To trade can have three meanings in Guild Wars:
Trade with an NPC Trader[ | ]
In all cities you can find Traders for various goods (runes, dye, materials, ...).
A trader, unlike a merchant or a crafter, does not sell and buy goods at a fixed price, but depending on supply and demand. You may even find a trader "out of stock" if there is very little supply.
Prices have a lower limit (the same price that you would get if you sell the same good to a merchant, but are open end).
Trade with another Player[ | ]
If you click another human player, the "Trade" button will appear next to his name in your target monitor. Clicking that button will start a trading session.
During a trading session you can offer gold or/and up to 7 items from your inventory. You submit the offer and the other player will send back his or her offer in gold or items. Both sides can modify and re-submit their offers until they both accept the deal or cancel the trade session.
Note: To remove an item from the trade screen, modify offer and double click on the item you wish to remove.
Note: You cannot hold more than 100 platinum. If a trade would result one character having more than 100 platinum, the trade window will simply close after both players have accepted the offer.
Note: Characters on Accounts created within the first 24 hours cannot trade with other players. You will briefly see a message telling you this if you try to use the Trade function, or if you try to trade with a character with this restriction.
Beware of scammers while trading with other players!
Trade Channel[ | ]
The trade channel is a chat channel where most players attempt to sell their items to other players, or attempt to buy items from other players. Words spoken in the trade channel appear pinkish-red in the chat window. Common abbreviations for the trade channel include:
- WTS = Want to sell
- WTB = Want to buy
- WTT = Want to trade
- PST = Please send tell (whisper)
- OBO = Or best offer
- ONO = Or nearest offer
- PC = Price Check
- Req = Requirement (as in attribute requirement for weapons)
- ^ = Above (i.e. Damage +15%^50 refers to extra damage when health is above 50%)
- Max = Item deals the maximum damage (weapons), has the most armor (shields), has the most energy (focus), or has the maximum modifier.
- For a shield, this means Armor 16; for focus items it means +12 energy, and for weapons, refer to Max damage.
Note: Using WTS or WTB in the local channel will automatically switch you to the trade channel. It is generally considered annoying to advertise wares in the local channel. However, in trade districts (e.g. LA Dis1) its sometimes seen that players type "W T S" or several alike spellings instead of "WTS" to prevent this process, to make their offer steps forward the others, because of the different colors of the font of the different channels. Also, you can be blocked for trading in local chat if someone reports you.