Selling Crafted Items Help

[Li Shenron]

Otherwise, whats the point in crafting?

The point in crafting in D&D is always to make the item for yourself, and never to make a profit.

Otherwise everyone will start crafting items for the sole purpose of being able to buy more (typically magic) equipment than they're supposed to have.

D&D is not a game of business! Besides, it is moderately realistic that PCs sell by default at half price. Would you pay full price for something made and sold by an unknown individual, when such item is on sale at the same price in a shop? Or would you buy it from the shop, which is safer, more reliable, and if you get cheated it can hardly run away with it? Someone who would like to be able to sell stuff at full price would probably need to setup a full business, e.g. getting a shop/locale, building reputation, obtaining legal papers, and attract customers. Not something that can happen to a PC who craft a couple of swords every now and then, and if they do it regularly then they should be workers, not adventurers.

All said, you can actually have craftsmen PCs who make a profit, but you should rather use the "make a living" rules for Craft, that give out a more reasonable (small but reliable) income.

 

[jefgorbach]

While this is under the title of "Selling Loot", the text makes it clear that the "half price" rule applies to pretty much anything PC's sell, other than trade goods.

My impression is "trade goods" are those in good retail-trade condition, whereas anything found in dungeons/etc are presumed to be heavily used/damaged and thus only worth half their normal retail value. Thus items which the PCs craft, spell(Mending), or otherwise prepare specifically for sale in good retail-trade condition would be worth full market value.

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=28278]jefgorbach[/MENTION] "Trade Goods" are wheat, silk, ore, gold, silver, etc, things with values that are definite and well established by region.
A one pound bar of iron is a one pound bar of iron, and has a set price in Baldur's Gate.
A short sword is masterwork, large, small, worn, dull, jewel encrusted, etc, and cannot have a set price because there are too many factors involved with pricing.

 

[Greenfield]

My impression is "trade goods" are those in good retail-trade condition, whereas anything found in dungeons/etc are presumed to be heavily used/damaged and thus only worth half their normal retail value. Thus items which the PCs craft, spell(Mending), or otherwise prepare specifically for sale in good retail-trade condition would be worth full market value.

Hmm. My impression is that the rules describe "Trade Goods" as "valuable goods that can be easily exchanged almost as if it were cash itself". It gives a list as well.

As a note, absolutely nothing on that list is crafted. Some are livestock, some are raw materials. The closest thing to "crafted" anything there is cloth: It lists a square yard of linen and a square yard of silk. All are consumable, in one sense or another.

 

[S'mon]

Trade goods in 3e are goods which are treated basically as currency and have a fixed value. They are 'trade' goods in the sense that they are a medium of exchange!

I understand the concept with reference to gold and gems and cigarettes, but why cloth would be a trade good, I have no idea.

 

[Sekhmet]

Trade goods in 3e are goods which are treated basically as currency and have a fixed value. They are 'trade' goods in the sense that they are a medium of exchange!

I understand the concept with reference to gold and gems and cigarettes, but why cloth would be a trade good, I have no idea.

One bolt of Silk is a definite, quality commodity, much like one bar of iron or gold, or one karat of diamond.