So, you want to do some trading. Trading is how the right items get to the right people, and is a key part of the co-op nature of RotMG. Trading can be daunting for newcomers and veterans alike. Good trading comes with experience, but great trading comes with care and consideration for your fellow players (read: customers), your own trading goals and your local market. The following are a few things to consider. These are not hard and fast rules, but they can help you to become, not just a better trader, but a more memorable and nice player (read: returning customers!).
Different items have different prices, and if you will trade, it is important to know what you're buying. If you don't know the prices of the items you are selling and buying, you could get both ripped off and ignored.
Note that, while most people will only sell tier 8+, there still is a place for items under that. Either give them away to beginners, or trade within the tiers. The actual tier guide is a very accurate method to trade between items tier 7 and down.
Please note: Many players in Realm of the Mad God follow player-made "price guides" to judge the relative value of different items and potions. Several have came and went over the course of time, and these are by no means absolute. When negotiating a trade with another player, using "that's not what the price guide says" as an argument is not only rude, but is fundamentally flawed. Just as like a real free market, item values fluctuate. And as virtual free market, people are free to value price any item however they want, but they will have to compete with others--and this works both ways, buying and selling.
Price Guides: (out of date)
/trade <player name> offers a trade opportunity to <player name>. You can read more about it on the Trade System page.
In order to complete a trade, both players must have enough room in their inventory to contain the received items.
The loading bar in the “Trade” button is a good thing. Take that moment to check that what you are about to receive is really what you want.
“Griff” does not refer to hippogriff hide armor, if you don't know most of the sayings, you should read the RotMG Slang guide. Snake oil and DEF potions look similar. The more you know about what you are doing, the more prepared you are to react properly when opportunity arises.
Some people spend lifetimes getting this part right. Might as well start now.
Respond to people when they talk to you. If they want to walk out to the lesser populated corners of the Nexus to negotiate, take a few seconds and walk a screen over. If they want to converse via /tell, do likewise. It takes a few more keystrokes, but it's private, easy to see, and doesn't spam up every one else's screen with your business. (A useful hotkey to set is "Begin Tell" under Options>Chat. This allows you to initiate and return /tells quickly, letting you avoid retyping the command over and over while negotiating a trade.)
Everyone wants a good deal, no one wants to be scammed. Think about your offer from their side beforehand and you'll get a lot less people /ignoring you. And also, you shouldn't say that someone is a scammer.
You owe nothing to anyone. Until you click “Trade,” that item is still yours. Don't like the deal? Don't take it. Renegotiate or move on.
The Nexus is the one part of the map where absolutely every player trods upon absolutely every time they play the game. This is where virtually all trading takes place, but it is also a communal space. People chat, play trivia games, beg for free items, build adventure parties, provide services such as training, or good old-fashioned absurdist stand-up routines. The point is: Don't expect everyone there to want to trade. Offering random trade requests to strangers may get you a few takers, but it's annoying to most and angering to others. Spamming junk text will get you /ignored faster than anything. Don't SCREAM unless you're trying to make a point worth SCREAMING about.
This is NOT respecting the Nexus, and WILL get you /ignored by respectable players and will not get you ANY items, but if someone is just giving you something for free, it is, by definition, their castoffs. Their junk. Begging is a way of life being a bad trader, but think long and hard about the image you want to project. Try this experiment: Lock a few players that you see begging. Leave them locked, then look for them a month later. Not playing anymore, are they? In the unlikely event that they are, you can bet that they're still living off the scraps of other players.
Instead of simply asking for stuff, go play for a few minutes, collect as many health/magic potions as you can and offer those for equipment. High leveled players still use these potions, they will be much more inclined to give you items if you show some effort. Be specific if you can: "8 HPots for Tier>X [your class] Gear" sounds much better than "PLSSS GIVE ME STUFF IM NEW".
Many people in the Nexus have a need for a certain item, and will place a priority on getting that item. People also have their own prices for items, so you may have to compromise. If you are looking for a certain item, you may have to settle for less, because the person with that item may want more. However, don't give up on all of your items as junk, give it away. One man's junk is the next man's treasure.
A player can hold 12 items at a time, and 4 of those slots are very limited as to what they can hold. Someone may have something you want, just not on them at a given moment. If you shout an offer and no one responds, give it time. Say it again. Hopefully, if someone does have access to the item, they'll let you know that it's in the vault, but they may not. Be courteous and be patient.
/tell or /trade with you, particularly in a crowded Nexus.This should be covered by the professionalism and negotiation sections, but happens often enough to warrant it's own mention. SAYING “OFFER” IS NOT NEGOTIATION! Unless you are indifferent as to what you get in return, know what you want. If they don't have what you want, know what is of equal value (know your market!), so that they might get what they want, and you get something of equal value that you can still trade for what you do want. Negotiating with the word “offer” puts the trade firmly in their hands, and your only recourse becomes accepting or rejecting what they offer. It's a small advantage, but one you just handed over to the other guy. On the other hand, when someone else says “offer” to you, they've just handed you that advantage. Get it?
Some people may not be patient. Deal with them. Negotiate a good deal or walk away or ignore them. Trading obscenities could attract the notice of bystanders. In the immortal words of Dalton: Be nice, until it's time to not be nice.
This is the next level of trading. Signbuilding is the art of tailoring your text box to be more appealing, and to make you a more memorable vendor.
Consider the following:
It's just that simple.
A few facts to get you started:
Some sample signs
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
llllll SELLING POTS lllllll
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Selling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WWWWWWWWWWWW
Para Xxx#x Para Xxx#x
Pots Xxx,Xxx,Xxx
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Selling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exa Xxx-#x Exa Xxx-#x
Tier Xx,Xx,Xx,Xx
There is a difference when buying and selling items, and signs can help differentiate. Generally, when you're selling, you should put a price next to the item in parenthesis as to show what you would like for the item. You should also have your name at the bottom, so if someone sees your sign and they want to buy that item, instead of trying to get next to you, they can just type /trade "your_name"
Example:
---==Selling==---
Your_Item_(Price)
Second_Item_(Price)
@Your_Name_Here
Although, when buying you should not have a price next to the items. Have an idea of what you want to pay, and if the seller is asking more than you want to pay, don't do it.
---==Buying==---
First_Item
Second_Item
@Your_Name_Here
Common Scams
There are several common scams employed by those pesky noobs to cheat you out of your hard earned goods, but with a little attention, spotting them is no problem.
By DarkDeath
One of the key components to trading is communication with the seller/buyer. If you've got no communication, you've got no trade. Good communication can make both the seller and the buyer happier and can get you or even both of you a better deal!
Make sure you know EXACTLY what you want and for EXACTLY what price your going to sell/buy it for. Make it clear what you are looking for. Be kind. Don't be cruel to someone you are trying to get 'Payment' off. Sometimes you get a ouch, or even a bonus free item(s) if your careful and are communicative. Express what you want and listen carefully to what HE/SHE is saying.
Make sure you see their point of view too. That is one of the most important skill of a trader. Selling an item for 10 times what it is worth may seem good to you, but think of it from the buyer's view. Would you buy something 10 times it's value? No. So make a reasonable price. Same goes for the buyer. When your trying to buy something, you should give a reasonable amount for what your looking for. Over priced items won't be bought and you'll just be waiting in nexus doing nothing and wasting your time.
Make sure you look professional. Use something like the signs shown above. Customize your own sign AFTER you know what your doing. Add your name at the end of your sign, so people know who to trade. Specify what you want carefully. "BUYING WEAPON!"; doesn't work. Specify what you want. "BUYING DEMON BLADE SWORD!" is better. You don't want to buy something you don't want.
Be patient for your customers. As long as you have put a reasonable price on your item, sooner or later, someone will come. Don't spam the page. The 'Copy and Paste' function is useful but don't spam the page. That'll scare away or piss off potential customers. Be friendly and be patient.
Communication, Specify, Price well, Look good, Be Patient, Be friendly.
(It also helps to have a few stars; some people filter 1-10 star players due to the spambots in Nexus. If they can't hear you, you can't trade.)