Why Collecting Gold Feels Challenging

Even though OSRS offers countless ways to OSRS gold make money, there are several reasons why collecting gold can feel difficult — especially for newer players.

a. The Grind Factor

OSRS is intentionally designed to reward long-term commitment. Skills take hundreds of hours to train, and gear upgrades can cost tens of millions of GP. That makes every gold piece valuable — but also hard-earned.

b. Market Volatility

The Grand Exchange is a dynamic, player-driven market. Prices fluctuate daily, so profits can vanish if you mistime a sale or invest poorly.

c. RNG (Luck)

Boss drops and loot RNG play a huge role. Two players might spend the same amount of time at Zulrah, but one could hit a rare drop worth 10 million GP while the other walks away with basic loot.

d. High Competition

Popular money-making spots (like the Revenant Caves or resource areas) are often crowded or dangerous. Competing with other players — or avoiding PKers — adds to the challenge.

e. Time Efficiency

Some methods are profitable but require intense focus. High APM (actions per minute) methods like Zulrah or the Gauntlet can be tiring, while passive methods like skilling are slower but OSRS items for sale easier.