No Man's Sky: How to Trade and Sell Items

How to Trade and Sell – No Man’s Sky

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A lot of No Man’ Sky is exploring the unknown universe and charting new territories, fauna, flora, and weather patterns. Of course, not everyone is in it just for the joy of saying that they’ve seen it all and done it all. There’s Units (money) to be made out there, and a lot of it comes from trading your items. If you want to be successful in your endeavors, and be able to afford the gear you want/need, then you will need to trade… a lot.

Trading in No Man’s Sky isn’t literally trading one item for another (although that can happen). It’s actually just selling your cargo, like a classic trade ship would do. There’s a huge galactic market that is always on the look out for rare elements, artifacts, and other baubles that you’ll come across in your travels. There are also other traders who may have need for the things that you’re currently carrying.

There are two ways to sell your loot for some much needed Units:

Galactic Market Terminals: These are located in all Space Stations, some bases, and sometimes just floating around near Save Points. Interacting with the Square button pulls up a menu that allows you to either sell from your inventory, or buy from theirs. Market terminals out in the wild usually only let you sell what you’re carrying in your Exosuit, while those in bases and Space Stations allow you to choose between your suit’s inventory and your Starship’s inventory.
With other Traders: This requires approaching another ship. Sometimes, while at a base, you’ll see other Starships land nearby. You can approach and interact to either sell, buy, or make an offer for that alien’s ship. If you want a higher chance of seeing other traders, you’ll definitely want to head to Space Stations. Ships are always in and out of there.

When interacting with either the market or another trader in No Man’s Sky, the only things you can sell are resources, random items you find such as Fuel Cells, crafted Products, and Trade Commodities (usually rare artifacts). You cannot sell any of your equipped upgrades, even if you don’t want them anymore.

Chances are that each source will be selling items similar to yours, but you also have the chance at obtaining some really rare materials. So make sure you check their wares thoroughly. Need more help with No Man’s Sky? Check out our robust wiki full of guides and tips!