Economy guide

The Runescape Economy can be simple or complex, with greater complexity when trading with other players.

It is resaonable to divide items into a few distinct classes.

Commodities
Items that are used in bulk, to further the development of a skill and as a raw material for production. You cannot eat a commodity, or use it in combat. These items are most commonly traded in large, noted transactions, and the store price has little effect.

Examples
 * Raw fish
 * Rune Essence
 * Coal
 * Other ores
 * Bars
 * Logs (for fletching)
 * Feathers

Consumables
The difference between consumables and commodities, is that they are used up without necessarily creating any result. The trade in consumables is usually a lot slower than in commodities, since you usually only collect enough for a couple of trips.

Examples
 * Food (eg. cooked fish)
 * Runes
 * Arrows
 * Potions

Finished Items
Since there is no requirement for other finished items in bulk quantities, these are normally traded to the the stores, or "alched" if the price is worth it. A problem for higher level smiths is that although there may be players who would pay more for Mithril items or above, meeting them takes a long time. Trade in finished items is very slow. Smithing "on-demand" is one way to beat low store prices, without carrying a bank-busting stock of assorted items.


 * Leather items
 * Armour & Weapons
 * Jewelry

Availability
The level of availability of an item also has an effect on the price, or specifically, the price another player will offer.

Common
Some items are quite commonly available, but not necessarily at the location they are wanted.

Only in Al-Kharid, is the craft shop where you would buy moulds close to the furnace where you would use them. Other items are available, but the shop's stock is often depleted.

Low stock
Runes such as Chaos runes and Death runes are usually in a low stock condition, with Mind runes and Air runes often low as well, due to their use in Strike spells.

Mithril square shields are also oftem out of stock, while some Adamantite items can be very hard to find in stock.

No store (free world)
Shields above Mithril square, Rune helmets and a few other desirable items in the free-to-play world have no regular store, so are unavailable except by player trading or reaching the level required to make them.

Rare and semi-rare
There are no useful rare items, and most, if not all genuine rare's are now untradeable.

There are some pseudo-rare items in free-to-play, that are actually available to mambers and may be traded and used by free players. Some useful items in this category are certain items in Black, that are unavailable by any means in free-to-play All other black items can be bought from stores, or can be obtained from a monster drop in free-to-play. Since black items cannot be player-made, it is not possible to smith them. Unless you insist on wielding one of these weapons instead of a black longsword, then there is no need to be held to ransom for a particular item.
 * Black Axe
 * Black Mace
 * Black Med Helm
 * Black Scimitar
 * Black Warhammer
 * Black 2H Sword

There are also coloured gloves, that are cheap for members and can be traded to and worn by free players - they do not offer any advantage over plain leather.