Herbalism or Skinning for leveling?

[GratedWasabi]

Hey guys.

So, I've decided to level a new toon on a new server with absolutely no help. Ie.. no BoAs, no gold, no items, etc. Have to earn it all from scratch.

My question is this.. I'm taking Mining so when I hit 85 I have some of the materials for Engineering (plan on banking what I need to power level engineering then switch one of my professions to it at 85) but I can't decide whether to take Herbalism or Skinning as my second profession for leveling. Just looking for whichever is more profitable for me to help with buying glyphs/bags/mount skills/etc.

Are they pretty much a wash for profit or is one significantly more valuable then the other?

[Deleted]

Herbalism.

Picking up herbs gives quite nice xp. Skinning doesn't.

[Deleted]

Go skinning, is fastah lvling only thing ya gotta do is kill beasty mobs

[GratedWasabi]

Herbalism.

Picking up herbs gives quite nice xp. Skinning doesn't.

Ooh, I didn't think about this. Quite true.

[inferno138]

Skinning, you don't have to go out of your way to find them.

[DarthKeller]

The problem with skinning: it only feeds 1 profession (LW), while Herb feeds Alchemy and Inscription. So, if you don't plan to keep this profession (which it sounds like you don't), Herb would give you a 2:1 chance to make money since there are more Alchemists + Inscriptionists than there are LWs.

Yeah, it's a touch more work, but not so bad that it wouldn't make it worth the extra effort

[xxxcoldxxx]

Check your server's price of both herbs and leather. On my server almost all leather is very expensive and would be a better choice because everyone is an herbalist and selling those herbs on the auction house, which drives prices down. And selling herbs, you are dealing with a lot more competition from farmers and bots, than you would with skinning and selling leathers and hides.

Another thing to remember that in Cata zones, you will be able to get extra Volatiles from Skinning (Bloated Sacs), where herbalism is just going to give extra Volatile Life, which although the price is currently up, expect is to start dropping once the new ZA and ZG heroic are released and Dark Moon Faire trinkets are no longer BiS.

[Kagonos]

I would take herbalism. It's still relevant to farm at 85, while skinning at 85 SUCKS. The only decent way to farm a good amount of leather is to wait until TB changes hands back into your faction and everyone's out there killin crocs! True, the leather sells really really well, but it's because it's such a pain. Plus, as mentioned, you get XP from herbing and you don't from skinning!

[Myah]

I leveled from 75 to 80 almost all with gathering herbs in Uldum, as a druid, which allowed me to escape those damn crocs and snakes lol

Not only it gives exp, I think it sells a lot better than leather, at least on my server