In Vintage Story you are not alone on the surface. Between the forest, the plains, and the cold stands a trader: in a hut behind a palisade, in a cellar in old ruins, or in a house up in a large tree. You can take food, seeds, clothes, or a rare thing from him, and give him your spare goods for a Rusty gear. The gears stack to 1000. They turn up in ruins, in caves, and on drifters.
Finding a trader
One stays at least 600 blocks from the next. A banner hangs outside. Over his head it says Trader, until you ask “What's your name?” The name also carries the climate: cold, temperate, or desert. The first one you meet says: “Haven't seen you around before. You just wake up?”
The ground around his house is claimed. Break a block and the game says: “I cannot build or destroy here. It belongs to Trader”. The owner name stays Trader. The claim description stays Trader Perimeter. The chest, the firepit, and the tool rack will not open: “No privilege to use blocks here. It belongs to Trader”. You can still walk through.
The trading window
Talk to the trader and the stall opens. The left side is what you can buy. The right side is what he will take. Your pick goes into Your Selection, and your own item goes into Your Offer. The bottom shows how many gears you have and how many he has. The button that settles it is Buy / Sell.
If a slot says 8, one sale needs all 8. He takes a tool when at least 95% of its durability is left. The tooltip says “At least 95% durability”. He takes food while half of its fresh time is still left. Food is marked in orange: “Perishable.”
After the deal, the gears move themselves between the inventories. If the trader is short on gears, he will not buy an expensive item on its own: he cannot end below zero, and neither can you. A buy and a sell in the same window are counted together, so the gears can come out even. Close the window, and anything in Your Offer drops on the ground at his feet.
Step away and the window closes. If he is already talking to someone, he says “I am currently busy trading.” You cannot trade with two people at once: “Can only trade with one trader at a time”.
Each item has its own stock. When it runs out, the slot is crossed out. A new delivery comes every seven days, and the wait is written at the top. Part of the stall changes, and so do the gears: if he had few, he gains some, and if he had many, he can give up to three away.
Who sells what
There are nine traders. The stall shows only part of each list.
| Who | Gears, usually | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| WhoAgriculture trader | Gears, usually16–24 | Why goFood, seeds, honey, Redwood seed, Waxed cheddar cheese. Up to 10 items. |
| WhoArtisan trader | Gears, usually32–48 | Why goPots, planters, tapestries. Up to 14 items. |
| WhoBuilding materials trader | Gears, usually20–30 | Why goBlocks for building. Up to 14 items. |
| WhoClothing trader | Gears, usually28–42 | Why goClothes. Up to 12 items. |
| WhoCommodities trader | Gears, usually24–36 | Why goNugget (Cassiterite), Saltpeter, Halite stone. Up to 8 items. |
| WhoFurniture trader | Gears, usually20–30 | Why goFire clay, Sleek door, paintings. Up to 14 items. |
| WhoLuxuries trader | Gears, usually40–60 | Why goRare things and a Resonator. He carries the most gears. Up to 14 items. |
| WhoSurvival goods trader | Gears, usually20–30 | Why goBows, including the Recurve bow, and simple goods he is willing to buy. Up to 14 items. |
| WhoTreasure hunter trader | Gears, usually20–30 | Why goTemporal gear, Cracked vessel (Seed) and the other vessels, Treasure map. Up to 14 items. |
Each trader has his own prices. The same item costs differently at two stalls, so it is worth opening both windows before a long walk.
The hunter and the map
An ordinary trader has the line “Know of anything interesting around here?” He will send you to a treasure hunter, and for four gears he gives a Map to the treasure hunter. The line is “Alright, save me the trouble. Here's four gears.”
Ask the hunter about interesting places. He wants a Tin bronze pickaxe. Once it is in your inventory, the line appears: “I got the tin bronze pickaxe you asked for. Now tell me what you know.” He takes the pickaxe and gives a Map to the resonance archive. The Treasure map on the stall is a separate item.
The auction
On a server, the same window has an Auction house tab. Players sell to each other for a Rusty gear. The price is at least one. The window shows what to pay in on the Deposit line. The listing lasts for the weeks you set. The trader keeps 10%: the form says “Trader cut on sale (10%)”. The item travels to a trader, and the buyer picks it up there. Your own tab is Your Auctions, with Collect Funds and Retrieve Items.
Traders are described from the wiki Trading and Rusty gears.