Trade skills are really optionals. Only a handful of players ever become really successful in any given tradeskill. I myself can name only five tailors off the top of my head, including me.

I think the most profitable trade is herbs hands down. If you know where the stuff is and can waste your life harvesting a while then your set.

I trade three sugar for each ball of mercury. Sugar is not meant for selling. Sugar is my tool to monopolize quicksilver (and in turn, rip those customers off). If you're buying my sugar, you're depriving me of my scam tool.

I'm not so sure about that. I used to be Herbalist, granted I wasn't Trans though.

Sure, Herbs has it's nice battle effects. 20 puffs to a pipe. Better herb balance at trans.

I harvested a bunch, but given shop rates of only selling most plants at ...100 gold per 10? Unless you're talking the big things. Sparkleberry, for instance. But that's on astral amid all the beasties, and decaying away amidst the demesne's if they're always there.
(I was Mugwump too, so no balance stuff...may have influenced the speed a bit. And harvesting completely manual. Oh, the boredom.)

Just an opinion, I guess.

Well lets just say I have a novice that makes more gold than my main char can hunting you just gotta harvest the right things in bulk and have people to buy them.

LOOK OUT!! Im an alchemist now so you've got competition for a fair trade market

Plus I need 10 mercury for my stone.