Learning how to make Units (money) by trading goods is very important in No Man’s Sky. The game is most known for rewarding its players through exploration. What some don’t realize, however, is that being a trader on the Galactic Trade Market also has its advantages. In order to make the most of the various trade terminals set up around the galaxy, you must first dive deep into the field of knowledge surrounding the market. Not only will this help you progress through the game, it will also ensure you always have plenty of Units sitting in your wallet, just waiting to be cashed in on a fancy new ship.
Learning the Market
The first step to becoming a trade market mogul, is to learn how the market functions. The most important thing to remember is that each trade terminal offers up different items, meaning you won’t always be able to buy certain items from the terminal you’re standing in front of. Of course, this limit doesn’t affect selling in any way, so feel free to sell to any terminal that offers up a good return.
Looking at the trade market product listing, you may notice several different numbers listed under the item’s name. The important numbers to pay attention to are located right under the item name. For example, the entry for a Shielding Shard might read:
SHIELDING SHARD
345.7 per piece (+0.6% Galactic Avg.)
This means that the item sales at this particular trade terminal for an additional .6% of the Galactic Average, meaning you can sell the item here for a few extra Units than you might make at another trade terminal on another planet or station. The % above Galactic Average also works the opposite way as well. Sometimes you’ll notice items that are marked with a red number instead of the green font that marks items that sale above average. For example, at one particular station the entry for Power Gel might read:
POWER GEL
171.5 per piece (-0.9% Galactic Avg.)
This means that selling Power Gel at this terminal would actually cause you to lose out on any extra Units you could make if the item sold above Galactic Average.
Using the Market to Make Money Fast
From here you need to locate the items that sell for the best prices. We suggest finding something that sales for at least 50-99% above the Galactic Average. This method works best on Space Stations, where NPC ships often can be found loitering about. Once you have found an item that can be sold high to the Galactic Trade Market, head out of the trading area and back into the hangar. Wait for NPC ships to land on the landing pads around you, stations also offer the highest amount of landing pads for ships, and then walk up and interact with them to see what they are selling.
If they are selling the item that you located on the trade market, buy it all, and then run continue through the other ships around you. Once your inventory space is full, head back into the trading area and open up the Galactic Trade Market. Sell your goods to the market, and then rinse and repeat the process over and over. If you start to find that ships aren’t selling the item that you are looking for, hop in your ship and fly to a new system, land at the Space Station there, and then find a new item in the market terminal.
Trading in a Roleplay Fashion
Not everyone is looking to make as much money as they can as quickly as they can. If you’re looking for more of a roleplay oriented way to make money, then trading is a great endeavor to undertake. Head to your nearest Trading Outpost or Space Station, and find yourself some goods for really cheap (look for items marked under the Galactic Average). Load up your starship and your Exosuit inventory, and then hop in your ship and make your way to the nearest Space Station, Trading Outpost, or new star system. Wait until you can sell your goods for a decent price and then empty your cargo hold. Rinse and repeat.
Stay tuned to Prima Games for more useful tips and tricks in No Man’s Sky!
