Most people log into Path of Exile 2 dreaming about a flashy unique, but the steady profit is usually in boring-looking bases. I learned that the hard way, then started checking every amulet instead of autopiloting to the vendor. One recent drop was an item level 48 Gold Amulet (a Plague Gorget), and it looked unremarkable until I saw +44 Spirit and +2 to Level of all Melee Skills. That pair alone can make a base feel like it belongs in a different tier, the same way you'll spot value when browsing PoE 2 Items and realise the "plain" stuff is often the real prize.

Why This Base Isn't "Low Level" in Practice

Here's what newer traders miss: item level doesn't always tell the whole story once the right mods show up together. Spirit matters, skill levels matter, and they stack with almost any melee plan you're cooking. Then the attributes kick the door in. Loads of melee setups still get choked by gem requirements, and you can feel it most on hybrid classes. If you've built a Druid, you know the pain: you're strong on paper, but you're constantly short on Intelligence or Dexterity for supports. An amulet that drops with big Int and Dex rolls—think 90+ on each—frees up your whole tree and gear plan. Even before finishing touches, that kind of base can sit around the 4 to 5 Divine range just because it solves problems people hate solving.

Step 1: Add a Prefix Without Bricking It

When the base is already worth real currency, you can't craft like you're throwing darts. I like a controlled approach: use a Gnawed Collarbone, but keep an Omen of Abyssal Echoes in your inventory as insurance. It changes the vibe completely, because you're not stuck praying the reveal isn't trash. The first time I tried it, the mod came up as a tiny 4% increased maximum life. That's the kind of roll that makes your stomach drop. With the Omen, I rerolled the choices and landed a flat +62 to Maximum Life instead. Not perfect, but solid for item level 48, and it's the sort of stat melee buyers actually feel in maps.

Step 2: The Slam and the Reality Check

After that, the scary bit is filling the last open prefix with a Greater Exalted Orb. Everyone says "hit physical or it's dead," and sure, that'd be the dream. But you don't sell dreams, you sell workable upgrades. I hit +174 Accuracy Rating, which sounds boring until you remember what +2 melee levels does: it pushes damage high enough that missing becomes the real DPS loss. Accuracy keeps the build honest, and plenty of buyers know that. Pricing is the other trap. Trade sites are full of listings at 18 Divines that just sit there forever. If you want the quick sale, you price like a person who actually wants to move the item, the same way I did when I listed it at 6 Divines and it disappeared fast after I pointed a buyer toward acheter item poe 2 for comparison shopping.