Today, I’m going to walk you through a really simple and effective flipping method in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), which can still be profitable even after the Grand Exchange tax update. This method involves buying heavily botted items at a lower price than their typical market value, and then reselling them for a nice profit. It’s a straightforward strategy that can be done daily to generate consistent GP.
Step 1: Understanding the Grand Exchange Tax
Before diving into the method, it’s important to understand the context of the Grand Exchange (GE) tax. Introduced in early 2022, the tax system on the GE was designed to curb item flipping by taxing large trades and creating a more dynamic economy. This means that while flipping is still profitable, it requires a bit more strategy and patience, especially for certain items that were previously easier to flip for large margins.
Luckily, even with the GE tax, there are still opportunities to make money through flipping items or buying RuneScape gold. With a little planning, you can buy and sell items effectively, even if the market prices are fluctuating more than they used to.
Step 2: Choosing the Right Items to Flip
The key to this flipping method is choosing items that are heavily botted—meaning they’re regularly bought and sold in large quantities by both players and bots. The more traded an item is, the easier it is to predict its price movements and flip it for a profit.
Some of the best items for this method include:
Dragon Bones: These are a popular item used for prayer training. Players regularly buy dragon bones in large quantities to train their prayer skill, and they often experience fluctuations in price due to market demand.
Green Dragon Hide: This is another common item used for crafting and making high-end armor. As with dragon bones, there’s always a steady demand, which makes it perfect for flipping.
Air Orbs: Air orbs are used for creating Air Runes, and their price can swing due to demand for runecrafting. They’re also commonly bought and sold by both players and bots.
Chinchompas: These are used for ranging and are popular for both combat training and PvM. Chinchompas can fluctuate in price, and their high trade volume makes them ideal for flipping.
Sharks: As one of the most popular high-level food items in the game, sharks have consistent demand. They’re commonly bought by players for bossing and slayer, making them a staple for any flipping strategy.
Step 3: Timing Your Flips
Timing is a crucial part of this flipping strategy. Since the goal is to buy these heavily botted items at a lower price than their typical market value, you need to know when to strike.
The best time to buy is typically between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM game time (or 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM UTC). This is when player activity is low, and you’ll be more likely to find these items listed at a lower price because bots are the primary market participants during these hours. Players are less active during these times, so there’s less competition to buy up these items.
At this time, you should place your buy orders at around 5 to 7 gold lower than the lowest sell price currently listed. Since the market is quiet and the demand is relatively stable, it’s not uncommon for these items to be listed for cheap as players and bots try to sell them quickly. This allows you to pick them up for a bargain.
Step 4: Reselling for Profit
Once you’ve placed your buy orders, the next step is to wait for them to be filled. This typically happens overnight, and when you wake up, you’ll find that your orders have been completed. Now, it’s time to resell the items for a profit.
The strategy here is simple: you want to resell your items at their regular market value, which can vary depending on the item. Generally, for heavily botted items like dragon bones or green dragon hide, you can expect a margin of anywhere between 25 to 100 GP. These margins remain steady even after the Grand Exchange tax has been applied, especially for items with high demand.
For example, if you buy 100 dragon bones for 3,000 GP each and the lowest sell price is around 3,100 GP, you can make a 100 GP margin per bone, which is a solid profit when selling them in bulk. Even if the tax cuts into your profits a little, you’re still looking at a decent return.
Step 5: Repeat the Process
The beauty of this method is that it’s scalable. You can keep repeating this process every night or as often as you like. Since this strategy works with botted items that have a steady demand, it’s an efficient way to make consistent GP without needing to do much in-game activity. It’s essentially a “set it and forget it” method where you place your buy orders before bed and collect your items when you wake up.
The more capital you have to invest, the higher your potential profits. However, even with smaller amounts of OSRS gold, you can still see steady returns, especially if you target items with high trade volume and a predictable price.
Key Tips for Maximizing Profits
Monitor Market Trends: While this method works well with certain botted items, it’s still important to keep an eye on the market trends for these items. Prices can fluctuate due to various in-game updates, events, or changes in demand, so it’s important to stay up-to-date.
Utilize Multiple Items: Don’t just stick to one item. Mix things up and flip multiple items at once to diversify your investments. If one item’s market dips, others may still be profitable.
Use Item Price Tracking: Consider using an external price tracker or keeping track of prices manually to ensure you’re getting the best deals. This helps you identify which items are currently underpriced and which ones are reaching their peak selling price.
Start Small: If you’re new to flipping, start with small investments and work your way up. This allows you to learn the market dynamics without risking too much capital.
Patience is Key: Sometimes your buy orders won’t get filled immediately, or they might take longer than expected. Don’t get discouraged—flipping takes patience, and the profits will come if you wait for the right opportunities.
Conclusion
This easy flipping method is an excellent way to make consistent profits in Old School RuneScape, even with the added complexity of the Grand Exchange tax. By targeting heavily botted items like dragon bones, green dragon hide, and sharks, and taking advantage of low player activity during the night, you can buy items at a discounted price and resell them for a decent profit. The key to success is patience, timing, and a little market knowledge.