How the hell do you unlock Volo as a merchant?

[solaris32]

I keep seeing people talk about Volo as a merchant, but in my several playthroughs not once have I had the option to trade with him. Although now as I'm typing this I remember you can hit the trade button at the bottom left that I never use. Is this what people mean when they say trade with Volo? But then on the minimap in camp he displays the trader map icon, but still no dialogue option to trade with him.

[Zoid13]

some of those NPC's that appear as a merchant on the map dont have "trade" options from the dialogue (usually when they haven't exhausted all their dialogue first) but they have buttons on the corner of the screen to activate trade with them
(bottom left of the screen when talking to them)

[Furio]

Originally posted by solaris32:

you can hit the trade button at the bottom left that I never use. Is this what people mean when they say trade with Volo?

Yes

[Baldurs_Gate_2]

I just pickpocket him. It's really fun if you fail and he runs away like speedy gonzales.

[solaris32]

Originally posted by Baldurs_Gate_2:

I just pickpocket him. It's really fun if you fail and he runs away like speedy gonzales.

The fastest bard in Faerun!