Your post made me realize that maybe I am approaching it wrong. If I farm ilvl 28 greens, sure, this will take significantly longer than if I do TBC instances. But in return I get enough gear for multiple characters. And if I just keep farming from time to time, I can keep rolling different characters. (Plus the gear will have mastery, etc.)
I will think about it. I guess I can still do TBC instances first, but farming greens is definitely very appealing.
Out of curiosity, what spec have you been farming on?
Yeah, after one starts building up a bank of ilvl 28 greens and +7 relics, it makes the gearing choices easier. My next account I'll be gearing 4-5 new classes/specs with mostly ilvl 28 greens. However, I'm planning on making two amazingly annoying steady talasite toons, so will need full on TBC sockets.
For me on farming, I was ill prepared and had no plans for this long ass ilvl 28 green farm. I thought get TBC socket gear and I'd be done like the old days. I've been horde last couple expansions, but decided to fire up my old alliance toons. So ended up leveling my highest toon, a frost DK, to 50. Bought SL level 50 greens off auction house and all set to farm. Then had a leftover level 21 shaman on other account to use as the level 24 looter. I solo farm with those two and the frost DK plows through mobs fast. Sometimes I have to wait a few seconds on my paths as the spawns aren't spawning fast enough.
I've partied some with other farmers, but it feels slow. Due to my level 50 blows stuff up too fast, so if we have two parties going, have to round up mobs to gather in one spot to destroy. But then I use my level 24 shaman to do the round-up, but it's a terrible class without a spammable spell like ice lance. Using flame shock once due to cooldown, then have to use like frost shock but then frost shock slows mob movement.
If I had the time now, I'd have 3 accounts. Make a level 24 aoer, a level 24 round-up (frost mage with ice lance likely), and a third level 24 for more loot chances. Or the level 50 frost dk (or boomkin or arcane mage or whatever that wipes mobs fast) and two level 24's.
After 5 weeks of farming though, I'm sick of it LOL. Doing it over, I'd look into increasing one's chances at generating item drops for time spent. As one level 24 looter is too dang slow.