Best selling wares in TC?

[Sovereign01]

I couldn't find the other thread that had a list of the best selling wares in TC, so I thought I'd ask what products sell the best. I'm going to be setting up quite a few complexes, and so far have only managed to sell a select few wares and I'd like to branch out.

So far I've found these sell well:

Spacefuel & Weed (in pirate sectors)
Microchips & Computer components
Quantum Tubes
1MJ & 5MJ Shields
Adv. Satellites
IREs
Cloth Rimes

Products that don't sell so well:
Low Yield Sidearms
Mosquito Missiles

The above are all the products that I mainly sell, though I did notice that Plankton and Scruffin Fruits sell well in 3 worlds.

Which products am I missing out on that must surely be staring me in the face?

[Ravna]

Depends on the price. Everything sells anywhere if it's cheap.
I lure customers with dumping prices and then raise them 1-2 Cr a day.
Once they know it's there, they seem to keep coming.
Dukes folks actually come to my sector for soy husk.

[Infekted]

Crystals sell well

[TBV]

I've noticed that Advanced satellites sell really well. Better in fact than
anything else. I have a factory in the Unknown Sector next to Zyarth's Dominion and there is never any stock when selling at maximum price.

I don't know of anything else that sells above avg-1.

[glenmcd]

I've noticed that Advanced satellites sell really well. Better in fact than
anything else. I have a factory in the Unknown Sector next to Zyarth's Dominion and there is never any stock when selling at maximum price.

I don't know of anything else that sells above avg-1.

If you've got one or more freighters setup to "sell at best price", it's possible that they are putting all available stock from factory into their cargobays and thus giving the appearance that all stock is being sold. They may even go to some sector carrying hundreds or even thousands of items of stock inside, only to sell one or two of those and then return to your factory. This doesn't seem to happen with CAGs, only the standard "sell at best price" command.

It is possible to get sales at above average prices, but the thing is that once you have sold at average or less price for some time, various nearby trading ports fill up with stock, and you won't be able to sell any at above average price until all of this stock is sold. Also, there are often at least a few items held in trading ports from NPC factories, and these would be purchased at average price before you get your above average price. Try selling teladianum in empires wisdom and trinity sanctum. There are various factories there that will pay 180 credits for many game days, whereas the average price is 156. I usually build two large factories in each near game start, transporting energy in from nearby NPCs.

This game is extremely dynamic and the state of trading changes with everything you do or don't do, as well as time. Thus the only givens are the trading environment at the time you start a new game. Even if you play this game for years doing multiple restarts, patterns you notice except at game start may simply be the result of the unique ways that you interact with the game, even if you don't realize it. TC is not unique in this, but it may well have taken the dynamics further than most.

[Infekted]

He's basically right on adv sats tho. Npcs will buy them from your factory for disgusting prices in most games/locations

[TBV]

I am using CAGs, and it's NPC ships that are buying.

[David Howland]

I have found that ordinary satellites sell better and at a higher profit margin than Adv. Sat.s. I tend produce both items at the same complex I offer them both at a similar % profit margin, the standard sat.s are usually sold out and I get to use most of the Adv. Sat.s.

[JAFA_NZ]

That probably has more to do with the NPC Traders running out of hold-space filling up with the cheaper ware, than actual demand.

[David Howland]

Nice thinking JAFA but I sell my sat.s at a profit margin well above ave prices if NPC traders are buying them they must be taking huge losses.
Maybe I ought to buy up from trading stations and sell them at my places for more profits?

[Sovereign01]

Interesting, I'll try setting up a sat complex and see how they do. Does anyone find that any of the weapons and shields sell well apart from IREs? So far I've found that small missile sales are hit and miss in sectors, either the fabs are always fully stocked (even with min price) or they're completely empty.

[sjones25]

I have only set up an IRE fab once and it didn't sell well at all. Of course, you can always manually sell them at any equipment dock.

[Spaceweed Adict]

One item not seen mentioned here that sell extremely well is The Disintigrator Riffle.
Most of my complex's trade in them and there always sold out.

[EphemeralDeception]

In my experience the best goods are those that sell themselves, that fall in 2 categories
Things that NPCs come to buy above average
Things that NPCs come to buy at average - 1 (or a little less)

In a rough order Auto Best selling > Average
=============================
1MJ Shields - probably the best bang per buck early game (ROI)
Adv Satellites
Microchips - Just as good except the need to store them for hub plot and initial cost.

Disintegrator Rifles
Quantum tubes
Computer Components
(Above 2 sell above average as long as you dont flood the market)


Things that auto sell just below average
=========================
Booze and weed
Fighter drone mkII
Swamp plant (best to oversupply a weed plex and sell the rest)
Teladium (small amounts)
Crystals
Squash mines
PAC


Absolute Best moneymaker : Nividium mineral gathering then, xfer to a ship and sell at your Player HQ. Only after Hub plot complete


Things people say sell but I have not tried and probably sell ok:
========================================
5 MJ shields
IRE
Most food

Some things that sell well as long as you sell on best price yourself
===========================================
EB Chaingun Ammo
Other 'illegal' goods that pirate stations buy
Surplus Silicon and Ore


Things that I don't believe sell well or at all.
(Unless to an Equipment dock)
===================================
Cheap missiles (though some say they sell)
All other missiles
Shields > 5Mj
Weapons > PAC
Drones
Mines other than Squash
Most Ammunition
Terran goods (except if in Terran space)

Worst as a trade good: Lasertowers?
Good return to sell at Equipment docks: Ion Cannons.


So basically you can make money with just about anything

[Sovereign01]

One item not seen mentioned here that sell extremely well is The Disintigrator Riffle.
Most of my complex's trade in them and there always sold out.

Interesting, do all races buy them?

[tbowen]

Comprehensive list, EphemeralDeception. Pretty much mirrors my experience except for a few wares I've never tried to manufacture. Where, for example, do you get disintegrator rifle fabs? And, I assume, you have to set these up in unknown, pirate, Terran or Goner sectors?

[Sovereign01]

I assume Squash mine fabs can only be placed in said sectors as well?

Edit: according to the stats compendium, they're illegal in Argon and Boron space, no mention of those rifles though.

And they're a Split product, sold in:

Zyarth's Dominion
Rhonkar's Trial
Patriarch's Conclusion

According to Xadrian complex calculator

[Sovereign01]

Right, I'm going to expand an existing complex I have in Desecrated Skies to sell disintegrator rifles and squash mines, see how that goes. Calculator tells me I have to add 21 stations to do this