Battle-Stones: Use, Sell or Stockpile?

[Slugggo]

With at least a few more months before the next expansion, I find myself wondering what to do with excess battle-stones. At 576 pets, I've caught all the wild pets and upgraded everything to rares, and find myself sitting on about 35 battle-stones across all the families. My options, as I see it:

1) Upgrade cageable pets to rares and try to sell them on the AH.
2) Sell battle-stones directly to people via trade chat, etc.
3) Refine my collection by upgrading "best of breeds" to rares
4) Save the battle-stones for the next expansion, although who knows if they'll still retain their value, if anything else will replace them, etc

(1) can be tricky, hoping you've upgraded the right pets that people want to buy as rares. (2) can be sort of a hassle, as people are always looking to haggle or outright swindle. I've done (3) for a few pets, but I wonder if I'd be better off saving them for (4).

Any thoughts? What are other people doing with their excess battle-stones? Are there other options?

[Kendrah]

I'm just stock piling now. Using them to stone and upgrade for resell has been almost a dead loss. The only pet I can see that turns a profit is the red proto drakes and that's been a while.

With the new expac coming, I'd imagine there'd be new cageable green pets you could stone and make a much better profit (that is, if you're worried about having more stones then new wild pets.)

[Peanutty]

This old thread is kinda similar to yours, so it'll give you an idea of what others think: http://www.warcraftpets.com/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10124

Currently I'm doing #1, 3, 4. Mostly 4. I like my pile of "blue skittles."

I only do #1 if it's a pet I know I can sell pretty easily (i.e. S/S Gilnean Raven). #3, only if I truly get frustrated with searching for a specific breed, like if the pet has too many breeds.

[Digem]

Best option is to stockpile due the fact we don't know what the next expansion will need.
Stink not to have a stone for some new pet that one really wants in rare form.
Depending on the pet, breed, and server pets sell at all different prices.
Where one makes the most from his pets if he/she isn't looking for max profit is to start new toons on a server or faction.
Selling pets make a new server or faction start a much easier process as I have done this a more than few servers and faction sides.
It is also a nice way to buy/sell pets cheaper on one server or faction side and higher on others.
The difference in pet prices and availability from server to server or faction to faction is amazing.
I would get yourself started on a big or small server depending which one you on at the moment so you are ready for the influx of new pets next expansion.
Usually more available and cheaper on big ones and rarer and higher priced on smaller ones.
Get many more deals if on more servers or faction sides with some money.

[Slugggo]

This old thread is kinda similar to yours, so it'll give you an idea of what others think: http://www.warcraftpets.com/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10124
Currently I'm doing #1, 3, 4. Mostly 4. I like my pile of "blue skittles."

Ah, I totally missed that thread, my bad. I also get a weird kick out of my bag of skittles.

I'm leaning towards stockpiling right now, for a lot of the reasons people mentioned -- I can easily see the new expansion coming out and wanting to upgrade 50+ new pets to rares. At the same time, I'm nervous WoD might have some unannounced item or change that trivializes the current battle-stones, so I don't want to get caught stockpiling for no reason. We'll see!

[Kpb321]

I've primarily been stockpiling them but that is mainly out of laziness as anything else. I've stone all my pets I want to stone and even "upgraded" the breed in some cases. Trying to sell any other than the tradable flawless stones is a pain because you can't list them in the AH. The list of pets I'd consider "good" pets that are useful in pet battles and that need to be stoned is pretty limited IMO and I don't think stoning other pets really adds to much to their value.