The first thing to do is get GatherMate2, GatherMate2_Data, Routes, and you might as well grab Auctionator in the process. I will tell you why you want Auctionator later in this guide, but for now GatherMate2, its data module and Routes are the first ones you want to have installed and running. You can optionally use Gatherer instead of GatherMate2, but I found I like GatherMate2 better.Whichever you choose to go with, GatherMate2 or Gatherer you want to make sure that the one your using has as up to date data on mining and herbing node locations as possible. I believe Gatherer has a wowhead database to download and import to it, where as GatherMate2 uses its only data archive that is updated rather frequently.
To import GatherMate2's data you just need to go into its configuration options and go to import and tell it to use its data module select which content you want to import, Cataclysm, Wrath of the Lich King, or Burning Crusade. Classic isn't listed but I believe the reason for that is simply that the Cataclysm data includes the old world content as the old world changed with Cataclysm.
Next with Routes you can go to taruowowguides and download his custom routes for cata zones or just manually set up your own routes.
So lets say we are going to start buy flying around and mining and herbing Twilight Highlands. Head out that way and once your there, open up /routes to bring up the Routes configuration tool. You want to look for where it says add on the left and click on that. Now make sure that GatherMate2 is checked off or whichever gathering add-on you are going to be using and go down and click what you want to be tracking, enter a name for Route, and hit the okay by the name, I would recommend checking Twilight Jasmine, Elementium and maybe Pyrite though I think Pyrite is just a rare spawn of Elementium, though you won't find those nodes in Deepholme. If you don't have herbalism or you don't have mining, then just select what you can gather Then you want to hit the create route button.
This creates a rather ugly route for now but we will be improving it in a moment. Go down to the zones list and look for Twilight Highlands and find the route you just created and select it. Now we want to look for where it says cluster, and usually I've been increasing the slide to max lately or might want to set it to something like 80 if you want to make sure that you dont' miss any nodes. Click on cluster. Depending on your computer this might cause a slight hang on your client but it shouldn't take more then a min, your route will now look a bit better then it did before but now we want to optimize it, by going down a bit further and clicking the background optimization button. You can choose the forground one if you want, but this will cause your client to hang and if it hangs to long you will disconnect, but if it works for you should give a slightly better route.
Now that the route is made, you will need to start the fun part, or not so fun part if you hate gathering as much as I do, but turn on some tunes, have something to drink and you don't have to spend that long at it, only do it for a half hour to a hour if you don't want to spend hours at it or maybe you have a half hour to kill before you need to head to raid, gather as much as you can remembering to CC mobs if you can before looting nodes so no one grabs your node if you already see someone at one your going for just keep going.
After You spent enough time gathering its time to head to the nearest auction house to list your goods, and this is where Auctionator will come in handy. Once your at the auction house and have Auctionator installed, talk to the auctioneer and look for the selling tab at the bottom of the screen.
Take one of the herbs or ore from your bags into the little box and it will scan for the current auctions of that item. Now you could just undercut the lowest auction but if the lowest auctions are not stacks of 20, its usually going to be lost profit for you to do so. Why? Well because when people buy crafting mats they do so in one of two ways, but both ways are usually in bulk. If the person scaning is using TradeskillMaster's dealfinder they may have even stacks selected cause they want to prospect or mill and don't really want to buy stacks of 3, but instead want stacks of 5, 10, 15, or 20. Look for a fair number of auctions posted in stacks of 20, now you can either a) undercut them by a silver or just list at the same price and sell your stacks of 20. Your auctions might now sell right off this way, but they will sell and probably within a hour or so. You might concider buying out some of the lower smaller stacks as well and listing those with yours if you can make more stacks of 20 or at least even stacks got for a little more gold.
Hopefully this information was useful to you, please make sure to share this buy clicking one of the share buttons below or leave a comment letting me know what you think.
Thanks and have fun,
