This topic describes how to buy and sell personal items at the buildings in a city and between players.

The buildings in a city buy and sell personal items. Technology items are used immediately by the industry that buys them. Construction materials can be sold to a building that is under construction, even if none of the building has been completed.

	Industry	Buys	Sells
	Cantina	Food and drinks.	Food and drinks.
	Design Studio	Spacecraft designs created by the seller. This publishes the design in the empire that owns the city. The design becomes available for sale in all of the design studios of that empire.	Published spacecraft designs and blank disks.
	Grocery	Food, drinks, tableware and pharmacy items.	Food, drinks, tableware and pharmacy items.
	Retail Store	Construction materials, spare parts, tools, fuel, weapons, ammunition, clothing, armor, jewelry.	Construction materials, spare parts, tools, fuel, weapons, ammunition, clothing, armor, jewelry.
	Other	Items the industry can use.	Items the industry can manufacture.

Move to a building. Stand within the square-ish space occupied by the building. The Locator (F7) window shows when you are standing inside a building's area. Players need only be near each other to buy and sell items; movement to a building is not required.

Open the Comm (F3) window and select the Trade channel. If necessary, open the Trade channel using the list of standard channels. Cities monitor the Trade channel. When buying and selling items between players, any channel may be used.

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To sell items from your personal inventory, press the Auction button or the For Sale button. The Auction button offers an item for sale without specifying a price; this works best when selling to a building because their bid is influenced by local supply and demand. The For Sale button offers an item for sale at a specified price.

The building you are in may respond with a bid to purchase the item. Player characters nearby may also offer bids.

Accept a bid to complete the transaction.

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To buy items into your personal inventory, press the Solicit Sales button. Select the item or category of items to inquire about.

The building you are in may respond with an offer to sell items. Player characters nearby may also offer to sell items using either the Auction button or the For Sale button.

Select an item offered for sale and press the Bid button.

The building you are in may accept the bid. A player character nearby may also accept the bid. The transaction is completed.