Gold and you.

Gold is the universal medium. The trading standard. You can buy everything with gold (practically) and you will never get enough (ever). Some things to think about before your next purchase.

1) If I don't want it.. will I be able to sell it? some stuff is very easy to find someone to sell it to you (sellbots!) but not so easy selling it back. If it's easy to sell you its less of an issue. But if its hard to sell chances you are stuck with it (and your money is tied up in it until it does) this goes especially for older items like old clan but also inbetween items. For example you have a devout warrior and eventually want to get danny rings (ring of the ancient gods). A good inbetween item would be signet of ravenells (roddy ring) because they are popular and sell easily. On the other hand... a scorched band of glass or Ring of Kings is nearly as nice as the signet (but a fraction if the price) but even if you find someone to sell you one... chances are you won't be able to sell it back.

2) How long will I be wearing it for. Whats your upgrade path? For a new player. shelling out 80mil (each!) for danny rings will be probably the most expensive items for a dev warrior (short of the Justice/Rav plate) If you save a little by little because you can't play all the time your upgrade path might go from ring of dragons to roddy ring to danny rings. But when will you switch? when SHOULD you switch? Consider the next point.

3) How much does it benefit me? are there items that would benefit me in the short term?
Going from a ring of dragons to a roddy ring is probably a 30ish mil cost. but then the roddy to danny ring is another 80. (or 110 total). The question is really when is that upgrade worth it in comparison to everything else? For example you are using sword of the king's crest from lodd. cheap, easy replacable nonmagic slashers. your next upgrade would probably be Justices. Or if you dont have it yet.. a nasr. The crest swords give you 150hp dual wielded. The nasr will probably help farming gold and give 40hp and is also your end goal gear meaning you wont ever have to replace it (though you will still need the justices for the nonmagic only mobs as well as the saves). Depending on how much income you get you might decide its better to skip the roddy ring (and save the effort of reselling it) or if you see one go cheap snag it and turn it for a profit once you get your danny ring. But the alternative upgrade (nasr) is a good investment and the damage output and hp makes it better than upgrading a single ring so that should be the priority.

a) like with real money. think about your purchase. The more it costs the more you should think.
b) if its a good upgrade in the interim and will open you up to being able to run more/better stuff (and get money faster) its a good idea to upgrade bits here and there
c) your money is best spent upgrading your weakest pieces first. Those blackened spurs of the nazgul lord might look great. but the usual pricetag of 50m+ should make it the last thing you buy. not the first. the 1 extra point in second attack will be barely noticable.

Investing, golding, auction.

Auction is a good way to invest in items. Gold doesn't really gain value and for each moment that passes, gold is worth less (people are golding more) On the other hand, items tend to retain a value (especially if it is a good item) or when they go OOG (then the prices for them go up) you can get a substantial amount investing in items just by selling later when someone wants it. For example take Set's ring of power. Auction it tends to go for about 5mil. People are sometimes willing to pay 7m (thats 2/5ths of the price which is .. . 40% if you think about it.) Or even better.. when someone auctions it at 0 value and no one bids you can get it for say.. 3mil. (then you gained 4mil which is 133%) in profits. Thus auction is a good way to invest your money (buy low, sell high). It doesn't really hurt you once you have a financial base thats high enough to support it as well as storages to facilitate the trades. It's the art of investment. Not the art of ripping people off. Ripping people off is telling a newbie the ring is worth 7 when its worth 5. Investing smart is buying the ring for 3, then selling the ring to a buyer who needs it in a hurry and is willing to pay 7 for the immediacy.