Skinning

This is by far the most convenient gathering profession as it does not require you to go out of your way to make it work. If you farm beasts you can skin them for increased profit. Simple as that. Skinning works great as an additional source of pocket money during leveling and it retains its status of the top gold-making profession in the end-game as well. One of the main advantages of Skinning is the fact that it makes you money right from the get-go (even Light Leather sells rather nicely). Moreover, this profession turns otherwise mediocre farming locations into very good ones by increasing every defeated Beast mob's value (you can look at it like that: When you have Skinning, almost every Beast you defeat drops an additional Item - a Leather or a Hide). 

Here are some Skinning locations that are definitely worth checking, some of them even during leveling: 

• Whelgar's Excavation Site in Wetlands - League of Explorers was running excavations in this area until they encountered a slight raptor problem... This little site is teeming with skinnable beasts that are a great source of Medium Leather.  Mobs in this area are packed closely together and they have rather decent loot tables, even if you don't have skinning. We recommend you to have at least level 25 if you want to farm in this spot effectively. Whelgar's Excavation Site is located HERE. 
• Western Swamp of Sorrows - Despite being a great letdown for private server players (Swamp Jaguars turned out to be much less profitable than privs lead us to believe), western parts of the Swamp are still a great source of a quite rare Heavy Leather. If you have skinning, this place is still worth checking out if you need the leather, just don't expect to get reach in an instant. Swamp Jaguars can be found in this general AREA.  We recommend you to have at least level 35 if you want to farm in this spot effectively.
• Felwood - This is one of the places that are turned from less than optimal into quite profitable thanks to Skinning. Skinnable beasts can be found in the entire zone, and they all have a decent chance to drop the valuable Rugged Leather or less sought-after, but still sellable Thick Leather. Felwood has multiple farming spots, many of them focused around humanoids and Cloths (more on that later), but for skinning, you want to focus on Bears, and they can be found HERE (the blue-marked area).  We recommend you to have at least level 52 if you want to farm in this spot effectively. 
• Eastern Plaguelands - The favorite zone of all Warcraft III fans offers some of the best Rugged Leather farming locations (Monstrous Plaguebats that can be encountered in northern parts of the zone have around 80% chance to drop one when they are skinned). If you want to make a good profit with skinning and you are at least level 56, this is the place for you. Plaguebats (Blue) and Monstrous Plaguebats (Green) can be found HERE. 

Summary - If you are looking for a convenient way of boosting your Gold/Hour gains during farming, there is no better option than Skinning. It offers a profit increase right from the start and allows you to make a lot of WoW Classic Gold. If you have the time and the best spots aren't taken, of course. 

Score: 
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Fishing

As the most relaxing-to-use (or the most boring, depending on how you look at it) profession by far, Fishing allows players to make some easy WoW Classic Gold without the need for gear, level (in most cases), or active farming. This is why many players like to retreat to their favorite fishing spot and just click on the cork from time to time.

The best thing about Fishing in Classic is the fact that many sought-after crafting reagents come exclusively from the seas and rivers of Azeroth. Here are some of the most profitable fish, together with the places where you cand catch them: 

• Raw Nightfin Snapper - Used in Cooking as the main ingredient for the well-known Nightfin Soup. This fish can be caught only during the Server's nighttime in Moonglade, Un'Goro Crater, Felwood, Feralas, Western Plaguelands, Azshara, Winterspring, Eastern Plaguelands, and other High-level zones, including Raids and Dungeons that feature pools of water. The fact that this fish inhabits only high-level zones means that catching it at low levels might be quite tricky (Druids have it easier thanks to their Teleport: Moonglade). 
• Stonescale Eel  - Alchemy Ingredient used to craft Stoneskin Oil that is, in turn, required for various high-end Alchemy Recipes. Stonescale Eel Swarms can be found along the Western coast of the Stranglethorn Vale and on the northern part of the coast of Tanaris. This fish can also be found in the Bay of Storms, in eastern Azshara, and on the central part of the Feralas's coast. 
• Deviate Fish - The favorite food of all twinks. This fish is used in the Savory Deviate Delight Recipe and can turn you into a Ninja or a Pirate (at random) when eaten after cooking or provide you with a random buff/debuff when eaten raw.  It can only be caught in The Barrens: underground, inside Wailing Caverns and in small pools of water on the surface. The fact that The Barrens is the Horde territory results in Deviate Fish's price disparity between WoW's two factions; it is more lucrative to farm this fish when you are on the Alliance side. 
• Oily Blackmouth - The main ingredient of Blackmouth Oil, that is required for some of the most popular potions and elixirs (including Free Action Potion and Sweem Speed Potion). Schools of this fish can be found on the coasts of multiple low-level zones: The Barrens, Loch Modan, Darkshore, Silverpine Forest, and Westfall. On top of that, Oily Blackmouth inhabits high-level zones, such as Western Plaguelands, Azshara, Felwood, and Feralas. 

Score:
 Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Herbalism

The art of picking up plants and the favorite profession of all druids... Jokes aside, Herbalism is one of the most lucrative professions, if you know where to find the most expensive Herbs and can play outside server's prime times (fewer players = more Herbs for you, obviously). Like Skinning, Herbalism is profitable right from the start but, unlike Skinning, it requires you to go out of your way if you want to skill it up during leveling (which makes it much less convenient). Also, some of you might consider Mining to be as good, but it is not. Here is why: Herbs are used for crafting consumables that are, well... consumed in large quantities, which means that they are in constant demand, unlike Armors created with metal bars. This is why we recommend Herbalism over Mining 9 times out of 10 (the 10th time happens when you want to skill up Blacksmithing or Engineering). 

Some of the most worthwhile Herbs include: 

• Gromsblood - A mid-level Herb required for crafting, among others, Mighty Rage Potion, Flask of the Titans, and Elixir of Giants. It can be commonly found in Felwood, but it also grows in Blasted Lands, Ashenvale, and Desolace. You'll need at least 240 Herbalism to pick it up. 
• Dreamfoil - One of the most sought-after Alchemy ingredients, required for as many as 14 different recipes (including Flask of Distilled Wisdom, Flask of Supreme Power, Greater Fire Protection Potion, Greater Nature Protection Potion, Greater Shadow Protection Potion, and Major Mana Potion). This plant can be found all over Azshara (which is the best farming spot), but also in Eastern Plaguelands, Western Plaguelands, Un'Goro Crater, Burning Steppes, Silithus, and Felwood. You'll need at least 270 Herbalism to pick it up. 
• Mountain Silversage - Another common alchemy ingredient used in recipes, like Flask of Supreme Power, Elixir of Mongoose, and Major Healing Potion. It can be commonly found in Winterspring, Eastern Plaguelands, Azshara, and other zones, including Western Plaguelands, Burning Steppes, Silithus, and Un'Goro Crater. You'll need at least 280 Herbalism to pick it up. 
• Black Lotus - The most expensive and the most important end-game Herb. The demand for it is so high, that spawn-camping it is a common practice. It is used in multiple high-end alchemy recipes, including Flask of Supreme Power, Flask of the Titans, and Flask of Distilled Wisdom. Black Lotus is a rare Herb, and there are just a few spawns of it in Winterspring, Silithus, Burning Steppes, and Eastern Plaguelands. You'll need a maxed out (300) Herbalism to pick it up. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Flipping the Auction House

Our Gold making guide would not be the same without the Flipping section now, would it...?

Use the demand for certain items to your advantage; buy them at a below-average price and then resell them at a profit. This method is quite unique because you don't need level, gear, or high amounts of time to implement it... but you need a hefty initial investment of Gold (you have to buy the stuff you're gonna resell, after all). We will not pretend that Flipping is a miraculous, secret method; many people do it and do it well, and there are addons that can help you with it (we recommend the classic - Auctioneer). If you are new to flipping, there are some important things to remember:

• There is a 5% auction house cut on all sold items; take it into account during your profit calculations. 
• If your auction expires, you don't get your deposit back, and the longer the chosen auction time, the higher the deposit.
• Try to post short auctions, not only because deposits are lower, but also because you will get undercut before your auctions end anyway; this will minimize your costs. 
• Don't rush your auctions; if your assets fall in price, hold them for some time (on a bank alt or even in a mailbox), prices will rise up again most likely (they tend to fluctuate weekly - everything gets a bit more expensive on weekends because of increasing server population). 
• Focus on items that are needed by many players in large quantities; crafting materials, especially ones needed for consumables and popular crafted end-game gear are great choices. You can also search for rare but still in-demand stuff, like recipes - many people will try to sell them quickly, below their actual value - take advantage of that. 
• Think, analyze, and be patient; if you notice that auction house gets flooded with a certain item constantly, you might want to skip that item for the time being; its price will most likely drop, and you'll be getting undercut all the time - not worth it. 
• The price of materials is often lower than the price of a complete Item. If you have appropriate professions, you can make additional WoW Classic Gold by buying mats on the AH, crafting stuff, and then selling it. 

Important Note: Flipping, just like all other methods that require an initial investment, is associated with risk. If you are new to the concept, start with a low investment that you can afford to lose, and that will let you learn - just to be safe. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability *

*Profitability here is shown in relation to the time investment needed - you can spend 30 minutes/day flipping and make ~100 gold in that time if you know what you are doing. Other methods might easily earn you more gold per day, but they will also sink much more of your time. 

Mob Grinding

A method as old as gaming and as simple as playing a Hunter (hehe). The trick is to choose the right spot. You might either go for mobs that have a decent overall loot table, that will provide you with steady but rather average profit. Or you might try to drop some of the rarer but pricy stuff, like gear or crafting recipes. Requirements for this method will vary from spot to spot, but in general, you want to outlevel the zone you farm in by a bit, so that your kill speeds are faster. Also, Mage is the king of mob grinding, but all classes can do it (in some of the spots, at least). Here are some exemplary grinding spots (there are much more in the game, and we encourage you to search for your own - they'll be less crowded): 

Note: You can increase your gold/hour in almost all of the below-mentioned spots by having a gathering profession or two. 

• The Fungal Vale(Center)/The Noxious Glade(West) in Eastern Plaguelands - EPL is teeming with worthwhile grinding spots, but these two deserve a special shout out. Humanoid mobs in these two locations have a chance to drop Recipe: Greater Shadow Protection Potion and both areas feature Rich Thorium Vein, Black Lotus, Plaguebloom, Mountain Silversage spawns, and Chest spawns. During your grinds, you'll also drop some high-level Uncommon Gear and Runecloths. Mobs in these areas are level ~58-60. 
• Jadefire satyrs in North-western Felwood (HERE - marked red) - Felwood is a great source of High-end Leather and Cloth - this spot is all about the latter. Jadefire Satyrs (Tricksters, Betrayers, and Hellcallers) have a 48-49% chance to drop 1-2 Runecloths and an 8% chance to drop a single Felcloth. Moreover, they can drop some high-level uncommon items, health and mana potions, and they will always have some silver coins on them. Their level ranges from 52 to 54, but they are packed quite closely together so we recommend level ~55 for easy grinding. 
• Mageweave Cloth Farming in Feralas - Feralas is full of humanoid mob camps (Ogres, Harpies, hostile Tauren, Gnolls, and even more Ogres), and every single mob in each of the camps has a decent chance to drop a Mageweave Cloth. Ogres in the High Wilderness (level ~45), Gnolls in the Low Wilderness (level ~42), and Harpies that reside in the north-western part of the map (level ~49) are all great sources of income. If Mageweave Cloth prices are high, we recommend you to go on a mob-grinding trip through Feralas, you won't regret it. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Solo Dungeon Grinding

The fact that Dungeons are designed for groups of 5 means that they offer much better loot than solo spots for a similar level. The only problem is, mobs in Dungeons are Elite and defeating a single Elite of an appropriate level is tricky, not to mention a whole dungeon of them. This leaves three options for would-be solo Dungeon grinders:

• You focus on Dungeons for a much lower level range than your current, and speed run them, slaying everything and picking up all worthwhile drops. Class with good AoE and solid Crowd Control would be ideal for this... we told you that Mages have it easier.
• You pick up a Hunter and run Solo Dire Maul Tribute Runs; this requires some practice, skill, and gear, but many people do it and they make a lot of money in the process. 
• You play as a Rogue and you stealth your way through level-appropriate dungeons, picking up all Herbs and Metal Veins, and opening all Chests (which have better loot tables than their open-world counterparts). Druids might also attempt this, but without Sap, Blind, and Vanish it might get tricky, to say the least. 

Dungeons you can run solo will depend on your class and gear. Rogues, Mages, and Hunters have many more possibilities, but other classes can profit from solo dungeon runs too. Here are some examples: 

• Solo Dire Maul North Tribute Runs as a Hunter - to do this, you will need a few things: Lesser Invisibility Potions (to skip mob packs safely), Large Seaforium Charges (to blow up the final doors), Consumables (Health and Mana potions, Provisions, and Bandages). For talents, you should go for a slightly modified MM/SV build - pick up 2/2 Improved Feign Death instead of the 2/5 Improved Aspect of the Hawk. At least pre-Raid bis gear and level 60 is also recommended for this. The run itself is a clever mix of strategy, pathing, understanding game mechanics, managing your pet, and ability usages (describing it in an article would be impossible, we recommend you to check one of the available video guides).
• Solo Black Rock Depths Farm as a Mage - at level 60, with some good gear and a Frost spec, you can do some crazy stuff as a Mage, like defeating groups of over a dozen elite mobs in BRD solo. If you focus on Fire Elementals and Humanoids, you will get a lot of Elemental Fires and Runecloths, and some rare items, like Libram of Constitution. AoE grinding elites, at its base, is very similar to AoE grinding regular mobs, but mistakes get punished more severely (remember to freeze mobs immediately after they try to flee or things will get ugly). We have described the basics of AoE mob grinding and the AoE grinding spec in our Mage Starter Guide. 
• Solo Zul'Farrak Farm as a Mage - this is an easier alternative to soloing BRD as a Mage, but it still offers quite decent profits. Level 60 is still recommended for this, as it will make things much easier. The method itself is based on farming Zombies near the Witch Doctor Zum'rah Boss (you can get to him without killing anything on your path and evade all mobs chasing you by jumping on a ledge on the right part of Bosse's "room"). AoE grind build is recommended for this. You'll do this farm in 4 stages: Firstly, you trigger the event by entering the Bosse's "room" (open the chest for some extra loot). Secondly, you open the graves, starting from the one furthest away (don't open all at once, but rather choose a single "path") - zombies will run towards the boss. Thirdly, you AoE grind all pulled mobs. Fourthly - open already opened graves again for a chance to drop additional items. After completing 4 stages, repeat all of them until there are no more graves left and reset the dungeon. From Zombies, you will get a lot of trash items, Mageweave and Silk Cloths, pocket-money, and some Uncommons. 
• Solo Stealth Runs as a Rogue - as a Rogue, you can pick pretty much any Dungeon and run through it in stealth, picking up every Herb and Ore, and opening all Chests in the process. Dire Maul East is the most profitable place for doing this, thanks to Thorium Vein, Ghost Mushroom, Gromsblood, and Dreamfoil node spawns (Subtlety build with improved stealth is recommended for this, and Mining+Herbalism professions are necessary to make it worthwhile). 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Leveling Aid / Muscle for Hire / Getting paid for doing the Dirty Work

Leveling in WoW Classic can be a chore. Grind takes hours, quests don't give too much experience, and finding a good dungeon group, a leveling partner or even someone who will help you with an Elite quest mob takes a lot of time. No wonder that many players are willing to do almost anything to make the leveling easier or skip a part of it, especially if they are leveling up an alt and they have Gold from their main character. Here is where you and your mighty character come in: 

• If you are level 60, you have decent gear, and you can solo-clear lower-level Dungeons, you can make some additional Gold by boosting low-level players through them. In addition to your fee, you will get a portion (or all, depending on the agreement with the players you boost) of loot. This service is in the highest demand by far, because of the Twink scene - many Twink items drop in dungeons and a Twink has a limited amount of dungeon runs because level-locking is impossible in Classic (buying a dungeon boost ensures that a Twink wins his item). 
• If you like PvP, you can advertise "protection services"... many leveling players get ganked, and some of them will be willing to hire you to protect or save them from the enemy faction. 
• If you are a Tank, you can advertise your tanking services; getting a decent tank is difficult, and some people will be more than willing to pay for a good one. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

END NOTE

Please remember that the in-game economy of WoW Classic is fluid and will change over time (especially after a new Phase is launched). This is why all gold making activities that require an initial investment should be performed with the highest caution to minimize the risks involved. Sometimes it is better to wait for the prices to stabilize before taking any risk-related in-game actions, like investing heavily or posting up a large stock of farmed goods. Moreover, it is worth remembering that certain goods will considerably rise in value after new Raids open (reagents required to craft particular resistance consumables, for example).  

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. If we have missed a method that is worth mentioning, please let us know! Also, we will be happy to receive constructive criticism that will help us improve our future work so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.