Trading and merchanting guide

Merchanting, or arbitrage, is the act of purchasing an item at a low price and then selling that item at a higher price, generating profit as the difference between the above unit prices. Merchanting was a popular method used by players to accumulate a significant amount of wealth in a relatively short time. The amount of time spent depends on the supply and demand of the item, similar to the situations in real-world economy. Prices of some items fluctuate rapidly. However, merchanting has became much less common since the addition of the grand exchange and the removal of unbalanced trade. This is due to the fact that many people believe that it is impossible to make large amounts of money any more. However, this is completely untrue. Merchanting is still a good way of making money for players that know how.

The unspecific way
Buy items in bulk at the Grand Exchange that are currently going up in price. Carefully watch the prices of the item and sell them when the price starts going down or stays even. Use the RuneScape Grand Exchange watch on the RuneScape wiki. Players may find the Grand Exchange Market Watch helpful.

Suggestions for Grand Exchange Merchanting
Although it may seem impossible, Merchanting on the GE can actually earn you large amounts of money fairly quickly. In fact, many of the richest players in runescape have made most of their money from merchanting on the Grand exchange.

Good things to merchant as of right now:

1. earth runes, buy for 15 coins, and sell for 16. this is a great way to start because you only need a few thousand coins to make money this way.

2. lobsters, buy them for ten coins under the medium price, sell them for 10 coins over the medium price.(or, you can buy for minimum and sell for maximum) This way can be more profitable than using earth runes, but you need at least 100,000 coins to start and it takes longer to do.

3. barrows equipment, look at what's going up, and buy it. Then, sell it once the price seems to not be going up anymore. This can be done with any Item, but the price of barrows stuff often fluctuates more than the price of many other things. This way can get you quick results, and will generally earn you a lot of money. The problem is, that you need at least three million coins to really make good money from this.

Using these methods, it is easy to get tens of thousands of coins from merchanting in a very short period of time.

NOTE: THE PRICES OF THESE ITEMS FLUCTUATE A LOT, SO PLAYERS INTRESTED IN MERCHANTING SHOULD CHECK AN UP TO DATE GUIDE BEFORE THEY START.

Tips and tricks
Note, many of these pieces of advice are obsolete due to the removal of unbalanced trade and the creation of the Grand Exchange


 * Patience - Players must have patience if they want to merchant. It might be a long time before someone will buy or sell, especially in crowded worlds where it is difficult to locate the trader.


 * Stay in popular places - Merchant in Varrock, Falador, Seers' Village, Lumbridge Bank (top floor of castle) and sometimes in Catherby. Since many players are in these cities, there is a better chance that one of them will buy or sell what you want.
 * Merchant in world 2 (members only) for member items and worlds 1 and 3 for non-member items- Worlds 1, 2 and 3 are the worlds where many players go to trade, either in Falador's park or in Varrock.


 * Be firm on your price. If you switch your price you are losing profit or you are driving away business.


 * Think of the Big Three. They are Mining, Woodcutting, and Fishing. Merchant these markets due to the fact they are always being bought and sold.
 * Always take time trading - Many players used to try to scam other players, by removing some coins just before the players accepted the trade. But since the removal of unbalanced trade, this is no longer possible.


 * Know how to barter. If someone wants too much or is offering too little, you need to know how to bargain. Do you just decline and go about your business till they come crawling back? Or should you beg instead? This cannot be taught! You have to learn this through experience.


 * Sell your items where players will likely need them. If you do not like trading in the 3 first worlds, target the place people will be needing what you are selling. For example, in Castle War worlds (24 and 82), there are almost always people there casting high-level alchemy on magic longbows or yew longbows.  If you have either of those items in stock, you are more likely to find buyers there.


 * Try to exchange your goods for cash only, unless it is a good deal for you. If you always trade your goods for items, you have to sell the item you get, and sometimes in this process you lose money.


 * Plan what you are going to do. Knowledge is power.