So you trained up your industrial skill, got that production efficiency to 4 or even 5 and bought a few nice BPOs or BPC for your hard earned isk. Or maybe you’re going into the invention field and picked up some datacores from your agents. Now you’ll have to sell your goods otherwise all your efforts would have been futile. And that’s when the time comes that you have to study the market.
Actually the ‘buying the bpos’ might have been a bit too early. You might want to study the market for a niche you can fill before that time.
So far in EVE I have distinguished a few different type of markets. There are the trade hubs, mission hubs and ‘off markets’. Those aren’t really hubs of any kind, but more for people that happen to be in system, or live near that system.
The hubs tend to have slimmer margins but higher volume. Even the difference between two close by hubs can be significant though. For example Rens and Hek and only a few jumps from each other. Yet Hek tends to have higher prices. Also there are more 0.01 market warriors out in Rens. When you put up ammo there, don’t be surprised to find some one else undercutting you by 0.01 within an hour. Jita is the ultimate 0.01 undercutters paradise, unless you want to do daytrading, I wouldn’t go there, unless you want to sell your goods very fast and dump them there on the market.
Pvp gear tends to shift quickly near low sec areas / hubs. I assume these are pirates or Factional Warfare soldiers picking up the goods, like 220mm cannons, T2 ammo, warp disruptors II, warriors II etc. Of course if you’re really gutsy, you can bring your goods to low sec and sell there for higher profits. Fit your industrial with warp stabbers, or buy a blockade runner, and don’t forget to scout for gatecamps ahead ;).
What this all comes down to, is where do you want to sell your goods ? If you’re making a high volume of products, you might want to settle for lower margins and try to sell your stuff at hubs. If your gear is mission oriented, like T2 shield hardeners, ravens, cruise missile launcher II, or ammo, you can settle for lesser volume, but higher margins at a mission hub.
Or you can find an area that doesn’t have a lot of your particular product and try and sell it there for higher margins, and less volume. Or spread your goods around and make a trip in your industrial or freighter ! It all comes down to a good study of the numbers, especially the screen above, will tell you a lot about prices and the volumes that are being sold in your region.