Junk Trading and the Economy
posted by Marco on 30th January 2010, at 2:09pmJunk Trading and the Economy
In the days after the trade updates a few years ago, and even more after Summoning was released, junk trading became an easy way to trade items over their set prices. The junk trading “community” is made up of mainly high level players. They are the ones who can control the prices of rares, and high level armor such as Bandos, and Third Age. We take a deeper dive into what all of this trading is all about, and why people do it.
Obviously people were mad with the trade updates. There are those players who got over it after a while, some who quit, and some who decided the best thing to do was to find a way around it. The people got their answer when Summoning came out. At the time, people were still looking for uses to the thousands of scrolls and pouches they made. They began using them to trade items for higher prices, and thus, junk trading was born. It escalated into a way to make cash quickly, buying items with cash and trading them, with your junk, for even more cash.
One thing that junk trading did was open up a market for lending items. When the lending item update came out, it was done in trade. This made it possible for players to lend an item for a certain amount of cash per hour. They would offer the item for however many hours, then add junk to reach the price they wanted. The person getting the item would then give the cash, and borrow the item. This is another way to make an easy couple hundred thousand coins, but only if you have the right items.
One common misconception of junk trading is that is against the rules. It is not against the rules, Jagex has said it themselves that it is not a problem in the Wilderness and Real-World Trading Q&A.
“I don’t consider junk trading a problem. I am actually quite happy that it is making those ‘junk’ items perceived as more valuable. It doesn’t allow real-world trading, but does let people do the trades they want. I see it as a good thing! Bounty Hunter is going to be further tweaked.”
The lists below are the items lended with junk, items traded with junk, and the items used as junk. They are some of the most common items, but the junk trading is not limited to just these items.
Items Lended with Junk
- Party Hats
- Godswords
- Whips
- Bandos Armor
- H’ween Masks
- Other expensive armor and weapons
Items Boosted Price with Junk
- Party Hats
- H’ween Masks
- Spirit Shields
- Third Age
- Dragon Claws, Dragon Full Helm
- Whips (Newest, due to different colored whips update)
- Godswords
Junk Items
- Maple and Willow Longbows (u)
- Willow Logs
- Seeds (Low Level)
- Rune (p) Darts, Addy (p) Darts
- Leather items (Coifs, bodies, chaps)
- Summoning Pouches
Any comments, questions, or suggestions, please PM me on the forums, or post here.
6 Comments
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31st January 2010, at 10:26am
it’s ‘lent’ not ‘lended’ -.-
31st January 2010, at 11:33am
I am such a grammar Nazi
31st January 2010, at 11:52am
Great post, however, I’d like to point out that Summoning pouches aren’t really junk since you can alch them or trade them for shards, which u can sell to a shop for 25gp ea.
31st January 2010, at 12:12pm
Yes, some pouches are in fact worth alching and trading for shards. However, before I wrote this article, I did my research, making sure that the items were still used. And yes, the pouches are still used as junk in World 2.
1st February 2010, at 3:34am
Nice article but slightly out of date :p
Some items (such as maple longbow (u)s) had their price reduced many months ago making them commonly used by people as an item to cast alchemy on, losing less money/alch compared to popular items such as yew longbows.
When it comes to pouches, I agree with your last comment, some pouches (granite lobster, swamp titan) are swapped for shards/alched while, other pouches (fire titan) are used as junk.
Finally, there are no items such as Items Boosted Price with Junk, not anymore. These items, commonly known as ‘rares’, are discontinued or very rare (except for mint cakes) items. People used to sell them with junk but not anymore, they now trade them for other ‘rare’ items. Nobody will use 2-3 billions worth of junk, to sell a divine shield or a blue partyhat, they will instead swap them for another partyhat(s) or/and shield(s), possibly another rare(s) too. Oh and, dragon claws aren’t rare for like a year now :p
1st February 2010, at 4:44am
Good article.
I also think that junk trading is an important part of the long-term scam that Merch Clan leaders are using to get rich.
The first part of the scam is driving up the price of something useless, the second part of the scam is trading off this over-valued junk for good stuff.
Can someone comment on why Mint Cakes have the status they do?
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