Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a game with a wealth of activities, quests, and skills to explore, and one of the most satisfying parts of the game is accumulating wealth. Whether you’re looking to buy gear, level up your skills, or just enjoy the thrill of earning gold in Gielinor, understanding how to make OSRS gold is an essential part of the experience. For beginners, however, making money can seem overwhelming, especially with so many options available. But don’t worry! In this guide, we will walk you through some of the most effective and beginner-friendly methods of money making in OSRS, so you can start accumulating wealth and getting ahead.
Understanding OSRS Economy and Money Making
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to understand that OSRS has a player-driven economy. This means that the prices of items fluctuate based on supply and demand. What makes money-making in OSRS unique is that there are multiple viable methods to earn gold, ranging from skill-based activities to combat, and each offers something different. Beginners should aim to find activities that are low-risk, easy to learn, and provide consistent rewards. As you progress in the game and unlock new areas, more lucrative methods will become available.
1. Killing Chickens (Level 1 Combat)
If you’re a complete beginner with no real combat experience, killing chickens is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to start making money. Chickens can be found near Lumbridge, and they are incredibly weak, making them an ideal target for any player.
Why It’s Profitable:
Feathers and Raw Chicken: Chickens drop raw chicken (which can be cooked) and feathers, both of which can be sold on the Grand Exchange (GE).
Feathers are especially useful for players training fletching, but they also sell for a decent price to other players.
How to Do It:
Equip yourself with basic melee gear (if you’re training combat) and a bronze or iron scimitar.
Go to the chicken pen near Lumbridge and start attacking the chickens.
Collect the raw chicken and feathers they drop.
Sell the feathers on the Grand Exchange. If you cook the chicken, you can also sell it for a small profit.
This is a simple and effective method for making your first few thousand gold. While it won’t make you rich quickly, it’s an excellent starting point.
2. Mining Copper and Tin Ore (Level 1 Mining)
Mining is one of the first skills that you can level up in OSRS, and it’s also one of the easiest ways to make money at lower levels. By mining copper and tin ores, you can gather resources that are valuable to players training their Smithing skill.
Why It’s Profitable:
Copper and tin ores are used to make bronze and iron bars, which are essential for higher Smithing levels.
Mining these ores is an easy, repetitive task that requires no prior experience and can be done while gaining Mining experience.
How to Do It:
Head to Varrock’s south-east mining site or the Lumbridge Swamp, where you can find a variety of copper and tin rocks.
Use your pickaxe to mine the ores.
Once you have a decent amount of ores, head to the Grand Exchange and sell them.
You can also smelt the ores into bars if you have the Smithing skill, then sell the bars for a higher price.
Mining copper and tin is an excellent method for beginners to earn gold without requiring too much effort. You’ll gain Mining experience while collecting materials that are always in demand.
3. Fishing Shrimp and Anchovies (Level 1 Fishing)
Fishing is another useful skill for beginners to earn money in OSRS. At level 1 Fishing, you can start catching shrimp and anchovies by using a small net.
Why It’s Profitable:
Shrimp and anchovies are useful for cooking, which is a popular skill, and they can be sold in bulk on the Grand Exchange.
They’re easy to catch, and you can gain Fishing experience while making money.
Anchovy pizza, made from anchovies, is a highly sought-after food item for PvP and PvM activities.
How to Do It:
Start by heading to Lumbridge Swamp to fish for shrimp and anchovies.
Equip a small fishing net and start catching these fish.
Once you have a decent number of fish, sell them on the Grand Exchange or cook them if you want to maximize their value.
Fishing for shrimp and anchovies is one of the most straightforward ways to make money early on, especially since you can train Fishing while making gold.
4. Woodcutting (Level 1 Woodcutting)
Woodcutting is a great money-making method for beginners, and logs are in constant demand for players training Firemaking, Fletching, and Construction.
Why It’s Profitable:
Logs, such as regular logs, oak logs, and willow logs, sell for a decent amount on the Grand Exchange.
You don’t need expensive gear to get started, and woodcutting can be done anywhere, making it a flexible money-making option.
How to Do It:
Head to the Varrock south-east or Draynor Village to chop regular logs from the nearby trees.
As you level up Woodcutting, you can start chopping higher-level trees like oaks and willows for more profitable logs.
Sell the logs on the Grand Exchange.
Woodcutting is a method that will allow you to make money while leveling up Woodcutting and gaining useful resources for future crafting.
5. Crafting Leather Items (Level 1 Crafting)
Crafting is an excellent money-making skill once you’ve hit level 1, especially if you take advantage of cowhide and leather. You can tan the cowhides into leather and then craft items such as hard leather bodies or gloves, which are in high demand for various levels of combat.
Why It’s Profitable:
Leather items, especially hard leather bodies, are often required by players training Combat or Crafting.
Cowhide can be bought for a low price, and turning it into crafted leather items yields a profit.
How to Do It:
Kill cows in Lumbridge or the Fremennik Province to collect cowhides.
Use the tanning vat in Al Kharid to turn cowhides into leather.
Craft the leather into hard leather bodies, which can then be sold for a profit.
This is a great way to use Crafting as a money-making method that also provides a steady stream of gold.
6. Slayer Tasks (Level 10 Slayer)
Once you’ve reached level 10 Slayer, you can start participating in Slayer tasks. These tasks involve killing specific monsters, and they’re an excellent source of income for beginners looking to level up their Slayer skill while also earning money from drops.
Why It’s Profitable:
Slayer monsters drop valuable items such as herbs, runes, and coins that can be sold on the Grand Exchange.
You’ll gain both Slayer and Combat experience, which will help you progress in the game.
How to Do It:
Visit a Slayer Master to get assigned tasks.
Equip yourself with basic combat gear and start slaying the assigned monsters.
Collect the drops from these monsters and sell the valuable items on the Grand Exchange.
Slayer is a slightly more advanced method, but it’s an excellent way to gain gold while training two important skills at the same time.
7. Flipping Items on the Grand Exchange
Flipping is the practice of buying items at a low price and selling them at a higher price. It requires a keen understanding of the market and some starting capital, but it can be highly profitable once you learn the ropes in buy RuneScape gold.
Why It’s Profitable:
The Grand Exchange is full of items with fluctuating prices, creating opportunities to buy low and sell high.
It can be done with minimal effort and can generate consistent profits if done correctly.
How to Do It:
Start by identifying items that have high buy/sell volumes, such as ores, logs, herbs, and runes.
Monitor their prices and purchase them when they are priced lower than usual.
Sell the items at the usual market price or higher.
Flipping is a great way to make money for beginners who don’t want to spend too much time grinding but have some starting capital.
Conclusion
There are countless ways to make money in OSRS, and for beginners, it’s important to find methods that fit your playstyle and time availability. Starting with simple activities like killing chickens, mining ores, or fishing shrimp will help you build the foundation for more profitable endeavors. As you gain experience, you can transition to higher-level methods like Slayer, Crafting, and Flipping, ultimately leading to greater wealth and more exciting opportunities in the game.
Keep in mind that OSRS is all about enjoying the journey, so take your time, experiment with different money-making strategies, and, most importantly, have fun as you work your way toward getting rich in Gielinor!