The citizens of Stormreach are facing hard economic times. Signs of trouble are everywhere, with vendors running out of merchandise and panhandlers freely roaming the city streets. In the wake of the attacks from Shavarath on the once beautiful Marketplace tent, the Coin Lords have commissioned a public education project to help citizens with financial hardship.

Vendors, Brokers, and Tavern Keepers

Did you know that nearly 70% of an average adventurer's financial assets consist of armor and weapons? Many adventurers fail to liquidate these assets, and end up short on money when they need it most (and short on storage for new treasures!). It is important to sell your plunder frequently to assist with inventory management and keep coins flowing in your coffers. There are three types of merchants in Stormreach, and knowing the difference between them will help keep your coin purse full. They are:

• General Vendors
• Tavern Keepers
• Pawn Brokers

General vendors sell everyday items, and are happy to repair your damaged equipment at a cost. Tavern Keepers sell food and drink to help quickly restore spell points and hit points while you are inside their Taverns. Recently, Tavern Keepers have learned to repair items as well. General vendors and Tavern Keepers will also purchase almost anything from you, but at a fairly low price.
 
Brokers specialize in the collection and sale of more expensive armor, weapons, clothing, and jewelry. The price they will offer is more than you would receive from a general vendor or tavern keeper. These special brokers can be found in several places around the city of Stormreach:

• For Armor purchases, seek out Second Gauntlet Goods in the House Kundarak, located across from the Teleporter.
• For Weapons, shop at Fair Trades in House Deneith, located in the south east portion of Captain’s Watch.
• In the wake of the Marketplace tent destruction clothing, jewelry, and even some lesser armor and weapon brokers have temporarily set up their shops in the Rusty Nail Tavern. The Rusty Nail is located east of the Auctioneer, down the stairs in Jester’s Haunt.
  

The use of the Haggle skill can be important to pinching extra coppers when you visit vendors. Having a high Haggle skill not only gives you discounts with purchases, but can also help you fetch better prices for things you're trying to sell to the vendors. Remember that Tavern keepers are merchants too! Having a high Charisma increases the effectiveness of your Haggle skill. Just because you don’t have a high charisma doesn’t mean you can’t reap the benefits of the Haggle skill if you've put ranks into it. The greater the Haggle, the greater the savings, and lower the prices from vendors.

• Click carefully! Be sure you’re selling or purchasing the correct item.
• Don’t get in a rush and accidentally click on the “Sell All” button.
• Visit merchants and brokers frequently for fast cash and inventory cleanup.
• Make it a habit to visit the broker immediately before or after embarking on a quest, so you don't forget.
• If you have a Haggle-boosting item, remember to have it equipped before talking with your vendors!
• Sell the gems from your gem bags frequently to make room for more next trip. Use the “Sell Gems” option for general vendors and tavern keepers. They will automatically take the gems from your gem bag and tell you how much you received for your gems!
• Be sure you’re in the “Repair” tab when you mean to repair, and not the “Sell” tab. There’s nothing worse than selling a broken weapon that you meant to fix!
• Keep those valuables locked down with the inventory lock feature. Use it on any item that you’d be upset to lose.
• Pay attention to the borders around the items you inspect. The better the border, the better the item. An item that has a low money value, but a gold or platinum border, is a special or rare item! 

 While visiting vendors is important, there is yet another way you can increase profits from adventuring: the local Auction House, which will be detailed in our next installment of Stormreach Economics!

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