Buying, Selling and Bargaining
Protect rent cash, buy into shortages and use budgets and reputation.
Evidence: Community Reported · Scope: Steam Demo; exact build varies by mechanic · Source review: 2026-10-11
Turn inventory into cash while keeping enough for the next rent cycle. Use the routine below to compare costs, buyer budgets and risk before each purchase.
Protect operating cash first
- Before opening, check rent due date, energy, cleaning, and insurance costs. Reserve that amount plus an emergency buffer.
- Prioritize inventory that can sell to known customer tags or active event buyers. Avoid tying all cash up in slow machines or speculative stock.
- Review the calendar and newspaper before purchases. Shortages, surpluses, and scheduled visitors can change demand and prices.
- A rent-day bulk buyer is reported to purchase all stock at a 15% discount to value. Treat it as a cash exit, not a profitable routine, and compare immediate liquidity with waiting for normal buyers.
Buying and selling
Compare a supplier's quote with item value, event modifiers, condition, and what likely customers can pay. Check labels and contents before reselling liquids or sealed goods; water-related scam reports conflict, and customer detection appears to have changed between versions. Never price questionable water as verified pure water based only on appearance.
A high-value item may not sell if the buyer’s budget is too low. Check tags and budget in the clientele panel, then choose cash now or holding the stock.
Wholesale and barter notices
In-game descriptions · Demo 25382790 · reviewed 2026-10-11. Availability and full gameplay effects still need verification.
Mentor's Note: Buying Wholesale
Sometimes sellers offer a discount if you buy all of their items. (This is called buying "Wholesale".)
You can still inspect each item in the offer individually.
Mentor's Note: Barter Offer
Sometimes customers will arrive and offer to exchange items, rather than Credits. Barter offers cannot be negotiated unlike regular buy and sell offers. They are also not impacted by ongoing events.
Mentor's Note: Trading
1. Drag the item to the Negotiation Counter and the Trading Interface will appear. 2. A deal button will appear if you are able to buy or sell the item.
Clients only have a limited budget to spend at your Store.
You will automatically sell your items with a retail markup.
Trade-boost item descriptions
In-game descriptions · Demo 25382790 · reviewed 2026-10-11. Availability and full gameplay effects still need verification.
| Item | In-game description |
|---|---|
| SYNC Neuroactive Perfume | Use to boost trading bonus by 15% with the current customer. You can only benefit from the effects of one perfume at a time. |
| L'ESSENCE Pheromone Perfume | Use to boost trading bonus by 25% with the current customer. You can only benefit from the effects of one perfume at a time. |
Lottery and scratcher item descriptions
In-game descriptions · Demo 25382790 · reviewed 2026-10-11. Availability and full gameplay effects still need verification.
| Item | In-game description |
|---|---|
| Lottery Ticket | The winning numbers are revealed each Saturday morning. |
| Old Lottery Ticket | A worthless ticket from the Lower Levels Lottery. No winning numbers, just faded hope. |
| Scratcher Ticket | Scratch off at least 2 matching symbols to win a prize! |
Bargaining routine
- Start from a price you would genuinely accept; choose a counteroffer with room to move.
- Do not assume one percentage works for every faction, item, direction of trade, reputation, or difficulty.
- Record item, buyer/seller, faction, reputation, offer, accepted amount, and active event if testing a rule.
- Bargaining and reputation behavior can change between builds. Check current offers instead of relying on a fixed old percentage.
Early-game priorities
Spend first on the core kit for one route: water needs testing and containers, production needs inputs and power, and appraisal needs service tools. Expand only after it supports your cash flow. See Beginner Guide for the opening loop.
Later bargaining clarification
Concessions and markups have different reputation effects. A discount can improve reputation; an unfavorable markup can reduce it. Exact multipliers across factions and Perks are unverified.
A shortfall prompt may offer a concession: a 100-Credit lot and 95-Credit buyer budget can allow a five-Credit discount with extra reputation. This is a UI option, not a fixed bonus for every trade.
Display tiers use estimated value after labels and events. An event can move the same stock into another predicted buyer tier. The 349/350 boundary remains disputed; consult the preview.
A label changes the product’s claim, not its condition. Buyers can test goods, and successful deception can still create evidence. Keep authentication and Security in the calculation.
Sources
Fan-made guide. Not affiliated with Questing Goose Studio or tinyBuild. Community values retain their source and version conditions; a source-review date does not indicate a new gameplay test.