I don't get why people wouldn't think of skinning as part of a money making scheme.  First off when you kill something a lot of times you can skin it.  Also you can follow higher level groups and skin their kills.  Once you have stacks of leather and scraps what to do with it?  AH?  NO!!!! Mail it of to an alt that's a leathworker and/or tailor.  They then process it.  Sell it yet?  Maybe.  Some of those items will be foder for the enchanter alt.  Send those off to that alt, otherwise sell em off.  What this means is no spending money for mats in the AH.  Yeah you could make a bit more selling the mats... maybe, but you bring several toons up to levels that are useful in their professions.  Don't look at skinning by itself.  It's a gathering profession, and should be used to feed your own toons that have manufacturing profesions.