Gem pouch
Gem pouches are special pouches made to hold gems. Typically they can hold 70 gems untied, but once tied can hold 500. A tied gem pouch will only count as 2 inventory items total.
Verbs
- FILL POUCH WITH <CONTAINER>: This will fill the gem pouch with all gems from the container. This cannot be done with gem pouches that are lockable.
- TIE POUCH: This will tie off the gem pouch, reducing it to one single item.
- Note: Once done, this cannot be undone. Also, once done, there are limits as to where and who can sell the tied pouches. At standard gem shops, only Traders of sufficient circle may sell them. Anyone may sell a tied gem pouch to a financeable gem shop if the shop is funded.
- UNTIE POUCH: Only possible for traders, this will split the pouch into two smaller pouches.
- SEARCH POUCH: Searches through an untied gem pouch and finds the most valuable gem inside. You must have a free hand to do this.
- COMBINE GEM POUCH WITH [TIED POUCH]: Combines two tied pouches together.
- GATHER [GEM] IN GEM POUCH: Gathers all of a certain type of gem from this pouch and places them in another pouch. You must have this gem pouch (untied and open) in one hand and another open pouch in your other hand.
- COUNT GEM POUCH: Tells you how many gems are in your pouch.
Variations
Lockable
Traders
Setup
First you want to get a gem pouch, which can be done at any gemshop (and you can even choose your style or color!) Simply "ASK <gem buyer> FOR <color/material> POUCH".
In addition, there are also more elaborate gem pouches sold at some festival shops that have a wider variety of materials and colors, as well as being adorned with various symbols (such as your favorite deity). Another type comes with a built in locks.
Once you have a gem pouch, you can then fill it with gems:
- If you already collected the gems
- FILL MY POUCH WITH MY <container>
- If you still need to collect the gems.
- Just fill it as you go (can even set the STOREage for gems to your gem pouch)
Note: Gem pouches that have locks cannot be used with the FILL command, due to their coding.
To save yourself on item count, once you fill your pouch, you can TIE the pouch as well. Doing so makes the entire pouch count as one item, which makes it impossible to get the gems out of the pouch yourself, but it also makes it impossible for Thieves to steal your gems. Traders can still sell the entire pouch, so doing so is up to your preference.
Where To Go
No-matter where you are, you will need to find a gem shop. There are two basic types of gem shops, financed and regular. While all regular gem shops have a contract with the Traders guild which allow only Traders to sell pouches at them, the financed shops are generally less frequented by traders and the Trader's Guild "finances" the shops (hence the name) by actually paying to keep them in business.
At a financed shop, anyone can choose to sell a full pouch, though elsewhere you will need to find a trader.
Easy ways to find a Trader:
- Gweth for one.
- Meet one in your local market and ask them to help you.
- Find one on duty in the gemshop itself
- Notice a crier:
- You hear the voice of a crier outside announce, "Beg pardon and hate to disturb, but <Trader Name> is at the <location> if you have need of <his/her> services."
Now What?
So you have found a Trader and have met him or her at the gemshop of your choice. Now what? First depending on your method of finding them you'll want to make sure they are "on duty" or "willing to sell your gem pouch." As with anyone in the realms, people have a chance to fall asleep and its easier to ask than to assume.
Then you will GIVE the trader your pouch. This allows the trader to negotiate with the appraiser for a value. Most traders will ask you if a value is ok, if they don't and you want them to, just say so. They will then usually hand you back an empty pouch and your coin from that pouch.
If you are curious how much a trader has helped you, feel free to ask the appraiser to appraise your whole pouch before handing it off and compare the prices. (See: Trader gem selling bonus for details)
Tip
In general, as with most services in the realms, you will want to TIP a trader for their help. What constitutes a good tip is usually up to you (and the trader). Some common tips that have been witnessed:
- 50% of the pouch value increase over what the appraiser told you
- 100% of the pouch value increase over what the appraiser told you
- 10% of the full value of the pouch
- You can be sure to decide what works for you
Generally if you have multiple pouches it is best to wait until all pouches are sold to tip, but how much and how you go about doing it is definitely up to you.
FAQ
- Why would a trader want to do this?
- Selling gem pouches teach one of a Traders primary skills needed to circle trading skill, and some circles require 7 or more ranks of Trading to circle, so definitely a skill Traders want to work on.
- Less dangerous than trade roads.
- Why should I use a trader when I have a script to sell my gems easily?
- Traders can earn you a large bonus to your gem worth, and it saves time all around.
- I think the trader is trying to scam me, they offered me less than the appraiser offered me ===
- Usually this is the case with traders who are just starting to be able to sell gem pouches in bulk, that ability begins to happen right around 12th circle.
- When anyone, Trader or not sells a pouch there is a random +/-10% of appraisal value factored into what you are offered. Traders get a bonus to that random +/-10%, but it is not until the Traders bonus exceeds 20% that you can be guaranteed to never get offered a value above what the Trader is offered Still, they are more likely to get a positive value. (When you sell gems individually that +/-10% is applied to each gem rather than whole pouch, so chances are you will STILL get a positive boost)
- For more information on the numbers and reasoning here, see Trader gem selling bonus
- I need some other Trader provided service, can you help?
- It is generally accepted to wander into a gemshop and ask a Trader if they can do the thing you want, and if they would be willing to. Traders also get bonuses to selling bundles of skin, selling at the Pawn Shop, and can sell things for you at their Market Tables, or even run an auction among other things. If you need a service just ask!