The auction houses

The staff place an Auctioneer in a town (the town's auction house) or for a faction (the faction's own). Each house has its own stock. Talk to him, or type /ah beside him: the window opens with three tabs, Buy, Sell and - for those who run it - Manage.

The Buy tab lists everything on sale here, cheapest first: search by name, pick a kind (weapons, armour, clothing, food & drink, potions, crafting goods, other), sort by price or name. Each line shows the item and its condition, how many are left and the price of one. The sellers stay hidden - only how many listings each one has here shows. Choose how many you want (part of a listing is fine).

Buy now shows only while the house is open: someone who runs it stands at the counter. Your request goes to them; when they accept, you pay (your purse first, then your account at the moneylender) and the goods go straight into your pack. Not answered within 5 minutes, or you walk more than 20 m away: it becomes a delivery request (below) if you can pay and have a home, else it is called off.

Buy & deliver works open or closed, for anyone with a house or a rented tavern room: you pay at once and the auction house holds your money while one of its managers approves the delivery - it may take a few hours. Nobody answering within 2 hours, it is approved by itself. Your requests waiting show on the Buy tab (Your delivery requests), each with a Cancel button that refunds you while it waits. Approved, the goods travel to your home by courier (a minute to half an hour, by the distance). The parcel shows in F2 > Letters - Arrived at ... - and opens only there: stand in your house or your room and press Open. A full pack takes what it can; the rest stays in the parcel. No home yet? The window says so: rent a room from any innkeeper (talk to him > Rooms) or buy a house.

The Sell tab lists what your pack may put up for sale (never worn gear, tagged items, faction issue or quest pieces). Pick one: set how many, the price of one and how long it stays on sale: 4, 8, 12, 24 or 48 hours (24 by default). The window suggests a price: the lowest one on sale here less a groschen (undercut), and what it sold for this week (the median); the merchants' price is shown too. Press Put up for sale: the goods leave your pack at once and wait at the auctioneer.

When something of yours sells, the house keeps its cut and the rest goes into your account at the moneylender - told in the chat, or by letter when you are away. A delivery pays you when its buyer opens the parcel.

A listing stays as long as its seller chose - from 4 hours to 48 hours; the time left shows on your listings. Unsold, its goods are sent back to your house or room as a parcel - or, without a home, they wait for you at any auctioneer (Sell tab, Waiting for you here). You can take a listing back yourself at the auctioneer any time (Take back).