Guild Points

When should I start building up guild points? I just hit 59 smithing and want to take it to 100 hopefully, but I can't decide whether to worry about guild points now or when I hit 100

as soon as you can.

Are you going to use the key items now? That's the real question...

I'm unfamiliar with smithing (I'm a cook) but I've only gotten 1 key item for cooking...Raw Fish Handling. I got it in the early 60's, because I wanted the ability to make my own Sushi. However, I noticed after I got it that the price of Sushi was already skewed somewhat towards people HQ'ing it, so with breaks and such I actually lost a little money compared to just buying it off the AH...so I don't use it very much TBH. I will when I get higher and can HQ it more regularly, but for now, meh...

So, like I said...if you're actually going to use the key items, then go for it. Otherwise, wait as long as you can, so that you'll be higher level and be able to turn in HQ items for more points and save yourself some gil.

Honestly, if you're planning to take a craft to 100, it's better to start accumulating GP as soon as possible. Especially with a craft like smithing, some days you're going to get absolutely boned on an item (In the sense that the item will cost a rediculous amount of gil to make). Usually when I'm acquiring GP, I'll stop around the 40's since by that point you can get some really decent items that don't cost a great deal to make.
This does differ for certain crafts like fishing and cooking however. (Cooking's items for GP can be a real pain in the *** later on, but great GP if you're willing to farm the materials ^^).

I hope my ramblings helped in some way :)

Yesterday.

As soon as you hit level 28...

Assuming you don't want any key item and want to be an accomplished crafter by taking smithing to 100+3, you will want mitts (70,000), apron (100,000), anvil (150,000), and signboard (200,000), totaling 520,000 guild points. On average, you get about 5000 points per real life day, making it 3.5 months to get them all if you deligently turn in items everyday even when they cost an arm and a leg.

On a side note, if you assume the average gil/GP ratio is 4/1, that's 2M for +3 skills or 1.2M if you don't want the signboard. Not too shabby.

im in the same boat, im already 81 alchemy but i dont want to spend money yet on GP because i want to spend it on leveling up further :s

If it's your main craft, if you're getting subcraft items you'll have to switch guild so cap off your items on your main craft first and get your sub item at 60.

well if i were you ... id just get guild point items when they are not crazy priced like if it cost 60k to get 5k gp .. id skip that day and such. But slowly you will get them all when u can afford making it i personal farm most of my mat's if i can, and getting ur sub crafts up so you can actually make your gp item is important also or you may end up paying twice the price for it.