Trading Practice

[Alex]

Hi Cmdrs,

Obviously how far into the game you are will make a huge difference here.

I have kept the options to a minimal on purpose.

I'm mostly a bounty hunter so only trade at highest profits. As I already have plenty of Cred's.

[Capt. Murphy]

I voted trade at every stop as I look for opportunities everywhere.

Having said that it's mostly in metals and gems - whenever I see them relatively cheap I buy, and then when I hit a station with a high price sell the lot. Other than that it's generally computers/furs milk runs, or liquor/wines to Rock Hermits & Seedy Space Bars, and Narcotics from Seedy Space Bars (and some Con Stores) to main stations or Rock Hermits. You'll occasionally find the odd Con Store that pay silly prices for Food and Textiles

[Switeck]

I grab up Gold/Plat/Gems everywhere that the price is good...if I stop at the station. I very seldom skip stations unless I'm on a mission or cargo contract.
I'll also grab up particularly "cheap" for sale items if I have cargo capacity for it.
I likewise sell whenever and wherever I can.
However once I get a Python or Boa 2 I usually manage to have some free cargo capacity left over, though seldom is my ship less than 75% full.

I have been known to dump my cheapest cargo for whatever is floating around on my way to a station...and even gone back for my dumped cargo later.

[Smivs]

Early days for my current Commander, so mostly trading between high and low TLs, but he will 'skip' systems to achieve this. Buy, sunskim at one or two till you find a good market, then sell.

[Disembodied]

I used to make sure I had something in my hold, every time ... but now I'm on easy street, money-wise, I usually just buy and sell gems and precious metals, and keep the hold empty for whatever I might liberate from nefarious pirate-types on the journey.

[Cmdr. Maegil]

Option 3: "Only trade a few commodities at highest profit margins".

Having only 35t of cargo space and a lot of ongoing jobs, I'm always strapped for time, so trading is a secondary source of income - although one that helps cover the shipyard bills and even make a profit.

I usually try to keep at least half the hold empty for salvage purposes, but if I have to go somewhere I know it pays well for certain merchandises or a milk run to a corporate system presents itself, I might fill the hold.

[Alex]

I used to make sure I had something in my hold, every time ... but now I'm on easy street, money-wise, I usually just buy and sell gems and precious metals, and keep the hold empty for whatever I might liberate from nefarious pirate-types on the journey.

Or the occasional 'Not to be missed deal' on a ridicules priced item.
I once picked up 5 ton of comps at 6Cr per!!

I'm sure these sort of errors don't happen with modern computer pricing.

As you know; Out in the space lanes.. Finders. Keepers.

[Staer9]

I only ever trade gold, platinum and gemstones:
buy gold when below 40 sell when above,
buy platinum when below 70 selll when above,
buy gem stones when below 20 sell when above.

although sometimes I've ended up with several hundred kilos of platinum, just because I never went past a good enough system to sell it at.

[DaddyHoggy]

With the use of Save Anywhere and a host on non-Main Stations installed, when I do get chance to play, I never trade at main stations - trading only between Hermits, Constores, Seedy Spacebars, Hoopy Casinos... it suits the background Mythos I've created for my Oolite Persona and makes trading quite "interesting" (no guarantee of Low Ag -> Rich Ind -> Low Ag profits - which is all but guaranteed and very dull!)

[RyanHoots]

Right now, trade is a lower priority for me. I'm saving my Credits for a Cobra Mk3, and trading just won't cut it. I'm doing passenger runs across the galaxy, and including trade-in, I almost have enough for a standard customer model.

[Smivs]

My main commander saved up enough for a Python trading in a Mk 1 Cobby. It took a while!

[Yah-Ta-Hey]

With my Vortex, I load my ship up with 4 out of 5 holds with really cheap narcotics( .2 credits)... I keep[ the 5th hold free and available for in space gathering.
Galcop only looks at the last hold and never the other 4 so I can freely flit from planet to planet until I get the right price ( anything over 80 credits) and then I can really enjoy a flush of spendable credits. I sometimes will do the same with computers or furs. What can I say... I got hooked on this in some backwater planets where in space collections were mostly illegal cargo and when I got involved with the rouge station and realized that they only took my #5 hold cargo and left the other 4 holds alone, the idea came to me and has been very successful ever since.

[RyanHoots]

My main commander saved up enough for a Python trading in a Mk 1 Cobby. It took a while!

It must have. I got tired of trading after I estimated it would take 108 or so runs to get a Mk3. So I just bought a passenger berth.
<derailment alert="yes"/>

[CommonSenseOTB]

I rob from the rich and give to the poor--->me.

[RyanHoots]

The Mk3 Cobby is within my grasp!
Just 3K more credits... I'm going to do some trading. I'm near Tianve, two jumps away from my new trade route, so I may go there to celebrate the purchase of a new ship.