Trading post

[Nick_screams]

Do multiple trading post bring different merchants? I have the same 2 or 3 show up at my single TP. I am trying to buy all of the seeds but the seed merchant will only trade for non food which I don't have enough extra to trade with. I don't know if it matters but I requested custom orders from him/her every visit but I just never have 3125 trade value of non food items... Also does it cost more because I custom ordered? Normally I thought seeds were 2500?

[Melon]

Hi, they do bring different merchants, but you could try building another post to increase the liklihood of one bringing seeds. Also, if you have CC, then you could place the farming merchant which will only bring seeds or livestock.
And yes, custom orders do cost more than normal- hope this helps :)

[mbutton15]

From memory there are 5 types of tradrers: food, livestock, goods, seeds and general. You can't specifically attrack them, they just turn up. Usually to start with, you get one trader a year. As population and number of trade posts increase the frequency of visits increases.

All traders take wood/logs and the goods they deal in. General traders (and food merchants) accept food as payment. Oh, and the general merchant accepts less for your wood and logs.

The general merchant also sells seeds and accepts anything as payment. Yep, if you order seeds then they will cost more so, unless you are desperate, just wait until they bring what you want.

[kevinshow]

With 2-3 trading posts, you'll get visits more often, so one of them may have what you need.

The caveat with this is that you'll have to fill up all 3 trading posts with things because you don't know which one the seed merchant will come to, and you'll want to be ready for all purchases at each post. The benefit is that you get to move inventory into these posts, to free up places like your storage barns and markets.

It's likely that if you are starting out the village, you won't have as much items yet. Just keep adding in a variety of items as well as items you know that the trader will take, and you'll eventually get the 2500 or 3500 necessary to make a trade.

For example, early on, herbs and some of the food items that gatherers get are good to stock up at the trade outpost.

[Nick_screams]

Thanks everyone. I didn't think about having to fill them all up. At this point all I need is seeds so if I can attract a General Merchant with seeds I should be ok just stocking the post with a few thousand food each.
I'm just getting annoyed I'm on year 32 and all I've been getting every year is the seed merch who won't accept seeds and the one with live stock which I have all 3 animals. I've been working on stocking up on non foods just in case oh and I will turn off custom orders thanks folks!

[TheLastGatsby]

have at least 3 trading posts. My town sits at 2400 population and you will need to trade other stuff for food later on. firewood, wool, coats for beans, corn, etc. They will visit with different items.

[TheLastGatsby]

nanorskatie is correct. 250 herbs for 1,000 food is solid.

[AlP]

You don't need to have them all filled.

Filling one with 400 firewood is enough. If a merchant comes to a different trading post, you have enough time to get that firewood out and put it into the other trading post. That's assuming the merchant has what you want.

If a merchant comes to the first trading post, you then take all the leftover firewood to a different trading post, since no merchant will be going there for a while.

I've been managing like 8-12 trading posts...

[Abalister]

I have 5 trading posts for about 1000 population. All TPs are filled with firewood (4k units for each TP). I buy everything I need, from all merchants and always make sure I don't run out of logs and firewood.