes grey and beyond. You can start skilling through 125 on bags from what you get from this first run.

107-115: Woolen Bag - 12 bags

Each = 3 Bolt of Woolen Cloth, 1 Fine Thread. Opportunity Cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 75%.

Needed: 36 Bolt of Woolen Cloth, 12 Fine Thread

This is the first item where you'll lose some money if you choose to vendor the bags. However, you should be able to sell these at more on the Auction House; just be sure to account for AH fees and deposits when you do.

115-125: Red Woolen Bag, Part 1 - 10 bags

Each = 4 Bolt of Woolen Cloth + 1 Red Dye + 1 Fine Thread. Opportunity cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 127%.

Needed: 40 Bolt of Woolen Cloth, 10 Red Dye, 10 Fine Thread

Pattern: Red Woolen Bag is sold by several vendors, so you can easily acquire a copy. The pattern costs . It's a recipe that the vendor will not always have in stock, so it may take a couple of tries to get it. It's very much worth the effort, since this recipe has one of the higher rates of return, even if you are forced to vendor some of your bags. You will use this again after greying out Bolts of Silk.

125-145: Bolt of Silk Cloth - 40 bolts (will need 150 bolts to complete all projects)

Each = 4 Silk Cloth. Opportunity cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 100%.

Needed: 160 Silk Cloth. (Will need 600 total for 150 Bolt of Silk Cloth to complete all projects)

145-150: Red Woolen Bag, Part 2 - 8 Bags

Needed: 24 Bolt of Woolen Cloth, 8 Red Dye, 8 Fine Thread

Learn Expert Tailoring Before Tailoring 150Leveling Tailoring 150-225150-175 Small Silk Pack - 25 bags (see below for Non-Leather Alternate Path)

Each = 3 Bolt of Silk Cloth , 3 Fine Thread, 2 Heavy Leather. Opportunity cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 90%.

Needed: 75 Bolt of Silk Cloth , 75 Fine Thread, 50 Heavy Leather

This is one of two recipes that breaks the no-farming rule unless you're a Skinner, but in this case, it's likely you'll be able to sell Small Silk Packs on the Auction House for more than the opportunity cost. Be sure to calculate the additional opportunity cost of leather if you're forced to buy it on the Auction House (it only accounts for a total in the original OC calculation). If these are selling well, continue making these for skill and profit.

(Non-Leather Alternate Path Instead of Small Silk Pack)

150-175 Azure Silk Vest (25 vests)

Each = 5 Bolt of Silk Cloth , 4 Blue Dye. Opportunity cost: . Sell to Vendor: . Score: 59%.
Needed: 125 Bolt of Silk Cloth , 100 Blue Dye
If you don't want to deal with acquiring Heavy Leather, you can use this as an alternate route between 150-175. Believe it or not, this is the item that loses the least money and requires no farmed ingredients in this level range. It does use considerably more silk. It's not a great alternative, but it does avoid the leather.

175-185 Bolt of Mageweave - 30 bolts (will need 160 bolts to complete all projects)

Each = 5 Mageweave Cloth. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 100%.

Needed: 150 Mageweave Cloth

185-205 Azure Silk Cloak - 25 Cloaks

Each: 3 Bolt of Silk Cloth + 2 . Sell to vendor: . Score: 107%.

Needed: 75 Bolt of Silk Cloth, 50 Fine Thread, 50 Blue Dye

Pattern: Azure Silk Cloak is sold by two vendors: Brienna Starglow in Feralas and Jun'ha in Arathi Highlands. The recipe costs , but you'll make that up in fewer than 10 crafts, even if you can't sell even one of these on the Auction House for above the opportunity cost.

205-225 Black Mageweave Leggings - 20 Pants

Each = 2 Bolt of Mageweave, 3 Silken Thread. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 121%.

Needed: 40 Bolt of Mageweave, 60 Silken Thread

These "pants" are favorites of those wishing to make certain bold style statements, so these are popular Auction House offerings. Even if you have to vendor them, though, you won't lose more than you would selling the components.

Learn Artisan Tailoring Before Tailoring 225Leveling Tailoring 225-300225-250 Mageweave Bag - 30 Bags

Each = 4 Bolt of Mageweave, 2 Silken Thread. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 42%.

Needed: 120 Bolt of Mageweave, 60 Silken Thread

Mageweave Bag is one of two bags that has a poor vendoring outcome. However, these are in high enough demand that you'll almost always sell for much better than the opportunity cost, you'll do just fine for profit. There are also no other recipes in this level range that will get you through this same bridge which will do much better, so go with what you can easily sell on the Auction House.

250-260 Bolt of Runecloth - 20 Bolts (will need either 225 or 270 bolts to complete all projects)

Each: 5 Runecloth. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 100%

Needed: 80 Runecloth

Bolt of Runecloth has a very short skill-up window. It won't take you many to finish the ten points, even as quickly as it turns green.

260-290 Runecloth Bag - 35 bags (see below for Non-Leather Alternate Path)

Each: 5 Bolt of Runecloth, 2 Rugged Leather, 1 Rune Thread. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 31%.

Needed: 150 Bolt of Runecloth, 70 Rugged Leather, 35 Rune Thread

Pattern: Runecloth Bagis sold for from Qia in Winterspring (limited)

This actually isn't the most cost-effective method, but it's the most lucrative. It uses a lot more Runecloth (you'll use another 40 Runecloth getting to 300 for closing the gap between 290 and 300, for a total of 190 Runecloth), but the Runecloth Bags will sell. Just be sure you can sell them for above the opportunity cost if at all possible. You will never have to vendor them.

The main problem with the Runecloth Bag is that the pattern can be difficult to get. The vendor only sells 1 copy at a time, and the respawn time is between 5 and 90 minutes (estimated). She is perma-camped and getting it can be tricky.

Non-Leather Alternate Path Instead of Runecloth Bag - Same as 290-300

260-290: Runecloth Belt - 30 Belts

Each: 3 Bolt of Runecloth, Rune Thread. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 86%.
Needed: 90 Bolt of Runecloth, 30 Rune Thread
This method doesn't require the Rugged Leather to make, so use this if you can't get Rugged Leather at a good enough price to justify making them for profit (the Rugged Leather counts for in Opportunity Cost).

290-300: Runecloth Belt - Up to 45 Belts

Each: 3 Bolt of Runecloth, Rune Thread. Opportunity cost: . Sell to vendor: . Score: 86%.

Needed: Up to 145 Bolt of Runecloth, 45Rune Thread

It's the last recipe you can get from a trainer; nearly all the recipes after this are rare drops and difficult to obtain.

It remains the highest rate of return for materials of any item after 255.

It is one of only a couple recipes that has no farmed materials (the other recipes are all Mooncloth recipes, which have their own challenges).

Wizardweave LeggingsCindercloth PantsFrostweave PantsRunecloth BeltDream DustEssence of FireEssence of WaterWhy Budget Tailoring Works

Vendor materials

Acquiring other farmed materials

Acquiring recipes

Selling the finished products

Determining Materials Cost in Tailoring

Cost of Vendor Purchased Mats + Opportunity Cost of Farmed/Crafted Materials = Final Cost

Opportunity Cost - Selling Components vs. Making ItemsNever sell an item on the Auction House below the Opportunity Cost.Example 1: creating a Shirt with an inexpensive thread and inexpensive dye.

A Bolt of Linen Cloth sells to a vendor for .

Tailoring vendors sell Coarse Thread for and Bleach for .

A White Linen Shirt that takes 1 Bolt of Linen Cloth, 1 Coarse Thread, and 1 Bleach has an opportunity cost of .

The same White Linen Shirt sells to a vendor for , so the Profit/Loss on a White Linen Shirt is 0.

Result: Break Even. (Better choice: the Brown Linen Shirt has the same skill point spread and doesn't require Bleach!)

Example 2: creating a Shirt with a more-expensive Thread and Dye.

Tailoring vendors sell Fine Thread for , and Green Dye for .

A Green Linen Shirt takes 3 Bolt of Linen Cloth, 1 Fine Thread, and 1 Green Dye, so its opportunity cost is .

The Green Linen Shirt sells to a vendor for

Result: Loss of

First, Auction House prices will fluctuate over time and change dramatically as the servers age. Second, this projects a worst-case scenario: you can't sell your farmed goods or finished products on the AH and are forced to vendor them.Vendor Mat Costs Deconstructed

Bleach:

Blue Dye & Red Dye:

Green Dye:

Gray Dye:

Yellow Dye:

Black Dye & Orange Dye:

Pink Dye & Purple Dye:

BleachBlue DyeRed DyeSeven Rules of the Budget Tailor

Farm, don't buy.
Unless by some miracle you can find cloth or other components on sale for below vendor price, do your own farming.

Avoid recipes that use items you can't farm yourself.
For example, if you aren't an Herbalist (and don't have one in your stable of alts), don't use recipes that need herbs. You'll end up paying a lot more for them on the Auction House. (There are a couple of exceptions to this with two high-profit items where you will need components from Skinning. See if you can work out a deal; it's worth it in this case)

Avoid recipes that use items crafted by other professions.
Profession-created items include Alchemy components such as potions or Ghost Dye and iron Buckles from Blacksmithing. It's highly likely you'd pay far more for these items than the end product is worth. Even in cases where you can make these on other characters or can get a deal from a friend, these are almost always money losers.

Never using dyes higher than Bleach, Blue Dye, and Red Dye.
As it turns out, higher-level dyes are nearly always used in the most expensive (money-losing) recipes.

Never make shirts or other cosmetic items for skill.
They are the #1 money losers of any single category. Out of the 34 cosmetic items, 25 had a rate of return of 50% or less, and 15 rated at 25% or less. Because of the dyes, they are more expensive to make, and they sell for a pittance at vendors. They also don't auction well on less developed servers because they are 100% cosmetic. Players still struggling to pay for skills every two levels aren't spending hard-earned cash on shirts and dresses.

If you're really short on cash, you don't need to learn all the tailoring recipes right away.
Follow this method and you'll only need to pick the 11-12 trainer recipes required to skill up, as well as 2-3 vendor-purchased recipes.

Understand what items generally lose more or less money than others. You can figure this out by adding up the prices of the raw materials, and then determine what they sell for, either to the vendor or to the Auction House. Selling below Vendor Cost is only part of your problem; don't sell below Opportunity Cost.

Biggest Money Losers and Money Makers for TailoringBest performers: Bolts and Bags (normal Bags). Worst performers: Specialty Bags and Shirts.

Bolts: 109%

Bags (except Specialty Bags)*: 80%

Pants: 70%

Helms: 62%

Cloak: 61%

Chest: 60%

Shoulders: 57%

Boots: 48%

Belts: 47%

Gloves: 41%

Specialty Bags - eg. Soul Pouch, Cenarion Herb Bag, Enchanted Mageweave Pouch, Enchanted Runecloth Bag: 37%

Shirts/Cosmetic Items: 35%

Budget Leveling Guide for Tailoring 1-300 - WoW Classic

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