Trade goods

[flatline]

A couple of recent threads have all touched on this topic, so I thought it might be worth creating a thread for ideas on what might be particularly good (or bad) trade goods.

Here's my personal take on some broad categories of trade goods:

MD ranged weapons are high value items, but carrying a lot of them tends to make you a target. Also, if the person you need to trade with doesn't have something of equivalent value, you might be stuck with a pretty bad deal. Personally, I don't like to trade weapons for goods. I'd rather either sell them for money or give them away in order to generate some good will.

MD melee weapons are also high value and make decent trading fodder since they're valuable, but not so valuable that you can't get something of similar value in exchange for one. They also make good gifts.

Precious metals and gems seem to do well, but it can be hard to predict how valuable they will be at any given community. Preindustrial communities often value them highly, but have nothing of similar value to trade you for them (which actually makes you a target).

Candy, as pointed out in a recent thread, might have decent value as a trade good in communities where such niceties are scarce. Also a great way to build some good will. Whenever I cast Id Self, the first thing I do after introducing myself to myself is to offer myself some cookies or a candy bar and something to drink so that we don't have to negotiate with empty stomachs. (side note: Id Self is the best thing about getting to Level 5 if you're a Temporal Wizard).

In a post-post-apocalyptic setting, any non-perishable food item is likely to be kindly received. Temporal Wizards can also make any perishable food item non-perishable by putting it in a container and casting Time Capsule on it.

Fuel can be easily traded in many areas, but it can be tricky to carry a significant amount. Usually such trades are better negotiated in advance and then the agreed upon quantities are delivered later. If wood is scarce in a particular area, Create Wood can be extremely profitable.

Trading services is always an option. Fixing things or healing people are almost always well received (Mend the Broken and Purge Other are both king in this regard). Unfortunately, the value of services is highly context dependent. Being both observant and opportunistic will help you make the most of your abilities when trading services.

Everywhere you go, pay attention to what people have to trade and what they value highly. Establishing trade routes can be extremely profitable if you're lucky enough to find places that have complimentary surpluses and desires.

Anyway, that's all I've got off the top of my head. What sorts of things have you had good luck trading on Rifts Earth, especially in remote places where that "universal" credit of yours isn't accepted?

--flatline

[dragonfett]

Electronic parts. Doesn't even have to be full blown circuit boards, but the individual transistors and resistors and such. While individually they may not be worth much, as individual components I feel that they should be relatively safe to transport and trade/sell to people who can make use of them (robotics/cybernetic workshops and the like).

[glitterboy2098]

medicine would be a big one.
basic self-stable antibiotics. snakebite kits. Sulfa powder and pills [1]. Marijuana. Asprin and Tylenol. and so on.
most communities would try to get by with various Folk/herbal remedies and psionic healing, but real medicine would be a very valuable thing for trade in most places.

cloth and clothing. especially patterned cloth, synthetic fiber clothing, prints, and other types of fabric made most easily through industrial processes. most wilderness clothing would likely be Wool, Leather, or Linen, which can be obtained easily at low tech levels. but these kinds of cloth are hardly the most comfortable, and they tend to be rather drab. bright colors (which are generally the result of industrially made inks) and complex patterns are hard to get. bolts of cloth would be more well received than complete clothing, as would thread, needles, patterns, and such. this would let the buyer make their own clothing to fit.

Alcohol, both fuel alcohol and the kind you drink, would be a good item as well. most communities probably brew their own beer, maybe a bit of hard cider, and possibly moonshine, but wine, vodka, and brandy would likely go over well as a trade good.

books, music, and videos would also be items of trade. possibly not as reliable of trade goods, since they require players and literacy, but in the right communities they would be worth a small fortune.


[1] - sulfa powder, while not an ideal antibiotic, is relatively easy to make with basic chemical production facilities, and i would imagine would be a cheap general purpose antibiotic in Rifts.

[Akashic Soldier]

Sex

I'm serious.

Sex

And medicine, exotic plants and herbs, and gems.

[Eclipse]

The spice must flow!

[taalismn]

Processed metals, chemical feedstocks, the raw ingredients of Industry, large-scale and local. All those horses have to be shod; where does your local blacksmith get his stock metal? Some of the recycling magic for converting scrap to usable steel and other metals can be extremely handy here. Having a good Chemistry skill and the ability to build the means to produce bulk quantities of acids, reagents, solvents, and other useful chemicals(ammonia, nitrates, etc.) can be VERY handy if you're serving civilization.

[Killer Cyborg]

Fire-making equipment, and/or light-making equipment.
Just lighters and flashlights would be pretty important in some places.

[wyrmraker]

Depends on cargo size. Salt is always good. So is vinegar, just about any spices, properly tanned hides, preserved meats, booze, dried fruits and vegetables. Recovered scraps from downed vehicles and armors such as fusion power cores, air filters from both robots and armors.
These are my preferred general trade goods for the wilderness between cities in Rifts. For specific areas, the list gets more specific. Pretty much all of the above for the Pecos Empire. All of the above except for the recovered scraps in CS territory. Gems and precious metals for anywhere in the Magic Zone or Colorado Baronies.

[taalismn]

Fire-making equipment, and/or light-making equipment.
Just lighters and flashlights would be pretty important in some places.

That;s why I REALLY like my handcrank flashlights....no batteries needed.
And it's a return to the classic portable tinderbox(and if you whittle for a hobby, that thing's always going to have a generous supply of shavings).

Heck, waterPROOFING supplies while you're at it. A convenient plastic sandwich baggy(like the sort we modern-dayers regularly throw out) for keeping your tinder nice and dry would be a godsend to a wilderness scout. Larger bags for keeping clothes (like that spare set of socks) dry.

[taalismn]

Snake oil

Not to mention 'miracle machines', suspiciously-priced 'super-tech from the Golden Age', and defective spare parts(out of the rejects bin of some high-tech kingdom's factory-mill) nobbed off on the backwater rubes(parts that break after only a week of working). Of course, the 'rubes' just might have the resources to track down the lower-than-a-snake's-belly thiefin' varmint who ripped them off and administer some justice/get their money back. That's why a flim-flam man would be advised to have cyberdisguises or a friendly Shifter who can get him AWAY from an area he just scammed.

[wyrmraker]

Also hand-built normal explosives. Field-expedient stuff like hand-made black powder, nitrogen fertilizer based explosives, and, for the guy with Analytical Chemistry and a small lab, dynamite. All S.D.C. explosives, but invaluable for mining, stump-clearing, and fishing, especially if your GM allows hydrostatic shock damage, it might kill M.D. critters in the water.

[taalismn]

Also hand-built normal explosives. Field-expedient stuff like hand-made black powder, nitrogen fertilizer based explosives, and, for the guy with Analytical Chemistry and a small lab, dynamite. All S.D.C. explosives, but invaluable for mining, stump-clearing, and fishing, especially if your GM allows hydrostatic shock damage, it might kill M.D. critters in the water.

Nitrates...both for fertilizer and explosives. The big nations have most likely rediscovered how to get nitrogen compounds from air, but out in the boonies, it's back to mining from the rare odd rifted mineral deposit or turning over the stable dung heap. And among the worse jobs on Rifts Earth? Prospecting for monster guano to scavenge for nitrates.

[wyrmraker]

Also hand-built normal explosives. Field-expedient stuff like hand-made black powder, nitrogen fertilizer based explosives, and, for the guy with Analytical Chemistry and a small lab, dynamite. All S.D.C. explosives, but invaluable for mining, stump-clearing, and fishing, especially if your GM allows hydrostatic shock damage, it might kill M.D. critters in the water.

Nitrates...both for fertilizer and explosives. The big nations have most likely rediscovered how to get nitrogen compounds from air, but out in the boonies, it's back to mining from the rare odd rifted mineral deposit or turning over the stable dung heap. And among the worse jobs on Rifts Earth? Prospecting for monster guano to scavenge for nitrates.

That's why I mentioned the scientific types with a small lab. Nitrates can be derived pretty easily using standard chemistry, especially in the New West. Horse Apples and Cow Patties are pretty much everywhere. Since we're discussing trade goods, I didn't mention large-scale manufacturing, which is perfect for the traveling adventuring party.

[FatherMorpheus]

In a lot of my games people used E-Clips as a trade good. Especially if you have a mage with Sub-Particle Acceleration or a vehicle with a nuke that you can use to recharge them.

They are smallish, light, stack-able, and pack-able. And lots of things use them as a power source besides weapons.

The other one, which was mentioned, are gems and gold. Oh, and for more risk taking people books. Especially technical books which explain things.

[taalismn]

[That's why I mentioned the scientific types with a small lab. Nitrates can be derived pretty easily using standard chemistry, especially in the New West. Horse Apples Cow Patties are pretty much everywhere. Since we're discussing trade goods, I didn't mention large-scale manufacturing, which is perfect for the traveling adventuring party.

Well, might make a good background story for a PC or NPC. Slave-borg assigned to shoveling dino guano, looking for way out of monster-muffin collecting crew.


And I don't think I've seen it mentioned yet....Booze....Potable(ideally quality) and fuel-grade alcohol.....Put that Brewing skill to good use and those parts you've been collecting into a portable still!

[wyrmraker]

Also, trade goods can include hand-crafted items such as blankets, tools (plows, hammers, crowbars), barrels (cooperage would be an extremely important skill on Rifts Earth for both storage and food preservation), and leather goods. In some instances, hand-made toys can be a decent trade item (whittling can come in handy). Remember that not every trade has to be survival-oriented.

Although I do like the tradition of Snake Oil .

[taalismn]

Although I do like the tradition of Snake Oil .

Made with real ground-up Vernulians and Pythonians. It's the genuine stuff! Accept no imitations!:twisted:

[flatline]

Thanks, FatherMorpheus! I don't know how I forgot books!

All kinds of books, but especially technical books, picture books, and books for young readers are excellent trade fodder!

--flatline

[taalismn]

Thanks, FatherMorpheus! I don't know how I forgot books!

All kinds of books, but especially technical books, picture books, and books for young readers are excellent trade fodder!

--flatline

And, I hate to say it, the equivalent of a Nook or E-Reader with multiple book titles saved on it. More easily smuggled(less bulk) if somewhat harder to replace(and requiring periodic recharging)

[flatline]

Thanks, FatherMorpheus! I don't know how I forgot books!

All kinds of books, but especially technical books, picture books, and books for young readers are excellent trade fodder!

--flatline

And, I hate to say it, the equivalent of a Nook or E-Reader with multiple book titles saved on it. More easily smuggled(less bulk) if somewhat harder to replace(and requiring periodic recharging)

I keep forgetting that space is an issue for some characters. I've played temporal wizards so long that I forget the problems you guys have who can't create dimensional pockets as needed.

--flatline

[taalismn]

I keep forgetting that space is an issue for some characters. I've played temporal wizards so long that I forget the problems you guys have who can't create dimensional pockets as needed.

--flatline

Here's a REAL rolemodel of the Rogue Scholar....perhaps not as a trader, but certainly of a traveling book team....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioburro

Books are massy and inconvenient if you're trying to transport them any great distance.

[wyrmraker]

remember that most people are illiterate, so i dont know the value of books. However interested buyers may be willing to buy at higher than normal prices but i would consider them less a staple than a niche item.

I think the plethora (yea, gratuitous verbiage) of ideas further illustrates that its less what you are trading and more of who you are trading to. You can turn a profit on most anything.

I think maybe the interest in economics in rifts is greater than i initially thought.

Every con-man or advertising executive requires knowing your audience. It truly is knowing and marketing to specific demographics. But there are some pretty standard items that are nearly universal as trade goods out in the wild. But to maximize profits, some local research on what's needed and who wants what luxury goods is required.

[wyrmraker]

Hmm. Old-fashioned shortwave radio communications would be essential. Long range, lunar bounce, and the really old equipment is far more resistant to e-m manipulation, being vacuum tube technology.

So someone with that electrical skill set could easily sell/trade shortwave radios and dipole antennae to small communities with a small electrical generation capability.

[glitterboy2098]

in regards to literacy, it is likely that most towns have a few literate individuals. these could teach others to read, at least at a basic level, if they had books with which to teach with.
since the development of the printing press until relatively recently, most people learned to read from a "reader", a book with various difficulties of written sections. these were printed on a number of topics. science, history, romance, folklore, etc. that and a bible were the main teaching tools before the 20th century.

i would imagine that producing similar "readers" would be a major effort underway in rifts by many rogue scholars. a book, or small group of books, that cover history, geography, science, mathematics, and probably basic political thought, written in simple language and printed with large print. the kind of books they can distribute in an effort to bring the general knowledge level of the world back up.

[taalismn]

Another high-tech good: skill program chips for robots.... especially custom skill-mixes or illegal skills that the CS doesn't want created and downloaded into commercial(and military) robots. Since the CS has observers, spies, or hunters watching who has and who might have the means to built semi- and fully-autonomous robots, creating and/or smuggling such software makes for a lucrative, if very risky, business.

[Aramanthus]

Nice. Is there any chance that we can get a random table for these.

[Icefalcon]

Ways of playing this portable entertainment (like disc players, radios, televisions and such) although they are bulky. Inks for both printing and regular writing. Dyes for cloth. Packaging (can anyone say Tupperware?) would be a very big item considering the lack of communities that can produce plastic. Basic building materials. Hand tools. Pots and pans (or even the repair of them). Cleaning products. Livestock (which has been done for centuries). Luxuries (tobacco, wine, oranges and other citrus, spices, salt). Various fabrics (silk, cotton, linen, wool, and even synthetics) can only be produced in certain area. Automotive parts. Grooming products (combs, soap, shampoo etc). Common hardware (doorknobs, locks, nails and screws, hinges and other small finished products). Molds and dies (for making items such as plows and tools). Vitamin supplements. Optics (binoculars, telescopes, rifle scope). Clocks and watches. Footware (nice boots or shows, possibly light MDC fabric to make them last long). Toys.

That is about all I can think of at the moment.

[Icefalcon]

Just remember, because you think that farmer has nothing you want you may be wrong. You will have to eventually have vegetables to go with your hunted meat, especially if you are away from the city too long. And most farmers could do with a lot of low cost items (such as a wood saw, a lock for his door and a few boxes of screws) to let you have a few baskets of veggies and maybe a dry place to sleep for the night.

And while you are there, he might let slip about the Rhino-Buffalo that has been tearing up his fields and killing his cattle.

[taalismn]

Sewing needles, spools of fine(and strong) thread, pins. Bonus if the thread is dyed, A packet of good quality sewing needles(metal or MDC bone) is worth a nice bit to anybody with a sewing skill(men and women alike). And don't forget vac-packed bags of elastic SOCKS. If you got the space, shoes and boots make good trading goods, Durable footware of any kind for that matter.

[Hotrod]

The most-important trade good remains gold, in my opinion. It's portable and highly-prized in every culture/setting. Low-tech societies prize it for jewelery. High-tech societies prize it for jewelery and electrical/electronic engineering applications. It is an excellent conductor, second only to silver, and it does not corrode. Gemstones can also be very precious, though not all will recognize their worth/quality; they can be hard to identify.

Anyone who likes using nuclear technology would value nuclear fuel materials. Uranium, Plutonium, or whatever they use in their sci-fi miniature reactors would be small, portable, and very expensive. On the downside, the market for such goods would be restricted to operators, manufacturers, and other folks who know how to work with nuclear material.

E-clips would be a nice trade good, especially among more isolated communities that can't produce their own. In developed areas, their relative value would be less, but they'll be in demand anywhere people use them, which is most places. On the downside, E-clips aren't truly universal, and if the local weapons can't use them, then their demand and value will plummet.

Most staple foods wouldn't be good as trade; they're too bulky, unless you're based out of a cargo-hauler or small ship. However, some high-value foods, especially ones that don't spoil quickly/at all would be great trade goods. Honey (they found unspoiled honey in King Tut's tomb), maple syrup, salt, tea leaves, and sugar would all be quite valuable. Spices and extracts would also be in high demand.

Seeds are very portable, and could be quite valuable, especially in more remote locations. If your group's vehicle is large enough to support a small greenhouse/hydroponics garden, a Herbologist from England can be a source of incredible income. Alcohol could be quite valuable in nearly any form.

Medicines and/or drugs have been mentioned several times, and I completely agree about their near-universal demand. The only trouble is if they are of a nature that the local market doesn't trust. For example, a primitive tribe won't be interested in IV medication, and high-tech societies may frown on herbal medicines.

[taalismn]

Wire----Good, strong, thin, wire. Good for electronics, for musical instruments, for snares, for cabling....

[flatline]

E-clips would be a nice trade good, especially among more isolated communities that can't produce their own. In developed areas, their relative value would be less, but they'll be in demand anywhere people use them, which is most places. On the downside, E-clips aren't truly universal, and if the local weapons can't use them, then their demand and value will plummet.

Phase World says that Rifts Earth style E-clips only cost $250 on phase world. So anyone with the means to travel between Center and Rifts Earth could make a tidy profit. Find a buyer on Center for guns from Rifts Earth since they trade at 1:1, then buy E-clips and bring them back to Rifts Earth for sale. GMG says standard E-clips sell for $5k-$7k, so if you sold your Center-sourced E-clips at a meager $3k per clip, you'd be making $2750 per clip (minus expenses, of course).

Of course, they never explain why Rifts style E-clips are only $250 when normal phase world clips are much more expensive than that. That has always bugged me.

--flatline

[Hotrod]

E-clips would be a nice trade good, especially among more isolated communities that can't produce their own. In developed areas, their relative value would be less, but they'll be in demand anywhere people use them, which is most places. On the downside, E-clips aren't truly universal, and if the local weapons can't use them, then their demand and value will plummet.

Phase World says that Rifts Earth style E-clips only cost $250 on phase world. So anyone with the means to travel between Center and Rifts Earth could make a tidy profit. Find a buyer on Center for guns from Rifts Earth since they trade at 1:1, then buy E-clips and bring them back to Rifts Earth for sale. GMG says standard E-clips sell for $5k-$7k, so if you sold your Center-sourced E-clips at a meager $3k per clip, you'd be making $2750 per clip (minus expenses, of course).

Of course, they never explain why Rifts style E-clips are only $250 when normal phase world clips are much more expensive than that. That has always bugged me.

--flatline

That's an excellent question. My guess is that it boils down to demand. I imagine that the weapons and technology of Phase World isn't designed to run off Earth-style E-clips, and the technology and materials to manufacture the Earth-style ones is probably relatively cheap and easy. Low demand and very elastic supply combines for a very low price.

Your approach seems like it would have excellent profit margins, but the risks would also be high. Dimensional travel is not a trivial exercise, and neither Center nor Rifts Earth are safe places to do business.

[Aramanthus]

Some excellent another one like gold.new trade good. I am not sure if anyone mentioned silver. That would be another one like gold. And then the diamond market might be another one for investors. There are at least four diamond pipes in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

[taalismn]

Some excellent another one like gold.new trade good. I am not sure if anyone mentioned silver. That would be another one like gold. And then the diamond market might be another one for investors. There are at least four diamond pipes in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

Besides gemstone value, diamonds have great value to Stone Masters and Technowizards, especially since certain spells and TW creations use up/destroy diamonds and other crystals, thus there's a drain on the supply, and keeping demand high.

[Aramanthus]

Yes, but there are at least four diamond pipes in the upper peninsula alone. And there are likely more of them. There is one in Arkansas. There is at least one suspected diamond pipe in California. There are probably many others in US area of North America alone. And emeralds have been found along the Appalachians. There were (and maybe still are) sapphires in fairly easily obtained deposit in at least one western state. Just a run down of what I currently remember for gem resources of the US portion of North America. I did not mention the vast diamond pipe in Canada in the Northwest Territories.

[Hotrod]

Natural diamonds would be a niche market. The only practical utility for them is Techno-Wizardry and Stone Magic. Otherwise, they're cheap and easy to make.

I saw a 60 carat flawless diamond for about $150 the other day. The real-life market is an artificial market, driven by social pressures and marketing. Fundamentally, gold and silver are valuable elements. Diamonds are just carbon. With modern technology, you can literally make a diamond out of your own excrement.

[taalismn]

Good, high-quality tools, ideally megadamage tools that don't wear down/out easily and need less re-sharpening. Drills and cutting heads. A lathing tool made of MDC material, used to shape SDC materials, oughta be around a lot longer than an SDC metal cutting head. Local craftsmen and tradesmen will pay good money for good tools for their living.

[nilgravity]

One of my Rifts get rich quick schemes would be to be a cyber doc that specializes in plastic surgery. "Oh you're a 15 PB? Let's see if we can improve that a couple points..."

[Icefalcon]

Good, high-quality tools, ideally megadamage tools that don't wear down/out easily and need less re-sharpening. Drills and cutting heads. A lathing tool made of MDC material, used to shape SDC materials, oughta be around a lot longer than an SDC metal cutting head. Local craftsmen and tradesmen will pay good money for good tools for their living.

Unfortunately, those MDC tools will wear out at reagular pace when used on MDC equipment.

[glitterboy2098]

Good, high-quality tools, ideally megadamage tools that don't wear down/out easily and need less re-sharpening. Drills and cutting heads. A lathing tool made of MDC material, used to shape SDC materials, oughta be around a lot longer than an SDC metal cutting head. Local craftsmen and tradesmen will pay good money for good tools for their living.

Unfortunately, those MDC tools will wear out at reagular pace when used on MDC equipment.

yes, but they''l last 100x longer when used on SDC stuff. for example, an MDC jigsaw blade is going to last pretty much forever when cutting wood. an MDC cutting blade for a lathe will let you shape normal metal for far longer before it wears out.

and don't forget the mundane tools. an Axes made with MDC materials for handle and head will almost never break, and should hold an edge for far longer than one made of normal materials. a handsaw, same principle.

remember most towns aren't going to be working with MDC materials all that often.

[Icefalcon]

Good, high-quality tools, ideally megadamage tools that don't wear down/out easily and need less re-sharpening. Drills and cutting heads. A lathing tool made of MDC material, used to shape SDC materials, oughta be around a lot longer than an SDC metal cutting head. Local craftsmen and tradesmen will pay good money for good tools for their living.

Unfortunately, those MDC tools will wear out at reagular pace when used on MDC equipment.

yes, but they''l last 100x longer when used on SDC stuff. for example, an MDC jigsaw blade is going to last pretty much forever when cutting wood. an MDC cutting blade for a lathe will let you shape normal metal for far longer before it wears out.

and don't forget the mundane tools. an Axes made with MDC materials for handle and head will almost never break, and should hold an edge for far longer than one made of normal materials. a handsaw, same principle.

remember most towns aren't going to be working with MDC materials all that often.

True and most times in those small towns they would love to get their hands on MDC tools for SDC purposes. Most of them will also be unable to afford those tools as well.

[taalismn]

And remember, making MDC tools from sharpened armor, or bone, scraps is very labor-intensive, time and energy that would be better spent making standard-of-living improvement work. Having ready-made, purpose-built tools available is a vast savings in time for local craftsmen. Having somebody hand them such goodies in return for trivial exchange of services or goods, or as gifts, goes a long way to making their day and raising their opinion of those travelers newly come to their community.

Of course, if the locals ARE working MDC materials like hide and bone from megadamage critters, then having ready-made tools is again a great thing, because even though they'll wear out faster, that's an amount of work they might not be able to do otherwise, and potentially they may have been able to make a number of lesser quality MDC tools(like an MD bone knife or chisel) with that one tool, so spreading the productivity.

[Icefalcon]

And remember, making MDC tools from sharpened armor, or bone, scraps is very labor-intensive, time and energy that would be better spent making standard-of-living improvement work. Having ready-made, purpose-built tools available is a vast savings in time for local craftsmen. Having somebody hand them such goodies in return for trivial exchange of services or goods, or as gifts, goes a long way to making their day and raising their opinion of those travelers newly come to their community.

Of course, if the locals ARE working MDC materials like hide and bone from megadamage critters, then having ready-made tools is again a great thing, because even though they'll wear out faster, that's an amount of work they might not be able to do otherwise, and potentially they may have been able to make a number of lesser quality MDC tools(like an MD bone knife or chisel) with that one tool, so spreading the productivity.

All true as long as the people giving/trading them away do not expect anything of equal value in return.

[taalismn]

[All true as long as the people giving/trading them away do not expect anything of equal value in return.

The PCs who do so(give expensive stuff away) may earn Good Karma points(redemption date on the mortal plane of existence undefined, redemption in the aferlife debatable), or may be awarded the Golden Sucker award for not appreciating true value and out of the running for Sharp and Opportunistic Merchant of the Year.

[Hotrod]

The more I think about it, the more silver makes sense as a good trade good. It's the best conductor, it has valuable medicinal properties, and it can hurt were-beasts and undead. It also has useful chemical properties. Both high-tech and low-tech societies would want it.

[taalismn]

The more I think about it, the more silver makes sense as a good trade good. It's the best conductor, it has valuable medicinal properties, and it can hurt were-beasts and undead. It also has useful chemical properties. Both high-tech and low-tech societies would want it.

Indeed. Ironic, that(in that it's more useful than gold).

[nilgravity]

The many shops described in VK have some interesting ideas.

[flatline]

SDC firearms and ammunition has pretty universal value. Not as valuable as MD weapons, but easier to trade and less likely to draw unwanted attention.

--flatline