Bargain hunting in general shops! [updated 11/26/2007]

[ixfd64]

This guide is obsolete due to personalized shops, and is preserved for historical reasons only.

 

Wiki version: http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/User:Ixfd64/shops

 

Welcome to my guide on how to hunt for bargains in general stores. With a bit of luck and patience, you can make cash fairly fast, even if your money-making skills (such as woodcutting and runecrafting) are low.

 

Introduction

 

General stores are one of the most useful features in RuneScape. General stores differ from specialized shops in two ways. Unlike specialized stores, general stores will accept almost any item that can be traded. Secondly, items in small amounts cost more in general stores than in specialized ones. However, many items' street prices are much higher than their store prices.

 

This is where you can make a profit. You browse general stores for items whose store prices are significantly lower than their street prices. This is essentially a method of merchanting. This method is not the best way to make money, but it can still be useful for newbies or other people who are short on cash.

 

Getting started

 

To start, you will need to find a general store. There are many general stores in RuneScape, but the best stores are those in busy locations. There are many players who do not care that much about making money and will clean their banks by selling items to the general store. After all, one man's trash is another's treasure! General stores, like most stores, have two stocks: the main stock and the player stock. You want the player stock.

 

The best stores to browse are the ones in the following locations:

 

• Varrock
  
• Lumbridge (the nearby gem shop in Al Kharid is also worth checking)
  
• Falador (the nearby gem shop south of the bank is also worth checking)
  
• Catherby
  
• Edgeville

 

Items to look for

 

The next thing to do is to look for items that cost less in the store than on the street. Specifically, look for items that have high street-store price ratios. See the following lists for examples.

 

 

(p = store price for large amounts; st = approximate minimum street price)

 

 

Items on free worlds

 

 

 

• [*:rvqdxoi4]rune essence (p = 1; st = 25)
  [*:rvqdxoi4]pure essence (p = 1, st = 70)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]bronze arrows (p = 1; st = 5)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]iron arrows (p = 1, st = 10)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]iron ore (p = 5, st = 100)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]coal (p = 13; st = 180)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]gold ore (p < 100; st = 500)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]steel bars (p < 50; st = 600)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]yew logs (p < 50; st = 300)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]lobsters (p = 45, st = 200)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]air runes (p = 1; st = 13)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]water runes (p = 1; st = 10)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]earth runes (p = 1; st = 10)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]fire runes (p = 1; st = 5)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]limpwurt roots
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]uncut gems
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]cow hide and leather (p = 1; st = 100)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]rares, though very unlikely

 

Items on members worlds

 

• [*:rvqdxoi4]herbs
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]bow strings (p = 3, st = 200)
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]secondary herblore ingredients
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]seeds
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]certain potions
   
  [*:rvqdxoi4]cannon balls (p = 1, st = 200)

 

This is only a partial list; there are many more good deals out there! At any time, you should keep in mind that prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in the RuneScape economy.

 

Tips

 

Since this is an easy way for people to make money, chances are that many other people know about this method! You'll have to be quick. Someone might sell some uncut gems to the store, and they will be bought within the next second. You should keep your mouse on an open spot in the shop window, so if someone sells something useful, you'll have a higher chance of getting it. Just be careful about clicking too fast, as you don't want to buy something useless by accident! Also, you should have at least 10,000 GP with you at any time.

 

However, I recommend using this method on free worlds only. While there is a larger variety of items on members worlds, it appears that members do not sell "junk" to general stores as often as free users do.

 

While this may be a fun method of earning money, it is not the fastest. It is reported that members with high hunter levels can earn up to 300k GP an hour, while those with 91+ runecrafting can earn up to one million GP. However, for low-leveled players, this method is still a fast way to earn cash.

 

Aside from the merchanting potential, general stores may have quest-related items that can be hard to get. For example, if you're doing Imp Catcher, it's certainly worth checking general stores for beads. Also, general stores can help you in dire situations. If you are poisoned and are far from a bank but close to a general store, be sure to check it for poison cures or food.

 

Finally, some items are more common in certain locations. For example, the Lumbridge store often contains rune essence, coal, and uncut gems. Broken steel pickaxes also seem to be common in the Lumbridge general store. They can be bought for one GP, but Bob will fix them for free, and you can then sell them to him for about 120 GP each.

 

Pictures

 

 

This is the result of spending 20,000 GP at the Varrock general store on the free version. The items are worth about 96,000 GP, so there is a profit of 76,000 GP.

 

 

This is 20,000 GP spent on members. The profit is "only" 50,000 GP, but that's still a lot.

[Zaaps1]

Nice guide and a great effort. I personally, I don't think this guide does anything else that suggest a way to make money.

 

 

 

I suggest you add average money per hour, how to buy quicker than others, and other tips and tricks.

 

 

 

For example, keeping your mouse over the first empty slot in the general store so your mouse is already positioned to buy.

[Warrager]

I like it. 8/10. Try and incoporate places to buy, what worlds etc. For example you wouldn't want someone to try this, and the person goes to a world with 500 people and the Al-Khriad shop :roll:

 

Great start, I would love to see more information added.

[ixfd64]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am working on a new version, which should hopefully be available in a few days.

 

I will also upload a wiki version of my guide, so that you can edit it!

[Ice_and_Spec]

I like it. 8/10. Try and incoporate places to buy, what worlds etc. For example you wouldn't want someone to try this, and the person goes to a world with 500 people and the Al-Khriad shop :roll:

 

Great start, I would love to see more information added.

 

 

 

ya but good guide :) =D>

 

 

 

edit: this isn't bad i did it in f2p with 50k sold all the stuff for almost 130k :) didnt take a pic though :'(

[Owned_Nex]

Its an ok way, but other peple can easily buy this stuff off specialty stores for 1-10 gp more. Theres also NO MARKET AT ALL for these kinds of items anymore

[jondea0]

its not like a way of making money i ustlook in there everytime i go past, and now i know what to look for.

[Blitzman2b]

7.5/10

 

Nice guide i use this method myself but you forgot some key items to collect.

[Harrington]

Nice guide :)

 

 

 

Shame such a tactic has to rely so heavily on dumb luck though :(

 

 

 

9/10 :thumbsup:

[BloodArgon]

Very good guide. While on a pure, in world 1 varrock. 300 Yews in the store, I ended up buying them ALL before anyone else and made 60k off this.

 

 

 

Bargin hunt, you will make money.

[Kazel]

Not bad. I realize there isn't much detail you can put into a guide like this, heh. Still, an interesting little tidbit. 8/10

[maddudy]

i use to always do this when i was f2p

[Blitzman2b]

LOL i just say 160k oak logs in lumby general store :-k

 

I'm bout to hire runners to help me purchase them all LOL.

[bbjoe282]

woot gen stores = walmart of runescape \

[ixfd64]

I've made some minor updates to the guide. I've also added a wiki version that you can edit!

[ixfd64]

Unfortunately, due to the Grand Exchange update, this guide is now dead. However, I'll leave it up for historical reasons.