Buying and Selling (SNS)

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﻿Appraisers are not in business simply to look at pretty objects. Profit is the bottom line, and appraisers make their profit by that age-old maxim of buying low and selling high.
After estimating the worth of an item, an appraiser might offer to buy it—if he thinks there is a market for such a thing. He will generally offer half of the item's estimated retail price.
﻿If the item is something easily converted into the currency of the realm-like precious gems or coins from another land-the appraiser will offer more (up to 90% of the item's value).
Purchasing an item involves a certain amount of risk. After all, an appraiser who cannot sell a recently purchased item loses money. This is why most appraisers make low offers when purchasing items.
==Stolen Goods==
If something is obviously stolen (or the appraiser believes that it is), the risk to the appraiser is even greater. If local law enforcement officials catch the appraiser, the best he can hope for is to lose the gold he paid for the item. However, the appraiser could face imprisonment or even a long torture session in which he'll give up the names of those who sold him the stolen piece. This is why most appraisers refuse to traffic in stolen goods.
Some less-than-lawful appraisers, however, specialize in such fencing. Unfortunately, the danger and complexity of fencing stolen goods forces the price of the items down. A fence's first offer for most stolen goods is about 20% of its true value. If the item is well known, the offer can dip as low as 10%. A fence never offers to pay more than 40% of a stolen item's overall value.