How do you buy and sell magic items?

[Storm Raven]

Does you game world have a modern, monetary, free-market economy? Is someone enforcing the Rule of Law strongly enough that you can offer up 50,000 gold pieces for a +5 sword and expect the trade to go through? Or do you have to enforce the contract yourself (as on a black market)?

This is an argument for the rise of an organization like Sotheby's. In point of fact, in any game world in which magic was anywhere near as common as the "standard" version of D&D, it would seem to make too much sense for such an entity to exist that it should be almost inevitable. Buyers and sellers looking for assurances that their transaction will be above board would turn to such a guarantor to broker the deal, paying a fee to the auction house that covers the costs of making such assurances. The fantasy "Sotheby's" would have an incentive to make sure each transaction it was involved in was kosher, since losing their reputation would ruin their business.

I wouldn't expect to see "magic shops" in which the proprietor had a bunch of inventory items on hand for sale that he owns. I would expect that one would more likely see a "high cost auction house" that would deal in expensive items (magical and nonmagical) where they offer a venue for others to market those items they want to sell, taking a commission on the sale (just like auction houses in the real world).

 

[CalicoDave]

If the PC has the cash they can buy anything out of the DMG. This would be limited by the size of the town or city (as described in the DMG), but if they want something and it's within the price range of the town or city, then the PC's can just buy it.

 

[mmadsen]

This is an argument for the rise of an organization like Sotheby's.

An interesting suggestion. A little history:

On March 11, 1744, Samuel Baker, founder of Sotheby's, held the first-ever sale under his own name. The library of a certain Rt. Hon. Sir John Stanley, Bart. described as "containing several Hundred scarce and valuable books in all branches of Polite Literature" sold for a few hundred pounds. Well over two centuries later, on December 6, 1983, Sotheby's sold a single book, The Gospels of Henry the Lion, for more than 8 million pounds.​

 

[Quasqueton]

How do you purchase a heavy crossbow? Cost: 50gp
[a potion of cure light wounds costs 50gp]

How do you purchase a good lock? Cost: 80gp

How do you purchase a composite longbow? Cost: 100gp
[a potion of mage armor and shield of faith +2 costs 100gp total]

How do you purchase a suit of breastplate armor? Cost: 200gp

How do you purchase a heavy warhorse? Cost: 400gp
[a potion of invisibility costs 300gp]

How do you purchase a spyglass? Cost: 1,000gp
[a cloak of resistance +1 costs 1,000gp]

How do you purchase a suit of full plate armor? Cost: 1,500gp
[a suit of +1 chain mail costs 1,300gp]

How do you purchase a sailing ship? Cost: 10,000gp
[a +2 greatsword costs 8,350gp]

Quasqueton

 

[Jupp]

How do you purchase a heavy crossbow? Cost: 50gp
[a potion of cure light wounds costs 50gp]

How do you purchase a good lock? Cost: 80gp

How do you purchase a composite longbow? Cost: 100gp
[a potion of mage armor and shield of faith +2 costs 100gp total]

...snipped

Quasqueton

I think your logic uses Hide in Plain Sight and I just missed my Search check.....

 

[MerakSpielman]

He's saying "Why can you buy mundane items worth X amount, but not magical items worth the same amount or more."

Or, "some mundane items are more powerful than some magic items, yet they are available readily and the magic items are not... why not?"

 

[Arnwyn]

Ease of creation - none of the mundane items utilize XP (and require specific feats).

Regardless of what the DMG assumes 1 XP is worth (5 gp), people can have a very different idea of what the value of XP is for them.

 

[mmadsen]

Interesting questions, Quasqueton.

How do you purchase a heavy crossbow? Cost: 50gp
[a potion of cure light wounds costs 50gp]

How do you purchase a good lock? Cost: 80gp

How do you purchase a composite longbow? Cost: 100gp
[a potion of mage armor and shield of faith +2 costs 100gp total]

In almost every case, I think the answer is that you commission the item, put some amount down, then pay the rest when you pick the item up. Or you buy it used, if you can find a willing seller.

After all, who keeps composite longbows in inventory? There are only so many Mamelukes needing bows replaced. And what noble lets just anybody buy military hardware?

For items with a not-so-specialized market, a large city might have enough of a local market to justify substantial inventory. Even the "cheap items" though, can only be sold to a tiny niche market; 50 gp is more than a year's wages for the common man.

How do you purchase a suit of breastplate armor? Cost: 200gp

How do you purchase a heavy warhorse? Cost: 400gp
[a potion of invisibility costs 300gp]

How do you purchase a spyglass? Cost: 1,000gp
[a cloak of resistance +1 costs 1,000gp]

How do you purchase a suit of full plate armor? Cost: 1,500gp
[a suit of +1 chain mail costs 1,300gp]

How do you purchase a sailing ship? Cost: 10,000gp
[a +2 greatsword costs 8,350gp]

Most armor, of course, needs to be commissioned; otherwise it won't fit perfectly. A warhorse needs to be bought young and trained for years -- with the rider. Obviously you don't plunk down 10,000 gp and buy a ship off the shelf at Ye Olde Ship Shoppe; you commission it, or buy an existing ship. And you can easily watch a ship being built, so you know you're not being swindled.

 

[AuraSeer]

IMC, the PCs can buy pretty much anything they can afford. Shopping happens during downtime, so we assume they'll find a broker or commission the item or whatever. By the time the PCs can afford very expensive or exotic items, the nearest specimen might not be close at hand, but the party has access to teleport (and even plane shift).

We have too little gaming time as it is, and RPing a shopping trip is not what I'd call fun.

 

[Storm Raven]

After all, who keeps composite longbows in inventory? There are only so many Mamelukes needing bows replaced. And what noble lets just anybody buy military hardware?

Nobles in midaevil Italy. Or France. Or Spain. Or much of the Holy Roman Empire. Basically, anywhere that you have regular warfare and fractured and shifting alliances of nobles, kings and cities. If you won't sell me weapons, the city next door will, since they want me to use them on you.