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Even as a chef, I'm often asked if I can make stuff. For almost worthless items I simply "remind" people that getting to Moglification: Cooking 109, isn't cheap, especially when one of the items to do this (Hocho), is at like 2 million gil. The reward is usually always pretty decent. I never specify on worthless, single synths.

As far as multiple synth contracts, such as a stack or two (and sometimes more) of food, people expect to pay and I give them my usual price that's based on the PROFIT MARGIN of the item, and not the item or the cost of the item itself. I think this is the way that synthesis should be charged, as charging a rate based on the actual value of the item isn't really what their paying for.

In many cases people go to crafters to save money and got the ingredients in a way that cut down on costs. If you charge them an outrageous price that costs them more if they just bought the item off of the Auction House, then you circumvent the purpose of the crafter/craftee relationship.

I tend to charge anywhere between 10-50% of the profit margin. Meaning if that cooking synth costs 5,000g in materials and sells for 8,000gil. The I'd typically charge for the synth is 1,500g.

Now, if someone farmed all those materials themselves, rather than buying them off the AH, they get an 8,000g synth for only up to 1500g. I'm happy, their happy, everyone's happy.

For large scale orders of decent profitability, I tend to bring the % down. It also helps if I know the person to give them a discount.

I do synths for people who use the food in my salvage LS for free, though it's rare they bring me any materials, they usually just buy on AH.