Gathering

• Earn gold in World of Warcraft through the use of basic trade skills. Stay away from trade skills that provide finished products as they won't provide the same benefit for the costs as you move up in level. Taking two gathering skills is better for earning gold at lower levels than going with a gathering and crafting skill combination. Gathering raw materials is where the real earnings are, so locate those areas where materials are abundant.
  
  Find areas where animals are located for skinning that also have mining nodes. Examples of areas like these for beginners include Hillsbrad, the Wetlands and the Badlands. When you level up to the mid-to-high 40s you can harvest areas like the Barrens and Durotar. Travel alone when gathering, as group travel will likely have you adventuring more than hunting for materials.
  
  

Becoming a Merchant

• Gathering resources is the easy part to making your fortune. To get the best from your efforts you'll need buyers for the resources you're offering. Sell the skins, ore and herbs you've collected at the auction house to get the best prices. Don't bother to turn the raw ores into bars as they'll sell better in ore form and you can spend the time you would have spent smelting the ore by gathering more to sell.
  
  Rare or useful loot gained in your adventuring can be sold in the auction house as well. Though it takes longer than wandering into the nearest shop, you'll get a much better value for the items you're selling. Exercise patience when it comes to auctioning items as the market is always changing and what may be common one day may be rare the next. Knowing the market and what's desirable is a good first step toward hunting down special items for a top price.
  
  

Add-ons

• For earning gold, add-ons can be your biggest aid. The Gatherer add-on tracks resources on both the world and mini-maps and will show nodes you've been to previously. Using the Gatherer you can filter the types of materials you wish to harvest, the number of nodes displayed as well as distance considerations.
  
  The Auctioneer add-on contains several tools that help you make the best decisions concerning auctioning your goods. It will appraise goods for sale, display current market rates and track your current auctions. The World of Warcraft economy is based on changing market conditions, and the Auctioneer can help you find the best time to sell. Both add-ons are free to download and use and the latest versions can be found through Norganna's AddOns site.