Nokk’s Guide to Diablo 2 Trading: Turning your Stash into a Hoard

Hey everyone, Nokk here, moderator of the Trading Marketplace and this is my Diablo 2 Resurrected trading guide. I’d like to take a second to thank the PureDiablo team for an amazing execution of the Diablo 2 Trading Marketplace. Also, shout out to our price checkers who volunteer their time and offer their knowledge to the community. On behalf of the PureDiablo team, I welcome you to the Trading Marketplace:

What is the Trading Marketplace?

This is a vital service since everyone wants to get a fair trade and not have to worry about getting burned. Here are the basic features to get you started:

• You can filter search results
• Track your trades with ease
• Leave and receive feedback
• Most importantly, it offers a way to build and earn trust between traders.

What is the Economy?

Let’s start with the basics. Trading is your item for their item (PureDiablo does not support RMT for Diablo 2 items). That’s a tough task, since our items may have different values or you don’t have an item the other trader wants. That’s where currency comes in. Long ago, it was SoJs (Stone of Jordan) and today it’s runes. Runes have value because they are portable, have a limited supply, and have a value relative to each other.

• Runes are used to price items
• Trading runes is preferred as currency
• Traders make runewords out of Runes – diminishing the supply thus creating more demand for those runes
• Rarity of runes means they can be compared to each other’s value

The next component of the economy is the law of supply and demand. It works just like in the real world, so I’m sure you are familiar with the concept. How it’s applied to Diablo 2 can be seen in a few ways.

• When the Ladder season starts, items are in high demand, supply is very low and prices will be quite high.
• If you want to ‘get rich’ then racing to Hell and getting those early items to trade is vital, especially MF (Magic Find) gear.
• As time goes on, gear becomes more plentiful and the prices will drop. But the rarity of certain items and their demand will mean their prices will never dip below certain points – like Mara’s Kaleidoscope.
• When traders start to accumulate resources, they seek out new investments like crafting materials or gold for gambling. This creates new markets for these bulk items.
• Same with players chasing perfect gear, PVP items and +Skill Grand Charms. This creates a new market for charms and jewels.

What Should I Keep?

When you come across a new item, you ask: Is this item good? It depends, but most items are not worth much. There are 386 Unique items in D2R. Of that maybe 75-85 of those are ‘good’ – meaning that someone wants to use them. Of that only 25-30 are the GG items that people really ‘value.’ So how do you find out if an item is ‘good?’ and if it is: what is its ‘value’?

• Check our Pricing Guide. If your item is listed, then it’s good and the value is listed.
• Post a Price Check in the forum. A price checker will be able to tell you if the item is good and what the value is
• Ask on our Discord. Mention @Nokk and I’ll be happy to give you a #price-check
• You can just Google the item name and add ‘worth’ or ‘price.’ Be warned that the information will usually be dated, but at least you may get an idea if that Griswold’s Edge you found is worth anything (it’s not)
• Even if an item is not listed or has no value, you can still keep it. With the addition of the shared stash in D2R it’s easy to store items if you want to. If you just aren’t sure, just ‘mule’ it until later
• Some items have certain specific uses, so keeping them in a list on our Trade Shops will allow traders to search for yours

What is it Worth?

So let’s look at a real example. You find a 4 open socket Monarch Shield and you find a 3 open socket Archon Plate. These are both ‘good’, they both have ‘value’ and you could trade them pretty easily. But how much do you charge?

At the beginning of the Ladder season, the 4os (os = open sockets) Monarch Shield is in high demand for a short period of time – it’s for making the lowest STR requirement Spirit shield runeword. However, once everyone has their Spirit shield, the demand drops off while the supply only increases. So sell it quickly and be willing to accept a lower price when the market begins to fall. At the start of this season, 4os Monarchs were worth an Um. A month later, they are only worth a Pul. Half the value of its original price.

Now, the 3os Archon Plate is one of the best, if not the best, runeword bases in the game because it is used for the very popular Enigma runeword. They are difficult items to find and a Superior version would net you a princely sum in runes. At the start of this season, there was absolutely no market for this item. No one had the runes to pay for it, much less the Jah and Ber rune to make Enigma. But now that the season has progressed, traders have the resources and are looking for them. They are paying a premium and the current price (Oct 2021) is Gul up to Vex – just for a grey item you could drop in the Secret Cow Level.

This is an example of how even characters who are fresh into Hell difficulty can still make a big profit – if they know the ins and outs.

All that is to say this: Know your items. What classes / builds use them? What have they been worth in the past? Does the item have the right number of sockets? Is it the right class of item for a Runeword? If it’s unique, does it have a price listed in the guide? If it doesn’t, did you check it with a price checker?

Set items are tricky, some are worth a lot, some a little – always double check to make sure you are not tossing something that someone may want. Rare and magic items can have value too, but once again, you need to have some idea what stats are valuable. +Skills, IAS, FCR, Sockets, Resists, Stats and of course MF are all desired. Learn these stats and who wants what then you can price your items with confidence.

Finally: what should I sell it for?

• Profit vs. Speed: Do you want to make the most profit or sell it quickly to get back to the game? Higher prices may take longer to sell while a low price will net you less but is usually instant cash flow. You can also find ways to trade ‘offline’ like our Marketplace, where speed isn’t a factor because you arrange trades at your own pace.
• Consider an auction: If you have something that is worth a good bit or a rare item without a set value then list it as ‘best offer.’ This lets people bid or contact you and you can choose the best offer.
• Know what you want: Most traders will offer you something for your class, if they don’t have the runes you list your item for – have an idea of what upgrades you need. If you need boots, gloves and rings – then that is better then just letting the other trader try to pick something from the stash that you might like.
• Supply vs. Demand: With the 4os Monarch Shield, you must be willing to sell it for the price the market is asking. If you try to sell it for the older and higher price, you will turn off serious traders. With the 3os Archon Plate, you can afford to be picky and shop for the best offer. You have an in-demand item that is rare, don’t be snowed by a trader offering a quick trade.
• Serious offers only: Don’t let this prevent you from making a trade, but be sure you have made an attempt to price your item before you list it for trade. If you don’t know, it’s best just to leave it blank, ie “For Trade 3os Archon Plate.” If you price an item too high, you will turn away serious buyers. If you price an item too low, you will lose out on profit. Check with us in the Discord or the forums if you ever need help.

How to Make a Trade

When you’ve got your item, and you’ve got your price: it’s time to make the trade. I touched on using the Trading Marketplace, but this advice can be said for any other site, channel or lobby.

• List your item & your price or what you are looking for & what you offer – that’s it. Don’t add extra flair, l337 speak, or emojis. Just cut straight to the point so traders can easily see what’s on offer.
• Be sure to add tags to your trades if you are trading on the Marketplace or if you might be in a general lobby. You want to make sure you can actually trade with the player you are talking to.
• Include the relevant stats, if it can be written in shorthand. A Mara’s Amulet can sell for an Ist or it can be worth a High Rune or more. Adding pictures is also recommended to help traders choose your listing.
• Be patient. Trading is not done at the speed of light, but it can be faster if you follow the best practices. Even then, you may have an item with high supply or low demand – but eventually if you are patient you will sell it. You can always ‘bump’ your trades, but don’t spam them.

Trading through Discord is another option and can be seen as an extension of the Marketplace anywhere you can use Discord.

• The newest trades from the Pure Diablo Trading marketplace are constantly being fed into the #latest-trades channel on Discord so you never miss a thing.
• Trading can be done there and a dedicated #console-trading channel, so if you want to trade on the go, it’s a snap.
• Don’t forget to check out the #price-check channel, which links back to our Price Check forum. You can search that channel for the item you are looking for and find the price instantly when you click on that post.

Building your reputation with other traders is vital to being successful down the road. I plan on playing this game for quite some time, so a year or two down the road I want to have made a good name for myself as a trader. So find somewhere that will let you do that and you will have a better experience overall.

The last way to trade is over BNet lobbies or games. At this time, I would not recommend it, but things could change – and I predict it’s just a matter of time. D2R is a pretty faithful remaster, including the painful chat/lobby experience of the Diablo 2 client.

• I could go off here, but quite simply you don’t see enough people in the lobby nor can many people see the name of games you make.
• It can be the fastest way to trade, but you must spend game time doing it. I much prefer to arrange trades while I’m ‘offline’ so that when I do get to play, I can stick to killing some demons.
• BNet trades have very few guard rails. There are cheats and scammers aplenty, so don’t let your defense down with someone that you just met over Battle.net. I’ve listed the most common scams below, but be wary of any offer that seems too good to be true.

Finally, let’s talk about ‘Real Money Trading’ – a concept that has been a part of Diablo 2 since the old days. Blizzard tried to legitimize it through the Auction House in Diablo 3, but reversed course soon after.

• Not much for me to say, other than I don’t recommend it.
• You have no way to dispute it if someone takes your money.
• You’ve got to use some ‘service’ to facilitate the trade.
• You can run afoul of the Terms of Service of BNet and lose your account.
• How do you know how many dollars an item is worth?

That many red flags makes it clear that ‘RMT’ or other slang for paid items is just not worth it and can attract shady traders.

Once you understand the methods, the only way to make the trade is by meeting in-game with the person you’re trading with. BattleNet names need to be shared and a suitable time to meet needs to be arranged.

The Do’s and Don’t of Trading

When you trade, be sure to read the person you are trading with. Some people are friendly, others not. Some want to chat, others don’t. I always try to be cheery when I’m trading because I think it’s fun, but if someone doesn’t reciprocate then I don’t take it personally. However, if I find someone who does reciprocate I add them to my friends list – that way if I find more stuff they are looking for I can reach out to them first. Be open to making friends with your trade partner, you may be able to trade with them again and again. You’ve already gotten past the initial trade, so each trade thereafter is easier and easier. They may also refer their friends. So be friendly or polite, say thanks and give good feedback if you can.

• Don’t spam the channel or forum with your offer, please. It is a huge deal, especially when trading is high at the start of Ladder.
• Don’t use l337 speak or s p a c e d c h a r a c t e r s to try to get attention, since it will annoy traders that don’t appreciate that.
• Don’t keep the other trader waiting, get in the game, open the trade window and trade – people have little time and little patience for those that waste it.
• Don’t beg for items, you will only leave a bad taste in peoples’ mouths.
• Don’t try to rip anyone off, I guess this goes without saying, but it could be you next time.
• Don’t bad mouth other traders, report them if they behave badly and move on. As Twain said: never wrestle with a pig – it gets mud all over you and the pig likes it.

Scams

Finally, let’s talk about scams: which ones to look out for and how to avoid them.

1. The first scam is the Bait and Switch. It boils down to getting you to accept a similar looking item in the trade window to the actual item you want. A Shako and a socketed emerald cap have the same visual appearance – so the scammer will put up the Shako to trade, make an excuse, close the window, then put the green cap up for trade and hope you won’t notice the swich. Always hover over the item in the trade before you hit accept to prevent this scam.
2. The next is the Third Party scam. Some sites or players will encourage you to go to a link and download a program – usually some sort of cheat is offered. When you download the program, it will be malware meant to steal your account or worse. Never open up any links unless it’s from someone you trust, and never download or execute a program from someone who is soliciting.
3. The DND scam is where someone presents to you a gift, a contest or clan invite. You simply need to type /DND [account name] [password] and then let them know when you do. They will then whisper your character, which automatically whispers back your /DND message. Never, under any circumstances, type out your BNet password anywhere.
4. Another related scam is the Official Account scam. Someone posing as a Blizzard rep, either in-game, via BNet, or even through email will ask you for your account name and password. Blizzard will never ask for your password. Once again, never type out your BNet password unless you are logging in to BNet!
5. The final scam is the Drop Trade scam. There are no items in Diablo 2 that require you to drop them to trade them. This was true back in the day, but not in D2R. If someone wants you to ‘wall trade’ or go to Atma’s or whatever, then leave the game and block the user – they are planning to take your item. Beware: do not use “Ctrl-Click” when trading because if you do that with your inventory open, it will drop the item on the ground. Also be very careful that the person does not close the trade window when you are placing your items in it, because you will click on the empty space and drop your item. Someone may ask you to “Ctrl-Click” your item to send it to the chat. D2R added “Shift-Click” to send an Item to chat like other games. Do not drop your items, do not press “Ctrl-Click” and block any user who suggests you do either.

Remember…

• Always check the seller’s items in the trade window.
• Never type out your BNet acct name / pass.
• Never download / run software from a third party.
• Never set your DND message to anything with your acct name / pass.
• Never give anyone your login info! Never drop your items or press CTRL + Click in your inventory
• Be careful when you are dragging an item to the trade window that the trader doesn’t close the window.
• If someone makes you suspicious, then trust your instincts – don’t make the trade!

Trade Roles and Goals

Most traders are what we call MF’ers. No, not that kind of MF’er. A Magic Find character is usually someone like a Sorceress or Summon Necro that stacks item after item to build up their chance to find high level unique items.

MF’ers

Pros:

• The more items they find, the more they have to trade and they can build wealth quickly.
• You can ‘upgrade’ your own gear and sell what you don’t use any more
• Building your character is simple: you want to be a Blizz Sorc and you want MF gear, easy!

Cons:

• You need to chase those high priced MF items for your character
• You must play certain builds to maximize your killing speed
• MF’ers compete with other traders looking for those same items you need for your character.

At the start of Ladder, expect most folks to go this way because it works and the only downside is the cost of the gear.

Base Hunters

The next set of traders are Base Hunters. Folks will pay high prices for Ethereal Elite Polearms, Ethereal Armor and socketed weapons / armor of specific kinds. It takes a while to learn what is worth keeping, but once you can determine that you can take a character into a high density area like the Secret Cow Level and find some really amazing stuff.

Pros:

• MF gear actually makes the search harder, so having starter gear or damage gear on is ideal
• You can play any class and any build that you want. If you can kill Cows in Hell, then you can be a Base Hunter
• The bases you find are in high demand and can be in short supply. You can charge a premium, or at least make a steady income.

Cons:

• The market can shift quickly and you will have bases that you can’t sell or worth very little.
• Killing Cows can be repetitive and boring, and not something a group will want to do.
• You also need to know a fair bit about the prices so you know what’s worth keeping.

I like this method because having MF gear actually hampers this process, so it’s great to do at the start of Ladder, or if you like a build that can’t wear too much MF gear and kill efficiently.

Gamblers

Another set of traders are the Gamblers. They are going to try to make as much gold as possible and then create characters to reach a certain character level to take the most advantage of the gambling system.

Pros:

• Having MF gear or killing enemies doesn’t matter, at all.
• You can get really lucky and roll a Best in Slot rare circlet or amulet
• Most people will trade away gold for cheap (a million gold is worth a Ko)

Cons:

• You need a certain build to make gold to gamble with. Usually, they will main a Gold Find Barb, since he is the best build to easily amass millions of gold.
• You need to know the rules. Gambling is its own mini-game in itself and I couldn’t hope to do it justice in such a short space. If you are ready to learn about cLvls and iLvls, then you could be a gambler. If not, then find another path.
• You will probably never see that GG circlet or ammy and you may spend hours upon hours for very little gain.

Gambling with your excess gold can be a painless way to burn up millions of gold quickly without much worry. Just don’t expect much and you won’t be disappointed.

The Crafters

The Crafters have a similar road to the finish line as Gamblers. They amass the materials needed to create crafted amulets, gloves, rings and then turn them into rare items. Some will also reroll Grand Charms, like the ones dropped by Baal, that can roll the highest affixes in the game.

Pros:

• Once again, you have a chance to hit the D2R lottery and craft a GG best in slot item with the crafting recipes or roll a perfect +skiller with something like +45 Life.
• No need for special gear, just find the items and cube them.
• Like gold, crafting mats can be bought in bulk for a small fee.

Cons:

• Even more than gambling, you must have a good knowledge of the crafting system before getting started. There are some easy recipes to remember (blood gloves and caster amulets). But to make the most out of crafting you need to know the rules in and out.
• In that vein, when you create rare gear, it’s one of a kind. It has no price until someone buys it from you. If you don’t have a solid grasp of what stats are worth it (IAS/FCR/MF/Resist All) then you will have a tough time knowing what to charge or if you are getting a good trade.
• Numbers, numbers, numbers. You have to craft over and over and over before you get something good. Prepare to waste a lot of material as part of the process.

Eventually, you will get something amazing if you craft long enough. Just look at it as a marathon, not a sprint.

The Rusher

The Rusher is not a trader, but instead spends their time bringing folks up from Act I Hell to killing Baal for a fee – usually getting the new player’s runes from their Hellforge quest.

Pros:

• Can be a quick way to build up your wealth while playing the game
• You can make friends to play with down the road
• Hellforge quest can drop Hel up to a Gul, if you are lucky

Cons:

• There is no guarantee that you will be able to grab that Hellforge rune before the new player can.
• The new player can quit at any point and leave you without a reward.
• You must be sufficiently geared to rush people through Hell quickly and efficiently – meaning teleport is the bare minimum to making it as a successful Rusher.

You want to be able to bring people up through Hell as fast as possible, to make up for the failed runs and lost rewards that you will encounter. It’s not something that you can start off doing, but it can be profitable later.

The Key Runner

The Key Runner is another type of trader that targets the bosses that drop Keys of Hate, Terror and Destruction. Other players will pay a premium for the components necessary to do the Pandemonium Event and it usually takes quite a few runs to drop even 1 key of the 3 needed.

Pros:

• This is a straightforward task. If you have the right character, you can easily farm the bosses that you want.
• The runs are quick and you can get them done if you have a small window of time
• You are also hitting bosses like Countess who can drop other things like runes while you are searching.

Cons:

• Very few characters can tackle Countess, Summoner and Nihlathak. You either need multiple characters, or you must use a build like a Hammerdin.
• Need to learn the layouts of the Tower, Arcane Sanctuary and Nihlathak’s Temple
• Can take many runs to get a full keyset and traders only want full keysets

The biggest benefit is that you will eventually amass enough keys and start running the Uber events on your own, or you will make friends with those who do, and you will acquire a coveted Hellfire torch in short order. I like to transition to this role after the Ladder season gets underway and players are doing the Pandemonium Event.

The Uber Hunter

In that same vein, the Uber Hunter is a trader that spends their time going after Hellfire Torches. Killing the Ubers is a tough task.

Pros:

• If you can clear the bar and efficiently run the Pandemonium Event consistently, you can reap the rewards
• An UNID torch is worth nearly a High Rune at this point. A 20/20 Sorcerer Torch would be worth whatever you asked on the open market.
• Being an end game event means you are facing the ultimate challenge that D2R has to offer

Cons:

• You need the right gear, the right build and you definitely have a much better chance with a good team to back you up.
• Not everyone can muster the manpower and resources to hunt for Torches, but if you can there is probably no better way to amass wealth.
• Once again, it’s an end game event, and it may take the average player a good deal of effort to complete their first Ubers.

There is no downside to this approach. Blizzard created this event to challenge all players and reward them accordingly. I highly suggest you try to kill the Ubers at some point.

The Packrat

The Packrat is the trader that collects everything, usually with an eye towards crafting materials. Perfect rubies, Ral runes, Chipped gems, Junk Jewels, gold in the millions: if it has some value, you pick it up and you sell it.

Pros:

• These items will ALWAYS have some value and can be collected from level one by any character.
• There will be no shortage of demand once the economy reaches its peak
• Repeat customers can be easily gained, since crafters know you will find more mats for them to buy

Cons:

• The increase to stash sizes means that the demand for these items will be lower than in D2:LOD
• Keeping everything organized and with that many runes, gems and jewels it can be a major pain. That’s why folks are willing to pay a premium for your crafting mats: they don’t have to do any of that work!
• Until traders have the resources to start crafting, you have literally no one to sell your material too. You just have to hold them until they are worth something

Cubing 3 rings into an amulet or cubing 3 amulets into a ring is another great Packrat technique and you can make some trade bait to get others interested in the rest of your stuff. There are tons of small tips and tricks like this, so try to diversify yourself to keep your cash coming in.

Holy Grail collector and the Perfectionist

The final roles are really more of goals. The Holy Grail collector and the Perfectionist.

The Perfectionist seeks out the best in slot item for each and every one of their characters. They want the best of the best and nothing less, although they might take a point or two off the mark until they can get to the final step. This is a very expensive proposition, and only the most dedicated players devote themselves to the task. Doing it on one character is the goal for most players, doing it for 7 (or more) characters is a daunting task.

The other side of the coin is the Holy Grail collector. Most people keep a stash full of different items, these characters want EVERY item. From the lowly Pelta Lunata to the ultra rare Tyrael’s Might, your goal is to find every unique item in the game. Style points for the more ethereal items you get your hands on. It’s usually a goal for the Single Players, since you are limited on space on BNet. But there is nothing stopping a BNet player from finding every item and then snapping a screenshot of each for the Gram before trading or giving them away.

Final Word

So once you’ve amassed all this wealth – what now? Play the game! Try different builds, different characters and farm different areas. Certain items can make or break or certain builds – without a Death’s Web you will not have a good time as Poisonmancer. A LF Zon really pops with a perfect Griffon’s Eye. And there is nothing cooler than running around with a Sorceress in full Tal Rasha’s Wrappings, trust me.

Find those make-or-break items and then create those insane builds. Want to make a melee sorceress? Do it! Want to make a throwing barb? Go ahead! A druid with a bow and Act 5 mercenary? Yup! That’s the awesome part of D2R that we all love. But without the resources to back these builds up, you may as well try to get water from a stone. Trade opens up the game, makes your main characters stronger, decks out your alts and lets you become whatever it is you want to be. Get out there, find some items, put them up for trade and make something that you will be proud of.