To Be Free Trade Or Not To Be (Poll Question and Discusion)

[balerion]

As I mentioned I did write a letter to Ciphas and he said he would fix it. You saw where that went.

The person is indeed shown when the item is purchased.

[Reaver_Silverstone]

Dear Aingeal,

Sadly those cow carcasses were long pre-ordered by moi, and I have already purchased those that Ciphas and I had agreed on. I'm sure you can ask him if he has anymore.

Reaver

[Maerwyn]

I am new to Secfenia and won't be voting in this poll; but I do appreciate being given the opportunity to purchase goods that are not available in our own market.
Is there a list of suggested pricing of all items?

[balerion]

Prices have dropped recently but I still consider the following list reasonably fair. Others will obviously disagree.

Corn - 3
Bread - 5.5
1 stat food - 7.5
2 stat food - 15

Food is most of what will concern you at this time. Corn and bread are cheap but give no lasting benefit. Being able to eat 1 health point on one day and 2 on the next alternating gives you a chance to start accumulating stats early if you throw in milk, broccoli, and chicken legs from time to time.

[Maerwyn]

Thank you.

[Texas_Knight]

Having read the discussion and looked at both sides of the fence I have an alternative idea. Let me start by saying that I am both for free trade AND protecting the citizens of our Viceroy. So a compromise of sorts is in order to assure both.

Here is what I propose:

Fair Market Pricing.

There are suggested prices that each item carries with it. Those are not what I refer to. Each item should have a competitive price on it. Let's take for instance, Eggs. The price range on eggs is 2 - 30 frenzics. But a competitive price is under 4f each. So for that item the Fair Market Pricing would be anything from 2.5f to 4f. It would take some time to put together, but I feel it would be a fair way to regulate the items. All would be posted in the main town page and could be stickied and labeled "Fair Market Prices for Widu" Or something along those lines that would make those wishing to sell on our market aware of the price ranges in which they were allowed to set their goods.

We could have a market watcher that would contact any that were out of the range and advise them to pull their goods and reprice them fairly or not post them again.

Just a quick illustration and idea, but I think you understand where it plays a more practical solution.

[Silence]

I think that if this were to work, it would have to only apply to outsiders... or we would still have the same problem of outside people undercutting others at the lowest possible price. That way, if there is a too much of something in the market, there is little point in an outside trader trading as prices will just be lowered by others... but if there is not enough of the item then it shouldn't affect them right?

[Texas_Knight]

Traders buy low and sell high. It's the only way they can make a profit and keep trading. If the items on our market are too high, then the trader will try to undercut the prices if he/she can still turn a profit. If the prices are too low, then the trader will buy the goods and either sell them back to our market at a higher price (what I call market manipulation), or take them to another town where they can sell them for a higher price and turn a good profit.

If there is a surplus of goods on the market then the prices will probably be low as the seller will try and get the product sold if they can manage a lower price. This is good for traders when they are in a buying mood.

Likewise, if there is a shortage on the market of a certain good, and the trader happens to have that good, then the trader will likely try to sell the goods at the highest possible (legal) practical price. This is good for two reasons. 1: it brings goods that we are short on to the market. 2: It attracts traders who will buy the goods that are priced real cheap and they will take them some place else.

Remember that just because you have something does not mean that you have to keep it. It also does not mean that you have to sell it. But if you have, for instance, wheat that you can't sell because the market is flooded with that item and a trader comes to town. You can contact that trader and work out a price. Or, let the trader buy the cheap wheat on the market that others have posted at a price that you would consider a loss of profit. Then, you can put your wheat on the market for what it would take to make you a profit.

In short, we don't want to scare off traders. We want to make the market prices fair to ALL who come to our town. Be they residents, or visitors. That's why I suggested posting legal price ranges on the items so that ALL know the ranges in which things can be bought or sold. It prevents our residents from being taken advantage of, and allows traders to work within a range that is preset so they don't unknowingly take advantage of anyone.

It would also be a good idea to have a place where traders sign in letting people know they are here to do business.

[Calysta]

It would also be a good idea to have a place where traders sign in letting people know they are here to do business.

I love that idea.

[balerion]

I haven't used wealth to destroy markets but after all that has been said now I just don't care anymore. See you sometime soon.