This post was published 9 months 26 days ago which may make it out of date. This does not mean the information is wrong, or useless - it is a warning just in case!

For most ‘normal’ players, the 16 slot backpack, 4 additional bags and 28 bank slots up to 7 extra bank bags is more than they could ever need. Even if they are only using 16 slot bags, that is 264 slots. Those using the biggest 22 slot bags will have 286.

Yet for anyone seriously crafting and AH Whoring, even 286 slots sroon might not be enough. So what can you do about it?

Well there are three possible ways of handling this ‘Item Overload’

• Bank Alts
• Mailbox Bouncing
• Guild Banks

Each has it’s own distinct advantages and disadvantages, and this post will quickly touch on these points, as well as giving a brief explanation of each method – Each one will have its own blog post in the coming week however.

Bank Alts

Bank alts are probably the oldest form of item management. The idea is simple, you simply create a new character and use them for storage – giving you another 44-286 inventory slots.

Advantages

• Cheap
• Easy to manage (with addons)
• Gives you more characters to buy and sell from
• Potential for more professions, depending on their level

Disadvantages

• Sometimes more expensive than small guild banks
• Trouble of having to keep logging in and out of different characters
• Limited in number due to 10 characters per server limit

Mailbox Bouncing

Mailbox Bouncing is where you send items to a different character, but don’t go and pick up the mail. Instead you leave the mail sitting there until you need it. When you do need the mail, you simply return it back to your character.

If you don’t pick up the mail after 30 days, it gets sent back to the sender, who can just return it all over again.

Advantages

• Free to setup
• Very cheap to use

Disadvantages

• Prevents the ‘storage’ character from using their mailbox
• Very hard if not impossible to properly keep track of items

Guild Banks

Guild Banks are the new kids on the block when it comes to Item Overload. Having been out since Novermber of 2008, they provide an easy alternative to having a multitude of bank alts, or the troubles of mailbox bouncing – but at what costs?

Advantages

• Can be cheaper than bank alts, in certain circumstances
• Very easy to maintain and keep track of items
• Shared access across multiple bank alts, less logging in and out required
• Available for viewing via the Armory online – from anywhere

Disadvantages

• Requires more setting up than the other methods
• Can quickly become expensive
• Prevents joining real guilds on crafters/bank alts
• ‘Reveals’ your bank alts names

So there you have it, the advantages and disadvantages to each of the three methods, with a brief explanation of what they each are.

These are the topics I will be really going in to on each post – if you feel I am missing an advantage or disadvantage, or want me to talk about something not mentioned, then please leave a comment!