Rules of Acquisition

The Rules of Acquisition were the sacred precepts upon which all Ferengi society was based. They were first written by Gint, the first Grand Nagus. In theory, "[e]very Ferengi business transaction is governed by [these rules] to ensure a fair and honest deal for all parties concerned." () By the mid-22nd century there were 173 rules (); by the 2370s there were 285. (; ); and supposedly 289 by the 2380s. () 
In 2370, the Ferengi government was debating an amendment to the Rules. ()
In 2371, Grand Nagus Zek authored a short-lived revised edition of the Rules, after having his state of mind altered by the Bajoran Prophets. It contained rules very different in character from preceding versions, instead promoting honesty and charity. Upon recovering, Zek ordered the destruction of all copies of this work. ()
In 2380, while the Ferengi were considering joining the Federation, Captain Carol Freeman swindled Grand Nagus Rom, quoting the eighth rule of acquisition. This impressed Rom as it proved that there were those in the Federation who respected Ferengi culture and he wouldn't be signing "with a bunch of suckers and rubes." ()
== Official rules ==
Number 	Rule 	Source
1 	Once you have their money, you never give it back. 	;
3 	Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to. 	
6 	Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.As late as 2151, the rule was quoted as being slightly different. "Never allow family to stand in the way of profit" (where profit replaces opportunity). () 	;
7 	Keep your ears open. 	
8 	Small print leads to large risk.This rule originally came from the reference book The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition 	
9 	Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. 	;
10 	Greed is eternal. 	;
16 	A deal is a deal.Legends of the Ferengi concludes Rule #16 with "…until a better one comes along." 	
17 	A contract is a contract is a contract… but only between Ferengi.In the first draft script of "Body Parts", the seventeenth rule was said to simply be, "A contract is a contract is a contract," without the added clause involving species. 	
18 	A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all. 	
21 	Never place friendship above profit. 	;
22 	A wise man can hear profit in the wind. 	;
23 	Nothing is more important than your health… except for your money. 	
31 	Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother.Legends of the Ferengi concludes Rule #31 with "…insult something he cares about instead." 	
33 	It never hurts to suck up to the boss.Brunt stated a variation of this rule (without referring to it by number) with "It's never too early to suck up to the boss". 	
34 	War is good for business.Quark stated a corollary: "only from a distance, the closer to the front lines, the less profitable it gets" 	
35 	Peace is good for business.Although spoken before the production staff's creation of the Rules of Acquisition, Par Lenor stated something quite similar to this rule: "Peace is good for trade … unless you happen to be an arms merchant!" 	;
45 	Expand or die. Rule of Acquisition #95 was quoted as Rule #45 in . It might be possible though, that in the roughly two hundred years between the two episodes, the arrangement of the Rules of Acquisition slightly changed. Alternatively, it may have been decided that the rule bears repeating. Indeed, this may be self-referential. The rule was first mentioned in Legends of the Ferengi. Quark notes that the phrase was inspired by a Breen. 	;
47 	Don't trust a man wearing a better suit than your own. 	
48 	The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife. 	
57 	Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them. 	
59 	Free advice is seldom cheap. 	
62 	The riskier the road, the greater the profit. 	;
74 	Knowledge equals profit. 	
75 	Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum. 	
76 	Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies. 	
91 	Your boss is only worth what he pays you. 	
94 	Females and finances don't mix. 	
95 	Expand or die. 	;
98 	Every man has his price. 	
102 	Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever. 	
103 	Sleep can interfere with…This rule was interrupted before it could be finished. 	
109 	Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack. 	
111 	Treat people in your debt like family… exploit them. 	
112 	Never have with the boss' sister. 	
125 	You can't make a deal if you're dead. 	
139 	Wives serve, brothers inherit. 	
168 	Whisper your way to success. 	
190 	Hear all, trust nothing. 	
194 	It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door.This rule was actually only called "one of the high numbers" by Quark; he only thought it was rule 194. 	
203 	New customers are like razor-toothed gree-worms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back. 	
208 	Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer. 	;
211 	Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them. 	
214 	Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach. 	
217 	You can't free a fish from water. 	
223 	Unknown, but presumably concerned the relationship between "keeping busy" and "being successful". 	
229 	Latinum lasts longer than lust. 	
239 	Never be afraid to mislabel a product.In , it is suggested in a dream of Quark's, that the Rules of Acquisition themselves are merely guidelines, and the book was mislabeled by Gint so as to sell more copies than the "Suggestions of Acquisition." However, this may be no more than Quark trying to justify breaking rule #17, since this rule is obviously higher than s "original" 173 rules. It could also be noted that the Grand Nagus has the power to change the Rules of Acquisition, so it is still possible this rule changed position over time. ()	
263 	Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum. 	
285 	No good deed ever goes unpunished. 	
289? 	Shoot first, count profits later.While given a numerical designation, this rule was quoted by a rogue Ferengi lower decker who was a member of Nova Fleet. While it is possible that Grand Nagus Rom had added this rule to the list following the Dominion War, its legitimacy is debatable, given the source. 	
Unknown	A man is only worth the sum of his possessions.Though not given a number, this rule was clearly official, among the first 173, and considered "the most important one" by Krem. 	
== Unofficial rules ==
The following sayings were either not given a number, not explicitly stated to be a Rule, or were not part of the generally-accepted Rules by the Ferengi Commerce Authority.
Number 	Rule 	Source
286 	When Morn leaves, it's all over.Personal rule of Quark's. Rom noted there was no such rule, to which Quark replied that there should be. 	
299 	Whenever you exploit someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them next time.Is likely a purely fictional rule, as it was quoted by Neelix, who had had no previous contact with Ferengi, and it did not exist by the time became stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Neelix claimed at the time that Kol had been away for a long time to suggest that new rules had been written. It could be consistent if Neelix had found some encrypted appendix in the Ferengi shuttle that Kol had not read.	
– 	Exploitation begins at home.Arridor and Kol taught the Takarians this saying. It was not stated whether it was an official rule or not. According to Star Trek Online, this is rule 110. 	
(The unwritten rule) 	When no appropriate rule applies, make one up.According to Arridor. 	
– 	When the messenger comes to appropriate your profits… kill the messenger.Invented by Arridor. According to Star Trek Online, this is rule 257. 	
– 	Time, like latinum, is a highly limited commodity.This saying was quoted by Brunt to Quark. It is unknown whether it was an official rule or not. According to Star Trek Online, it is rule 240. 	
– 	Always inspect the merchandise before making a deal.Not quoted word for word, but when Sisko asked if such a rule existed, Quark acknowledged that there was. Quark may have been referring to the apocryphal Rule 218 (see below). According to Star Trek Online, this is rule 272. 	
– 	Money is money, but females are better.A personal rule quoted by Nog despite its direct contradiction to rules 94 and 229. 	
– 	Why ask, when you can take?As told to Odo by Quark when the latter illegally used replicators in empty crew quarters. He seems to have been paraphrasing the apocryphal Rule 52 (see below). 	
– 	Good things come in small packagesQuark told the Wadi delegation visiting his establishment that this was an old Ferengi saying. 	
– 	A good lie is easier to believe than the truth.This un-numbered "rule"s provenance derives merely from Janeway quoting it as something "the Ferengi say". It may not, therefore, have been a genuine rule. The apocryphal Pocket DS9 title The Long Mirage, however, explicitly describes it as a rule, but does not give it a number. 	
– 	If that's what's written, then that's what's written.Rom said this to Quark when urging him to complete a very important mission that could end with the two being killed. From the implicit understanding Quark displayed, and the lack of prior reference to any "written" materials, it's likely that this was in fact a rule, probably referring to the finality of a business contract, here used out of this original context. According to Star Trek Online, this is rule 227. 	
A distracted policeman is an opportunity.Quark says this to Jake in the opening of the episode upon noticing Odo's love for Kira is a distraction.	 	
== Notes ==
== Appendices ==
=== Background information ===
The Rules of Acquisition were invented by executive producer-writer Ira Steven Behr at the beginning of (beginning with ) () and were mentioned throughout the Star Trek spinoffs.
In the first draft script of , the eighty-first or seventy-first Rule of Acquisition (Rom wasn't sure which) was said to be, "What's good for the boss is good for the worker."
Similarly, in the first draft script of , the 153rd rule was stated to be, "People will buy anything… especially junk."
The authors of the Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 267) identified "Exploitation begins at home.", from the episode , as one of these rules. 
=== Apocrypha ===
Deep Space Nine writers Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe expanded upon the Rules and Ferengi culture in the non-canon books, The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and Legends of the Ferengi. A number of additional rules have also appeared within Pocket Deep Space Nine titles.
The following rules are derived from non-canon sources:
Number	Rule 	Source
2 	The best deal is the one that brings the most profit. 	The 34th Rule
2 	Money is everything. 	Strange New Worlds 9: "The Last Tree on Ferenginar: A Ferengi Fable From the Future"
8 	Small print leads to large risk. 	The Ferengi Rules of AcquisitionCanonized in
13 	Anything worth doing is worth doing for money. 	Legends of the Ferengi
14 	Sometimes the quickest way to find profits is to let them find you. 	Fortune of War
19 	Satisfaction is not guaranteed. 	Legends of the Ferengi
27 	There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman. 	Legends of the Ferengi
39 	Don't tell customers more than they need to know. 	Ascendance
40 	She can touch your lobes, but never your latinum. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
41 	Profit is its own reward. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
44 	Never confuse wisdom with luck. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
52 	Never ask when you can take. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
53 	Never trust anybody taller than you. 	
54 	Rate divided by time equals profit. (Also known as the "Velocity of Wealth") 	Raise the Dawn
55 	Take joy from profit and profit from joy. 	Raise the Dawn
58 	There is no substitute for success. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition; Star Trek: The Next Generation - Birth of the Federation (Ferengi Opening)
60 	Keep your lies consistent. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
65 	Win or lose, there's always Hupyrian beetle snuff. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
68 	Risk doesn't always equal reward. 	Star Trek Online (since removed)
77 	If you break it, I'll charge you for it. 	Star Trek Online
79 	Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
82 	The flimsier the product, the higher the price. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
85 	Never let the competition know what you're thinking. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
87 	Learn the customer's weaknesses so you can better take advantage of them. 	Star Trek: Elite Force II
88 	Vengeance will cost you everything. 	The Poisoned Chalice
89 	Ask not what your profits can do for you, but what you can do for your profits. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
89 	[It is] better to lose some profit and live than lose all profit and die. 	Strange New Worlds VI: Best Tool Available.
97 	Enough… is never enough. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
98 	If you can't take it with you, don't go. 	I, Q
99 	Trust is the biggest liability of all. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
100 	When it's good for business, tell the truth. 	Ascendance
101 	Profit trumps emotion. 	The Long Mirage
104 	Faith moves mountains… of inventory. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
106 	There is no honor in poverty. 	Sacraments of Fire
108 	Hope doesn't keep the lights on. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
113 	Always have sex with the boss. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition; Legends of the Ferengi
121 	Everything is for sale, even friendship. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
123 	Even a blind man can recognize the glow of latinum. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
135 	Listen to secrets, but never repeat them. 	Ascendance
141 	Only fools pay retail. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
144 	There's nothing wrong with charity… as long as it winds up in your pocket. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
147 	People love the bartender. 	Fearful Symmetry
151 	Even when you're a customer, sell yourself. 	The Long Mirage
162 	Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
177 	Know your enemies… but do business with them always. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
181 	Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
183 	When life hands you ungaberries, make detergent. 	Hollow Men
184 	A Ferengi waits to bid until his opponents have exhausted themselves. 	Balance of Power
188 	Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit. 	Star Trek Online
189 	Let others keep their reputation. You keep their latinum. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
192 	Never cheat a Klingon… unless you can get away with it. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
193 	It's never too late to fire the staff. 	Cathedral
193 	Trouble comes in threes. 	Star Trek Online
199 	Location, location, location. 	The Soul Key
202 	The justification for profit is profit. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
212 	A good lie is easier to believe than the truth. 	Star Trek Online
216 	Never gamble with a telepath. 	The Laertian Gamble
218 	Always know what you're buying. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
218 	Sometimes what you get free costs entirely too much. 	Malibu DS9: "Baby on Board"
219 	Possession is eleven-tenths of the law! 	Balance of Power
223 	Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
227 	If that's what's written, then that's what's written. 	Star Trek Online
235 	Duck; death is tall. 	
236 	You can't buy fate. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
240 	Time, like latinum, is a highly limited commodity. 	Star Trek Online
242 	More is good… All is better. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
243 	Always leave yourself an out. 	Sacraments of Fire
248 	The definition of insanity is trying the same failed scheme & expecting different results 	Shield of the Gods
255 	A wife is a luxury… a smart accountant a necessity. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
261 	A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
266 	When in doubt, lie. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
267 	If you believe it, they believe it. 	Taking Wing
272 	Always inspect the merchandise before making a deal. 	Star Trek Online
284 	Deep down, everyone's a Ferengi. 	The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
287 	Always get somebody else to do the lifting. 	WildStorm DS9: "N-Vector"
288 	Never get into anything that you can't get out of. 	WildStorm DS9: "N-Vector"
290 	An angry man is an enemy, and a satisfied man is an ally. 	
291 	The less employees know about the cash flow, the smaller the share they can demand. 	
292 	Only a fool passes up a business opportunity. 	Star Trek: Elite Force II
293 	The more time they take deciding, the more money they will spend. 	Stowaways
294 	A bargain usually isn't. 	The Pet
305 	Always be considerate. (Not a real Rule, of course, but quoted by Quark.) 	
431 	When the shooting starts, let the mercenaries handle it. 	Star Trek Online
 	Time is money. (Not a real Rule; Quark considered it one of the "few pieces of sound business advice that he'd ever heard uttered by a hew-mon.")	Sacraments of Fire
 	You get what you pay for. (Another Human saying that Quark sometimes set store by.) 	The Long Mirage
 	If they can't be bought, get ready to fight. (A rule proposed by Grand Nagus Rom in response to the Hur'q invasion.) 	Star Trek Online
 	It's not smart to turn down a deal with the Grand Nagus. (Another rule Rom proposed when Brunt tried and failed to double-cross him and Quark.) 	Star Trek Online
=== External links ===
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es:Reglas de adquisición
fr:Devises de l'acquisition ferengies
ja:金儲けの秘訣
nl:Regels van acquisitie
pl:Zasady Zaboru Ferengi
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