## The Marketplace The marketplace is where you can trade resources for goods. You have two choices when you go to the market: Sell _to_ Market, and Sell _on_ Market. ### Sell _to_ Market The choice to sell _to_ the market is often a very good one. Selling to the market means going to the game master or banker, and offering to sell your resources. Whoever you go to will tell you what the bank is willing to pay to buy it at present. If you agree the goods will be sold to the bank and you will get money then. You may negotiate what you get, say trading some amount of one commodity or good for an equivalent or equal amount of another in lieu of money. The bank is then free to do as it pleases with said goods, whether it be lend them, resell them _on_ the market, or hold them. ### Sell _on_ Market Selling _on_ the market is different then selling _to_ the market. Selling on the market means that you go to the market, which is in _The Office_, and tell Barbara you'd like to put some goods on the market. She will then give you a piece of paper, on which you will place your goods, and write the name of the goods you want to sell, quantity you wish to sell, the price you'd like to sell the goods for, and your name. If someone buys the goods for that price, Barbara will set the paid price aside for you to collect later, or with next rounds payment. When listing a good on the market, a small listing fee is taken by Barbara, generally around 1-5 credits depending on the value of the item being listed. _The item or good being listed on the market does not _have_ to be a resource/commodity such as production, food, or fuel. You may also put a debt on the market, shares in a company, systems you control, fleets, offers to build things in your shipyard, etc. All of these can be listed on the market._ Thus, selling on the market is more risky, as someone might not buy, or you might need to update your price. The market price, as posted by Barbara, for goods may also undercut your own price. ### Buying from the market The market is situated in _The Office_, Barbara watches over it to ensure no one steals. If you wish to buy something from the market, you simply ask Barbara to buy it, she will tell you the price. Pay her, and whatever you desire is yours! The market is semi-free. The bank manages the market, but also issues credit and has access to a small starting stockpile of resources which it can sell or loan and on which it is set to make a profit. Thus, because the bank manages the market, it takes a small fee off of every transaction. The amount of the fee is determined by Barbara at the time of the good is listed. ### Do I need to use the market? NO! You are free to conduct, what one might call... 'black market' transactions between players without involving the bank or any other players. This might be goods for goods, or goods for money, money for goods, or any combination of anything else. You're more then welcome to do this. Of course, if the bank catches wind, it might pay pirates to attack your transactions. After all, the bank wants to keep its monopoly.