sugarvalves [1963573] —
Original article
How high will points rise before Museum Day? Which items are being bought up for Dog Tags? And why are 3 nerve booze and gold eggs ripe for investment opportunities? Find out in April's Market Report!
The combination of the returning Dog Tags competition and Museum Day will present us with plenty of trading opportunities this May. And with several major updates having been made recently too, there is scope for further money to be made by those armed with sufficient insight. Find out which items are worth buying up and what you should avoid as we investigate what's been happening down at the item market this month, and what is to come as we push towards summer.
MUSEUM MADNESS
Torn's Museum is bracing itself for some multiverse level madness this month, with as many as 3 million plushies and flowers expected to be dumped at their doors in two weeks' time. From noon on the 17th through to noon on the 19th, all Museum exchanges will payout 10% more points than usual. And as you might expect, this has had a huge effect on the price of plushies, flowers, and points.
Pictured: Points one-month price graph. Larger Link
Points are currently priced at nearly $49k each, with their value having risen gradually before April, at which point their gains rose sharply. This happens every year when fewer point-generating items are being traded as players save up their haul for Museum Day. The knock-on effect is that fewer points are sold on the market, making this the most expensive time of the year to buy them.
In 2021, point prices topped out at $49,036 on May 15th. Today, on May 6th, their value is around $800 more than it was at this time last year, meaning we may see prices push close to or beyond the $50k mark if their momentum continues. Should this happen, it would be the first time points have been valued above $50k since January 2020, before their pawn price was fixed at $45k.
Pictured: Points three-year price graph. Larger Link
Once Museum Day has finished, points will drop down to their lowest price of the year, and this is true of most plushies and flowers too, making late May the best time to stock up for long-term savings. If you're short of a flower or two to complete your set, most foliage is getting expensive in the run-up to Museum Day - but not all of it. As of May 5th, the Tribulus Omanense, Peony, Edelweiss, and Dahlia were the only flowers falling in value.
Pictured: Tribulus Omanense one-year price graph. Larger Link
It's important to check whether these drops actually make the price reasonable when compared to the item's historical price. Tribs are overpriced at present, so their recent $1k fall must be considered in context. Conversely, the Banana Orchid is $500 up on its early-April price, but nearly $1k down on where it's been trading for much of the past twelve months.
Pictured: Banana Orchid one-year price graph. Larger Link
The plushie market has also proven interesting this month, with some traditionally high-value items starting to fall, and several mid-range plushies gaining unprecedented amounts.
"Despite increased supply of imported plushies due to the LS rework, it seems plushie prices are climbing at the same rate, if not faster, than they were last year during the pre-museum day stockpiling." - Yewnit
"Plushies are all over the place throughout the course of April and in anticipation of Museum day. While Chamois Plushies have reached an all-time low other plushies like the Lion, Nessie and Red Fox Plushie have greatly increased in value." - Lightor
Pictured: Red Fox plushie one-year price graph. Larger Link
The Red Fox plushie is roughly $5k above its regular price at the moment, and $3k above its maximum price last Museum Day - Nessie plushies have enjoyed a similarly sharp rise. As Lightor suggests, the Lion plushie has also made significant gains, but its rise has been more gradual, with $9 having been added slowly since October 2021.
Camels, Torn's most expensive plushie, are down on the month but have risen overall since the beginning of December. Monkeys and Pandas are also priced lower than they were at the start of April, but again, both of these items made major gains back in late Autumn / early Winter. These trends tell me that many players may have already stocked up on their flower and plushie sets ahead of time, meaning we may not see as much market activity surrounding these items over the coming weeks.
The only items we're likely to see traded in high volume are long-haul plushies and flowers, such as those sourced from China, the UAE, and South Africa. Anything closer to home is probably worth flying out for if you're lacking in an item from say Canada or Argentina. Fd24's handy guide to Museum Day preparation gives you a good idea of what you should and shouldn't be buying from the market - although bear in mind these prices are now outdated.
Oh, and speaking of bears...
"Our friend Kynett runs the item market on teddies. Any time he buys them from others to sell them expensive. And people are even buying it huge." - xFlyingPotato
XANAX ANXIETY?
Details regarding the forthcoming Dog Tags tournament are thin on the ground right now, with the only publicly announced change being a reduction in its duration from 21 days to 10. This event, which begins on the 16th of May, is expected to retain its format as an attacking competition involving the collection of tags owned by other players.
As such, we expect that players will likely purchase the same array of items to prepare for the event. Xanax supplies will prove as essential as ever, and that has been reflected by its price rising nearly $2k in recent days, having previously fallen from the $837k value it gained due to Ranked War demand.
Pictured: Xanax one-month price graph. Larger Link.
Given the event's reduced duration, one might expect that Xanax demand might be lower than usual both in the run-up to and during the competition. However, the Torn City Times is privy to the top-secret details regarding the Dog Tags update, and it is hoped that the coming changes will see a greater number of attacks made by your average participant, along with a greater number of participants overall.
If these updates have the desired effect, I predict a run on Xanax after just a few days of the event. Hamburguejas believes that other items will also see increased demand as the event wears on.
"With the reduction of the Dogtags event to 10 days only, my bet is that consumables such as E-cans and Feathery Hotel Coupons may get a higher demand while the event goes on." - Hamburguejas
MEDS IN DEMAND
Medical items will also be high on the list of priorities for many players heading into May, but medkits are no longer as cheap as they were, with FAKs and SFAKs both adding $200 to their value during the month. This may not seem that significant, but these recent increases have served to reverse a downward price trend that had been running almost continuously since October 2021.
Pictured: Small First Aid Kit six-month price graph. Larger Link
The same trend reversal has seen Morphine's price stabilise after a similar long-term drop, but this item remains incredibly cheap at $12.6k a pop.
"This is a great moment to stock up on medical items (Specially factions) as Dogtags and other PVP events are bound to arise soon. If you wanna try your luck, you can try and gamble with Boxes of Medical Supplies which are at a 200k price right now, if you get Morphine or First Aid Kits you can get a small but nice profit." - Hamburguejas
There are also a few bargains to be had in the blood market at the moment, with AB-, B+, O-, O+, and A+ all losing value during April. AB+ and A- have both endured sharp price rises in recent days, but their previous trends tell me these are short-term manipulations, so I'm confident that most bloods will remain low even during the Dog Tags event.
Empty Blood Bags are where we'll see the most predictable price rise, as June's World Blood Donor event returns to halve the cooldown and life penalties for withdrawing the red stuff. Factions often use this event to stock up on bloods ahead of future wars, and with Ranked Warring now bringing us regular weekly conflicts, I expect this year's event to be more popular than ever before.
In 2021, more than 250,000 empty blood bags were used, and the increase in blood circulation saw many blood types lose nearly $1,000 in the weeks after.
Pictured: Empty Blood Bags one-year circulation graph. Larger Link
One final medical item of relevance is the Neumune Tablet, whose consistent value fell below $1m for the first time in Torn history this May, before bouncing back up to just over a million per pill. Their low price is surprising given the fact that a huge dirty bombing campaign hit Torn City only a matter of months ago. Anyone with knowledge of a repeat performance may want to snap up these cheap Neumunes while they can!
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FIZZIES FALL FLAT
May typically sees the energy drinks market in full swing, with prices well and truly recovered after their traditional post-Christmas lull. But in 2022, this has not really happened, with most can prices having plateaued since the turn of the year.
Pictured: Taurine Elite three-year price graph. Larger Link
The 30e cans have stayed around $3.5m-3.6m in value for the past few months, with any dips or gains quickly rectified. 25e cans have behaved slightly differently, with a slow but steady rise giving way to a sudden $100k price jump over the past few days. 20e cans have enjoyed a similarly sharp rise recently, with $80k added since April 23rd.
"Check prices for 25e Cans such as Red Cow and Munster, they may have a slight surge in the preparation for the event and during the event [Dog Tags]." - Hamburguejas
As the Taurine graph demonstrates, the value of the original six cans didn't fall as dramatically as it usually does after Christmas Town 2021, and this meant there was less ground to make up as the year began. Prices began flat and have stayed there ever since, with even the short-term gains made by 20e and 25e cans paling in comparison to their usual trends.
Pictured: Munster three-year price graph. Larger Link
These recent rises may be linked to the forthcoming Dog Tags event, or it could be that players are booking in a training session while everyone else is focused on tag collecting. Whatever it is that's causing these recent rises, it's not a patch on what's happening to the three newest energy drinks, with their gains vastly outstripping those earned by the top-tier cans.
"The 15e can of crocozade is already at its oct' 2021 high. This is uncommonly high in comparison to the other cans, where I expect the price to drop in the upcoming months in comparison to the other higher-end cans. At most the price will stay stable, or rise after a few months when we get closer to caffeinecon on October 15th." - Securop
Crocozade is up from $1.064m to $1.192m this month, with Damp Valley rising from $700k to $749k, and Goose Juice increasing in value from $344k to $361k. These niche cans are only ever added into circulation during October and December, so contrary to Securop's predictions, I feel there is greater scope for the 5-15 nerve energy drinks to rise in price this summer.
TEMPORARIES SMOKED?
The biggest news regarding the temporary market this month was the introduction of two new passive steroid boosts at the Gents and Ladies strip clubs. Serotonin and Tyrosine now gain 50% effect and duration at 5-star strip clubs, but this hasn't translated into a massive demand for either drug, with these and the other steroids all staying relatively stable despite the close proximity of Dog Tags.
"The reason for this is that the pharmacy sells these items in large quantities, and there will almost always be enough stock for those items, selling 100 of those is usually enough to last you a war or two for individual use. Let alone it being a racket reward for factions, and currently only a few dozen people profiting from the needle buffs from the strip clubs, resulting in no price changes in those items." - Securop
Stealth temporaries are likely to be the most in-demand items ahead of Dog Tags, with Smokes, Tear Gas, and Pepper Spray all useful in keeping your identity hidden when nabbing those precious tags. Smokes are currently cheaper than they were at the start of the year, having fallen from $118k to $98k at the time of writing - Tear Gas and Pepper Spray are priced roughly the same as they were on Jan 1st.
"I noticed recently that smoke grenades were being traded for less. The trader I use, AviArcer, was trading them for soothing like 105k along with a lot of other traders but now prices have fallen along with the regular market prices seem to be falling after a period of good 100k prices. Because of this, I have switched to Argentina instead of South Africa for my daily runs because now I don't waste E and don't waste as much Nerve." - SlimmyyyCat
Pictured: Smoke Grenades one-year price graph. Larger Link
Concussion Grenades appear to be one of the few temporary items making gains at the moment, with nearly $1.5m of value added during April. These temps are quite expensive for use in Dog Tags, so most of these gains are likely driven by increased Ranked Warring activity, where the rewards are more substantial. Nail Bombs have also added a lot of value this month, growing from $1.6m to $2.2m.
And for those who love to show off, the Party Popper is over $200k more expensive now than it was on April 1st. These items confer no damage upon your opponent, other than the emotional distress of knowing that you came into battle wielding a plastic tub of confetti in your valuable temporary slot.
STEALTH ITEMS
Items that boost your own stealth are expected to see a small price rise over the coming week, with Motorcycle Helmets already pushing beyond $70 million in price according to the value graph. Obviously, graphs for quality-variable items like Armor and Weapons don't take into account the quality of the items being sold, but an overall price increase does suggest that demand is currently rising.
Pictured: Motorcycle Helmet one-month price graph. Larger Link
If you can't afford a bike helmet or any other armored face-covering there are plenty of other items that can be used to hide your identity, such as face masks and the balaclava. Balaclavas have gone up by around $60k in price this month, but they remain an affordable option for stealthy tag snipers.
There are also a number of stealth-appropriate melee weapons for sale on the item market, such as the Diamond Bladed Knife, Macana, and Nunchucks. Again, we can only approximate the market value of these items when looking at their price graph, but DBKs do seem to be a little more expensive at the moment, as do Macanas.
"Dog tags may also cause RW weapon prices to go up; I remember Dickbutt stating in one of his recent weapon threads (I think the empower macana one?) that people are bidding higher than expected on the high-end stuff recently. The only logical explanation I could come up with is that people are shelling out a bit more than normal in preparation for dog tags." - Yewnit
For a more accurate analysis of a weapon or armor's true value, take a look at Matzkops recent article on arms dealing, as it contains a number of useful tips on how to identify the right price for items of varying quality. But when trying to value a weapon, make sure you're doing so at the right time, as Yewnit points out that the recent ranked war changes mean that demand for war-related items, and therefore prices, now spike on Thursday/Friday, before falling on Monday/Tuesday.
WEARABLES
The newly-released Injury Cache has become Torn's most sought-after cosmetic cache, with prices of around $130 million demanded for these medical-themed clothing drops. When we checked the market on the 6th there were 12 Injury Caches for sale out of 280 in circulation. The highest valued items within said cache is currently the Prosthetic Arm, with just one up for sale at a whopping $4 billion.
Pictured: The Prosthetic Arm
The next most valuable Injury Cache items are the Head Bandage and Hook Hand at a price of $2 billion, the Crutches valued at $650 million (having previously been listed at $750 million), and the Halo Vest that's currently going for around $500 million. Cosmetic Caches are given out to Torn's subscribers each month, so those who are lucky enough to receive an Injury Cache while prices are hot will see their investment repaid several times over.
EGGSTREMELY LOW PRICES
2022's Easter Egg Hunt marked the final time that coloured eggs can be bought and sold on the market, with 2023's event transitioning to an untradeable egg system whereby bonuses are applied once the eggs are used. Every single coloured egg, including golds, will be replaced by a generic chocolate egg item early next year, but this will not happen before November's Diabetes Day.
Diabetes Day provides a triple boost to the happiness provision of all candy items, and if you're looking to use this event to train with a candy jump, Gold Eggs should be on your shopping list right now. Gold Eggs, along with Birthday Cupcakes, provide 250 happiness when used, but while the latter is valued at $1.65m, Gold Eggs are currently going for just $995k each.
Pictured: Gold Easter Egg six-month price graph. Larger Link
This current price gives Gold Eggs a happiness provision of $3,980 per point. And while that is still higher than the $1,600 happy per point offered by Pixie Sticks ($240k / 150 happy), the extra happy for less cooldown coupled with their improved value for money makes these items suddenly rather attractive to those who like to train with chocolate.
More than 11,000 Gold Eggs entered circulation after everyone's Easter sets were exchanged, so I'm confident that this will be the cheapest golds will be for some time.
BOOZE BREWING
EarthFireMonkey has spotted a potential investment opportunity in the value of three nerve booze. EFM has been using 3 nerve booze all year to boost his crime numbers, but a recent, unexpected price rise gained his attention.
"I was paying 160-165k per bottle of minty mayhem in feb. Now I am paying 192k+ often nearer 200k if I want to bulk buy. I thought I would look at the 3 year trend graphs for 2-5 nerve alcohol bottles. So 3n has seen an increase of over 20%." - EarthFireMonkey
Pictured: Christmas Cocktail one-year price graph. Larger Link
Three nerve alcohol has risen by $50k since the turn of the year, and a quick look at the three-year graph shows this is a regular occurrence, with their price peaking in July or October at between $240-290k. EFM noticed similar, albeit less exciting trends in the 2 nerve alcohol market, but less predictable increases in higher nerve alcohols.
"As an investment opportunity, based on past performance 3n is going to see a reliable rise in October. If someone were to snap up all the current 3n market at under 200k (even better last month at 170k), they could make a tidy 12-25% profit at some point in the next 6 months." - EarthFireMonkey
MISCELLANEOUS
Erotic DVDs gained $400k this month, before losing most of that during the last two weeks. This correlates with a circulation increase that began mid-May, indicating that happy jumpers have stopped using pornos and switched to chocolate.
"Big boxes of chocolate have been steadily rising in price over the past 2 months. 5k/box when I first started, and now up to 6.5-7k regularly. Either people are major chocoholics or the people at the sweet shop are becoming more adept at using shotguns." - Aikainnet
Good quality High Heels are now being priced higher than they were in early April after they were removed as a job point special from the strip clubs. There are just over 4,000 High Heel weapons in Torn, and at present, there are no plans to add in a replenishable source of these items. The same is true of Thongs, although these wearables have actually dropped in price lately.
"Business Class tickets have been increasing exponentially for quite some time." - SpeedSkater. This is correct, with their value having risen from $5.3m to $7.8m since January.
In our previous Market Report, we said that Laptops likely wouldn't drop below $400k after the introduction of travel sidebars. We were wrong, as Laptops fell to $300k on April 17th, but they have now recovered and are sitting comfortably at $400k. We are confident that $400k will remain their regular price going forward.
"Keep this anon, separate people pushing vico and fruitcake. will not last very long as it is there first time market manipulating." - Anon
Circulation of Skateboards fell this month, so expect a modest price rise soon to compensate. Dumbbells have also dropped in circulation since the 14th of April, but this came after a significant rise that will likely cancel out the effects of increased demand.
"I routinely see clothing items (denim vests, string vests, tighty whities, etc.) sell for higher prices on the auction market than the item market. This is irrational behavior because people are paying a higher price for something that takes much longer to get when you buy at auction instead of in the market. Good for people selling at auction I guess..." - Uno_Mas
Books of Carols gained nearly $1million during April. Are we seeing an influx of new citizens who are desperate for education?
"Now it seems that the different types of wrapping paper is in high demand. Especially birthday wrapping paper. Are people sending a huge amount of packages all of a sudden? To who? Tons of corona-babies? And most important: WHERE ARE MY GIFTS?" - 1636294
Moleyt has noticed that cars are being routinely sold via the Item Market for below their Docks asking price, giving eagle-eyed buyers a chance at flipping them for a quick buck. They also noticed the same trend with sales of Grenades and Throwing Knives, both of which can be sold to Bits and Bobs.
"The floor has fallen through on the price of Stink bombs, Dog Poop, and toilet paper. Bought in a few weeks ago when it was around 575000 but still able to resell at 625000. Now it’s dipping down to 520000 and can’t resell at over 550000. Baldr appears to be helping to depress the prices by holding large stacks at lower and lower values." - The_Opal, who may or may not realise that these items are distributed on April Fool's Day.
Pictured: Dog Poop three-month circulation graph. Larger Link
MARKET REPORT COMMENTS
Everyone whose observations were published in this month's Market Report has received a Donator Pack for their contributions. Players are encouraged to submit their trading tips and observations to the Torn City Times towards the end of each month via the Tell Your Story section.
MUSEUM MADNESS
Torn's Museum is bracing itself for some multiverse level madness this month, with as many as 3 million plushies and flowers expected to be dumped at their doors in two weeks' time. From noon on the 17th through to noon on the 19th, all Museum exchanges will payout 10% more points than usual. And as you might expect, this has had a huge effect on the price of plushies, flowers, and points.
Pictured: Points one-month price graph. Larger Link
Points are currently priced at nearly $49k each, with their value having risen gradually before April, at which point their gains rose sharply. This happens every year when fewer point-generating items are being traded as players save up their haul for Museum Day. The knock-on effect is that fewer points are sold on the market, making this the most expensive time of the year to buy them.
In 2021, point prices topped out at $49,036 on May 15th. Today, on May 6th, their value is around $800 more than it was at this time last year, meaning we may see prices push close to or beyond the $50k mark if their momentum continues. Should this happen, it would be the first time points have been valued above $50k since January 2020, before their pawn price was fixed at $45k.
Pictured: Points three-year price graph. Larger Link
Once Museum Day has finished, points will drop down to their lowest price of the year, and this is true of most plushies and flowers too, making late May the best time to stock up for long-term savings. If you're short of a flower or two to complete your set, most foliage is getting expensive in the run-up to Museum Day - but not all of it. As of May 5th, the Tribulus Omanense, Peony, Edelweiss, and Dahlia were the only flowers falling in value.
Pictured: Tribulus Omanense one-year price graph. Larger Link
It's important to check whether these drops actually make the price reasonable when compared to the item's historical price. Tribs are overpriced at present, so their recent $1k fall must be considered in context. Conversely, the Banana Orchid is $500 up on its early-April price, but nearly $1k down on where it's been trading for much of the past twelve months.
Pictured: Banana Orchid one-year price graph. Larger Link
The plushie market has also proven interesting this month, with some traditionally high-value items starting to fall, and several mid-range plushies gaining unprecedented amounts.
"Despite increased supply of imported plushies due to the LS rework, it seems plushie prices are climbing at the same rate, if not faster, than they were last year during the pre-museum day stockpiling." - Yewnit
"Plushies are all over the place throughout the course of April and in anticipation of Museum day. While Chamois Plushies have reached an all-time low other plushies like the Lion, Nessie and Red Fox Plushie have greatly increased in value." - Lightor
Pictured: Red Fox plushie one-year price graph. Larger Link
The Red Fox plushie is roughly $5k above its regular price at the moment, and $3k above its maximum price last Museum Day - Nessie plushies have enjoyed a similarly sharp rise. As Lightor suggests, the Lion plushie has also made significant gains, but its rise has been more gradual, with $9 having been added slowly since October 2021.
Camels, Torn's most expensive plushie, are down on the month but have risen overall since the beginning of December. Monkeys and Pandas are also priced lower than they were at the start of April, but again, both of these items made major gains back in late Autumn / early Winter. These trends tell me that many players may have already stocked up on their flower and plushie sets ahead of time, meaning we may not see as much market activity surrounding these items over the coming weeks.
The only items we're likely to see traded in high volume are long-haul plushies and flowers, such as those sourced from China, the UAE, and South Africa. Anything closer to home is probably worth flying out for if you're lacking in an item from say Canada or Argentina. Fd24's handy guide to Museum Day preparation gives you a good idea of what you should and shouldn't be buying from the market - although bear in mind these prices are now outdated.
Oh, and speaking of bears...
"Our friend Kynett runs the item market on teddies. Any time he buys them from others to sell them expensive. And people are even buying it huge." - xFlyingPotato
XANAX ANXIETY?
Details regarding the forthcoming Dog Tags tournament are thin on the ground right now, with the only publicly announced change being a reduction in its duration from 21 days to 10. This event, which begins on the 16th of May, is expected to retain its format as an attacking competition involving the collection of tags owned by other players.
As such, we expect that players will likely purchase the same array of items to prepare for the event. Xanax supplies will prove as essential as ever, and that has been reflected by its price rising nearly $2k in recent days, having previously fallen from the $837k value it gained due to Ranked War demand.
Pictured: Xanax one-month price graph. Larger Link.
Given the event's reduced duration, one might expect that Xanax demand might be lower than usual both in the run-up to and during the competition. However, the Torn City Times is privy to the top-secret details regarding the Dog Tags update, and it is hoped that the coming changes will see a greater number of attacks made by your average participant, along with a greater number of participants overall.
If these updates have the desired effect, I predict a run on Xanax after just a few days of the event. Hamburguejas believes that other items will also see increased demand as the event wears on.
"With the reduction of the Dogtags event to 10 days only, my bet is that consumables such as E-cans and Feathery Hotel Coupons may get a higher demand while the event goes on." - Hamburguejas
MEDS IN DEMAND
Medical items will also be high on the list of priorities for many players heading into May, but medkits are no longer as cheap as they were, with FAKs and SFAKs both adding $200 to their value during the month. This may not seem that significant, but these recent increases have served to reverse a downward price trend that had been running almost continuously since October 2021.
Pictured: Small First Aid Kit six-month price graph. Larger Link
The same trend reversal has seen Morphine's price stabilise after a similar long-term drop, but this item remains incredibly cheap at $12.6k a pop.
"This is a great moment to stock up on medical items (Specially factions) as Dogtags and other PVP events are bound to arise soon. If you wanna try your luck, you can try and gamble with Boxes of Medical Supplies which are at a 200k price right now, if you get Morphine or First Aid Kits you can get a small but nice profit." - Hamburguejas
There are also a few bargains to be had in the blood market at the moment, with AB-, B+, O-, O+, and A+ all losing value during April. AB+ and A- have both endured sharp price rises in recent days, but their previous trends tell me these are short-term manipulations, so I'm confident that most bloods will remain low even during the Dog Tags event.
Empty Blood Bags are where we'll see the most predictable price rise, as June's World Blood Donor event returns to halve the cooldown and life penalties for withdrawing the red stuff. Factions often use this event to stock up on bloods ahead of future wars, and with Ranked Warring now bringing us regular weekly conflicts, I expect this year's event to be more popular than ever before.
In 2021, more than 250,000 empty blood bags were used, and the increase in blood circulation saw many blood types lose nearly $1,000 in the weeks after.
Pictured: Empty Blood Bags one-year circulation graph. Larger Link
One final medical item of relevance is the Neumune Tablet, whose consistent value fell below $1m for the first time in Torn history this May, before bouncing back up to just over a million per pill. Their low price is surprising given the fact that a huge dirty bombing campaign hit Torn City only a matter of months ago. Anyone with knowledge of a repeat performance may want to snap up these cheap Neumunes while they can!
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FIZZIES FALL FLAT
May typically sees the energy drinks market in full swing, with prices well and truly recovered after their traditional post-Christmas lull. But in 2022, this has not really happened, with most can prices having plateaued since the turn of the year.
Pictured: Taurine Elite three-year price graph. Larger Link
The 30e cans have stayed around $3.5m-3.6m in value for the past few months, with any dips or gains quickly rectified. 25e cans have behaved slightly differently, with a slow but steady rise giving way to a sudden $100k price jump over the past few days. 20e cans have enjoyed a similarly sharp rise recently, with $80k added since April 23rd.
"Check prices for 25e Cans such as Red Cow and Munster, they may have a slight surge in the preparation for the event and during the event [Dog Tags]." - Hamburguejas
As the Taurine graph demonstrates, the value of the original six cans didn't fall as dramatically as it usually does after Christmas Town 2021, and this meant there was less ground to make up as the year began. Prices began flat and have stayed there ever since, with even the short-term gains made by 20e and 25e cans paling in comparison to their usual trends.
Pictured: Munster three-year price graph. Larger Link
These recent rises may be linked to the forthcoming Dog Tags event, or it could be that players are booking in a training session while everyone else is focused on tag collecting. Whatever it is that's causing these recent rises, it's not a patch on what's happening to the three newest energy drinks, with their gains vastly outstripping those earned by the top-tier cans.
"The 15e can of crocozade is already at its oct' 2021 high. This is uncommonly high in comparison to the other cans, where I expect the price to drop in the upcoming months in comparison to the other higher-end cans. At most the price will stay stable, or rise after a few months when we get closer to caffeinecon on October 15th." - Securop
Crocozade is up from $1.064m to $1.192m this month, with Damp Valley rising from $700k to $749k, and Goose Juice increasing in value from $344k to $361k. These niche cans are only ever added into circulation during October and December, so contrary to Securop's predictions, I feel there is greater scope for the 5-15 nerve energy drinks to rise in price this summer.
TEMPORARIES SMOKED?
The biggest news regarding the temporary market this month was the introduction of two new passive steroid boosts at the Gents and Ladies strip clubs. Serotonin and Tyrosine now gain 50% effect and duration at 5-star strip clubs, but this hasn't translated into a massive demand for either drug, with these and the other steroids all staying relatively stable despite the close proximity of Dog Tags.
"The reason for this is that the pharmacy sells these items in large quantities, and there will almost always be enough stock for those items, selling 100 of those is usually enough to last you a war or two for individual use. Let alone it being a racket reward for factions, and currently only a few dozen people profiting from the needle buffs from the strip clubs, resulting in no price changes in those items." - Securop
Stealth temporaries are likely to be the most in-demand items ahead of Dog Tags, with Smokes, Tear Gas, and Pepper Spray all useful in keeping your identity hidden when nabbing those precious tags. Smokes are currently cheaper than they were at the start of the year, having fallen from $118k to $98k at the time of writing - Tear Gas and Pepper Spray are priced roughly the same as they were on Jan 1st.
"I noticed recently that smoke grenades were being traded for less. The trader I use, AviArcer, was trading them for soothing like 105k along with a lot of other traders but now prices have fallen along with the regular market prices seem to be falling after a period of good 100k prices. Because of this, I have switched to Argentina instead of South Africa for my daily runs because now I don't waste E and don't waste as much Nerve." - SlimmyyyCat
Pictured: Smoke Grenades one-year price graph. Larger Link
Concussion Grenades appear to be one of the few temporary items making gains at the moment, with nearly $1.5m of value added during April. These temps are quite expensive for use in Dog Tags, so most of these gains are likely driven by increased Ranked Warring activity, where the rewards are more substantial. Nail Bombs have also added a lot of value this month, growing from $1.6m to $2.2m.
And for those who love to show off, the Party Popper is over $200k more expensive now than it was on April 1st. These items confer no damage upon your opponent, other than the emotional distress of knowing that you came into battle wielding a plastic tub of confetti in your valuable temporary slot.
STEALTH ITEMS
Items that boost your own stealth are expected to see a small price rise over the coming week, with Motorcycle Helmets already pushing beyond $70 million in price according to the value graph. Obviously, graphs for quality-variable items like Armor and Weapons don't take into account the quality of the items being sold, but an overall price increase does suggest that demand is currently rising.
Pictured: Motorcycle Helmet one-month price graph. Larger Link
If you can't afford a bike helmet or any other armored face-covering there are plenty of other items that can be used to hide your identity, such as face masks and the balaclava. Balaclavas have gone up by around $60k in price this month, but they remain an affordable option for stealthy tag snipers.
There are also a number of stealth-appropriate melee weapons for sale on the item market, such as the Diamond Bladed Knife, Macana, and Nunchucks. Again, we can only approximate the market value of these items when looking at their price graph, but DBKs do seem to be a little more expensive at the moment, as do Macanas.
"Dog tags may also cause RW weapon prices to go up; I remember Dickbutt stating in one of his recent weapon threads (I think the empower macana one?) that people are bidding higher than expected on the high-end stuff recently. The only logical explanation I could come up with is that people are shelling out a bit more than normal in preparation for dog tags." - Yewnit
For a more accurate analysis of a weapon or armor's true value, take a look at Matzkops recent article on arms dealing, as it contains a number of useful tips on how to identify the right price for items of varying quality. But when trying to value a weapon, make sure you're doing so at the right time, as Yewnit points out that the recent ranked war changes mean that demand for war-related items, and therefore prices, now spike on Thursday/Friday, before falling on Monday/Tuesday.
WEARABLES
The newly-released Injury Cache has become Torn's most sought-after cosmetic cache, with prices of around $130 million demanded for these medical-themed clothing drops. When we checked the market on the 6th there were 12 Injury Caches for sale out of 280 in circulation. The highest valued items within said cache is currently the Prosthetic Arm, with just one up for sale at a whopping $4 billion.
Pictured: The Prosthetic Arm
The next most valuable Injury Cache items are the Head Bandage and Hook Hand at a price of $2 billion, the Crutches valued at $650 million (having previously been listed at $750 million), and the Halo Vest that's currently going for around $500 million. Cosmetic Caches are given out to Torn's subscribers each month, so those who are lucky enough to receive an Injury Cache while prices are hot will see their investment repaid several times over.
EGGSTREMELY LOW PRICES
2022's Easter Egg Hunt marked the final time that coloured eggs can be bought and sold on the market, with 2023's event transitioning to an untradeable egg system whereby bonuses are applied once the eggs are used. Every single coloured egg, including golds, will be replaced by a generic chocolate egg item early next year, but this will not happen before November's Diabetes Day.
Diabetes Day provides a triple boost to the happiness provision of all candy items, and if you're looking to use this event to train with a candy jump, Gold Eggs should be on your shopping list right now. Gold Eggs, along with Birthday Cupcakes, provide 250 happiness when used, but while the latter is valued at $1.65m, Gold Eggs are currently going for just $995k each.
Pictured: Gold Easter Egg six-month price graph. Larger Link
This current price gives Gold Eggs a happiness provision of $3,980 per point. And while that is still higher than the $1,600 happy per point offered by Pixie Sticks ($240k / 150 happy), the extra happy for less cooldown coupled with their improved value for money makes these items suddenly rather attractive to those who like to train with chocolate.
More than 11,000 Gold Eggs entered circulation after everyone's Easter sets were exchanged, so I'm confident that this will be the cheapest golds will be for some time.
BOOZE BREWING
EarthFireMonkey has spotted a potential investment opportunity in the value of three nerve booze. EFM has been using 3 nerve booze all year to boost his crime numbers, but a recent, unexpected price rise gained his attention.
"I was paying 160-165k per bottle of minty mayhem in feb. Now I am paying 192k+ often nearer 200k if I want to bulk buy. I thought I would look at the 3 year trend graphs for 2-5 nerve alcohol bottles. So 3n has seen an increase of over 20%." - EarthFireMonkey
Pictured: Christmas Cocktail one-year price graph. Larger Link
Three nerve alcohol has risen by $50k since the turn of the year, and a quick look at the three-year graph shows this is a regular occurrence, with their price peaking in July or October at between $240-290k. EFM noticed similar, albeit less exciting trends in the 2 nerve alcohol market, but less predictable increases in higher nerve alcohols.
"As an investment opportunity, based on past performance 3n is going to see a reliable rise in October. If someone were to snap up all the current 3n market at under 200k (even better last month at 170k), they could make a tidy 12-25% profit at some point in the next 6 months." - EarthFireMonkey
MISCELLANEOUS
Erotic DVDs gained $400k this month, before losing most of that during the last two weeks. This correlates with a circulation increase that began mid-May, indicating that happy jumpers have stopped using pornos and switched to chocolate.
"Big boxes of chocolate have been steadily rising in price over the past 2 months. 5k/box when I first started, and now up to 6.5-7k regularly. Either people are major chocoholics or the people at the sweet shop are becoming more adept at using shotguns." - Aikainnet
Good quality High Heels are now being priced higher than they were in early April after they were removed as a job point special from the strip clubs. There are just over 4,000 High Heel weapons in Torn, and at present, there are no plans to add in a replenishable source of these items. The same is true of Thongs, although these wearables have actually dropped in price lately.
"Business Class tickets have been increasing exponentially for quite some time." - SpeedSkater. This is correct, with their value having risen from $5.3m to $7.8m since January.
In our previous Market Report, we said that Laptops likely wouldn't drop below $400k after the introduction of travel sidebars. We were wrong, as Laptops fell to $300k on April 17th, but they have now recovered and are sitting comfortably at $400k. We are confident that $400k will remain their regular price going forward.
"Keep this anon, separate people pushing vico and fruitcake. will not last very long as it is there first time market manipulating." - Anon
Circulation of Skateboards fell this month, so expect a modest price rise soon to compensate. Dumbbells have also dropped in circulation since the 14th of April, but this came after a significant rise that will likely cancel out the effects of increased demand.
"I routinely see clothing items (denim vests, string vests, tighty whities, etc.) sell for higher prices on the auction market than the item market. This is irrational behavior because people are paying a higher price for something that takes much longer to get when you buy at auction instead of in the market. Good for people selling at auction I guess..." - Uno_Mas
Books of Carols gained nearly $1million during April. Are we seeing an influx of new citizens who are desperate for education?
"Now it seems that the different types of wrapping paper is in high demand. Especially birthday wrapping paper. Are people sending a huge amount of packages all of a sudden? To who? Tons of corona-babies? And most important: WHERE ARE MY GIFTS?" - 1636294
Moleyt has noticed that cars are being routinely sold via the Item Market for below their Docks asking price, giving eagle-eyed buyers a chance at flipping them for a quick buck. They also noticed the same trend with sales of Grenades and Throwing Knives, both of which can be sold to Bits and Bobs.
"The floor has fallen through on the price of Stink bombs, Dog Poop, and toilet paper. Bought in a few weeks ago when it was around 575000 but still able to resell at 625000. Now it’s dipping down to 520000 and can’t resell at over 550000. Baldr appears to be helping to depress the prices by holding large stacks at lower and lower values." - The_Opal, who may or may not realise that these items are distributed on April Fool's Day.
Pictured: Dog Poop three-month circulation graph. Larger Link
MARKET REPORT COMMENTS
Everyone whose observations were published in this month's Market Report has received a Donator Pack for their contributions. Players are encouraged to submit their trading tips and observations to the Torn City Times towards the end of each month via the Tell Your Story section.
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