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Difference between revisions of "Maximizing value"

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{{Quality|Unrated}}
 
{{av}}
 
{{av}}
  
 
[[Value]] is important for [[trade]] with caravans, ensuring your dwarves [[thought|happiness]], attracting [[migrant]]s, and luring in [[megabeast|visitors]]. One reliable way to increase value is creating items. Not all items are equal, or even close to equal, in value, however. The tables below are ordered by value, to help you select optimum [[furniture]] and [[trade good]]s to maximize your fortress's value.
 
[[Value]] is important for [[trade]] with caravans, ensuring your dwarves [[thought|happiness]], attracting [[migrant]]s, and luring in [[megabeast|visitors]]. One reliable way to increase value is creating items. Not all items are equal, or even close to equal, in value, however. The tables below are ordered by value, to help you select optimum [[furniture]] and [[trade good]]s to maximize your fortress's value.
  
−
It is also vital to consider the material, which acts as a multiplier to the base values listed here; see the table on [[Item value]] for details.
+
It is also vital to consider the material, which acts as a multiplier to the base values listed here; see the table on [[Item value]] for details. For example: [[iron]] has value 10, so iron cap has value 10 * 10 = 100, and iron anvil has value 10 * 10 = 100. Note, that value of material is not the same as value of material item. For example, 'bar' item has multiplier 5, so iron has value 10, but iron bar has value 50.
 +
 
 +
The quality of an item then affects the value by multiplying this number by a quality modifier, then adding bonus value to the item. For stacks of items, this bonus is added for each item. This means that for skilled dwarves, it is sometimes better to create items with lower value if they come in a stack. For example, while a wooden minecart is worth twice a stack of bolts when neither has a quality modifier (50 vs. 25), a masterful minecart is worth much less than masterful bolts (130 vs. 800).
  
 
==Metal==
 
==Metal==
Line 10: Line 13:
 
! Item !! Value !! Bars !! Value/Bar !! Notes
 
! Item !! Value !! Bars !! Value/Bar !! Notes
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Spiked Ball|| 126 || 1 || 126 || (weapon trap)
+
| Mechanisms || 30 || 1 || 30 || (lever, trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Large Serrated Disc|| 126 || 1 || 126 || (weapon trap)
+
| Ammo (stack of 25) || 25 || 1 || 25 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Menacing Spike|| 66 || 1 || 66 || (weapon trap)
+
| Spiked Ball|| 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Giant Axe Blade|| 66 || 1 || 66 || (weapon trap)
+
| Large Serrated Disc|| 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Enormous Corkscrew|| 66 || 1 || 66 || (weapon trap)
+
| Menacing Spike|| 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Battle axe || 34 || 1 || 34 || (weapon trap)
+
| Giant Axe Blade|| 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mechanisms || 30 || 1 || 30 || (lever, trap)
+
| Enormous Corkscrew|| 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 +
|-
 +
| Battle axe || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Shield || 27 || 1 || 27 ||  
+
| Shield || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Ammo (stack of 25) || 25 || 1 || 25 ||  
+
| High boot (2) || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| High boot (2) || 24 || 1 || 24 ||  
+
| Leggings || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Leggings || 23 || 1 || 23 ||  
+
| Pick || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Pick || 22 || 1 || 22 || (weapon trap)
+
| Gauntlet (2) || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Gauntlet (2) || 22 || 1 || 22 ||  
+
| Spear || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Spear || 18 || 1 || 18 || (weapon trap)
+
| Low boot (2) || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Low boot (2) || 18 || 1 || 18 ||  
+
| Mace || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mace || 17 || 1 || 17 || (weapon trap)
+
| Short sword || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Short sword || 14 || 1 || 14 || (weapon trap)
+
| Buckler || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Buckler || 14 || 1 || 14 ||  
+
| Helm || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Helm || 12 || 1 || 12 ||  
+
| Crossbow || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Greaves || 23 || 2 || 11.5 ||  
+
| War hammer || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Crossbow || 10 || 1 || 10 || (weapon trap)
+
| Cap || 10 || 1 || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mail shirt || 20 || 2 || 10 ||  
+
| '''Bar''' || 5 || 1 || 5 || base bar value. Anything lower is cheaper than the metal from which it is smelted.
 
|-
 
|-
−
| War hammer || 9 || 1 || 9 || (weapon trap)
+
| Greaves || 10 || 2 || 5 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Breastplate || 15 || 3 || 5 ||  
+
| Mail shirt || 10 || 2 || 5 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Cap || 5 || 1 || 5 ||  
+
| Breastplate || 10 || 3 || 3.3 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Anvil || 10 || 3 || 3.3 || (forge)
 
| Anvil || 10 || 3 || 3.3 || (forge)
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|}
 
|}
  
−
For weapon-grade metals, spiked balls and serrated discs are much more valuable than any other products. They can be traded to caravans or installed in weapon traps to give passing dwarves happy [[thought]]s, while lower-quality products can be [[melt]]ed without loss of material.
+
For weapon-grade metals, bolts or goblets (see below) are more valuable than any other products.
  
 
===All metals===
 
===All metals===
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|-
 
|-
 
| Flask, Goblet (3) || 30 || 1 || 30 || trade goods
 
| Flask, Goblet (3) || 30 || 1 || 30 || trade goods
 +
|-
 +
| Traction bench || ~150 || 5 || ~30 || now made from table, mechanism and chain. Not very good choice for craft for trade.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Minecart || 50 || 2 || 25 ||  
 
| Minecart || 50 || 2 || 25 ||  
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| Statue || 25 || 3 || 8.3 ||  
 
| Statue || 25 || 3 || 8.3 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Traction bench || 20 || 3 || 6.7 ||  
+
| Pedestal || 10 || 2 || 5 ||
 +
|-
 +
| '''Bar''' || 5 || 1 || 5 || base bar value. Anything lower is cheaper than the metal from which it is smelted.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Armor stand || 10 || 3 || 3.3 ||  
 
| Armor stand || 10 || 3 || 3.3 ||  
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|-
 
|-
 
| Blocks || 5 || 1 || 5 || no quality
 
| Blocks || 5 || 1 || 5 || no quality
 +
|-
 +
| Glaze || 50 || 1 || 50 || Tin only, requires glazeable item
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
For all non-weapon-grade metals, flasks and goblets are the optimum trade goods. The best choice for furniture is probably a chain--they can be decorated as "finished goods" and installed in [[restraint]]s and [[well]]s, both of which can be admired by passing dwarves. Lower-quality chains can be [[melt]]ed without loss of material.
 
For all non-weapon-grade metals, flasks and goblets are the optimum trade goods. The best choice for furniture is probably a chain--they can be decorated as "finished goods" and installed in [[restraint]]s and [[well]]s, both of which can be admired by passing dwarves. Lower-quality chains can be [[melt]]ed without loss of material.
 +
 +
Tin can be used to glaze certain stone and ceramic items. While the glaze is quite valuable, more value is generated if you combine the tin with copper to make bronze goblets, mechanisms, or trade goods. The sole exception is if your primary copper source is tetrahedrite and you have easy access to gold, in which case smelting electrum alloy to make goblets and using the tin as glaze is ''slightly'' more valuable (5-8% on net, assuming all products are equal quality).
  
 
==Stone==
 
==Stone==
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|-
 
|-
 
| Mechanisms || 30 || (lever, trap)
 
| Mechanisms || 30 || (lever, trap)
 +
|-
 +
| Short sword || 30 || (weapon trap) need rare obsidian
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Mug (3) || 30 ||  trade goods
 
| Mug (3) || 30 ||  trade goods
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|-
 
|-
 
| Traction bench || 20 ||  
 
| Traction bench || 20 ||  
−
|-
 
−
| Short sword || 14 || (weapon trap)
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Armor stand || 10 ||  
 
| Armor stand || 10 ||  
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|}
 
|}
  
−
For stone, mugs are the optimum trade goods. The best choice for furniture is mechanisms, followed closely by statues. Both can be decorated and, when built, admired by passing dwarves. Thanks to the 4x bar multiplier, metal ores are always more valuable when smelted to bars than when worked as stone (assuming equivalent quality).
+
For stone, mugs are the optimum trade goods. The best choice for furniture is statues. It can be decorated and, when built, admired by passing dwarves. Thanks to the 4x bar multiplier, metal ores are always more valuable when smelted to bars than when worked as stone (assuming equivalent quality).
  
 
The base value of common stone is quite low (a mere 1), but most fortresses end up with such vast amounts of it that consuming it to produce value or trade goods is seen as an upside.  [[Flux]] stone has a slightly higher value of 2, but you may want to use it for [[steel]] production instead.  [[Obsidian]] has the highest value of all non-ore stones and can be mass-produced, making it ideal if you want to produce large amounts of value over the long term.
 
The base value of common stone is quite low (a mere 1), but most fortresses end up with such vast amounts of it that consuming it to produce value or trade goods is seen as an upside.  [[Flux]] stone has a slightly higher value of 2, but you may want to use it for [[steel]] production instead.  [[Obsidian]] has the highest value of all non-ore stones and can be mass-produced, making it ideal if you want to produce large amounts of value over the long term.
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! Item !! Value !! Notes
 
! Item !! Value !! Notes
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Spiked Ball|| 126 || (weapon trap)
+
| Goblet/Vial (3) || 30 || trade goods
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Large Serrated Disc|| 126 || (weapon trap)
+
| Statue || 25 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Menacing Spike|| 66 || (weapon trap)
+
| Window || 25 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Giant Axe Blade|| 66 || (weapon trap)
+
| Trade Goods (1-3) || ~20 || variable
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Enormous Corkscrew|| 66 || (weapon trap)
+
| Raw glass (after cutting) || 6 (20) ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Goblet/Vial (3) || 30 || trade goods
+
| Spiked Ball|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Statue || 25 ||  
+
| Large Serrated Disc|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Window || 25 ||  
+
| Menacing Spike|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Trade Goods (1-3) || ~20 || variable
+
| Giant Axe Blade|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Traction bench || 20 ||  
+
| Enormous Corkscrew|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Armor stand || 10 ||  
 
| Armor stand || 10 ||  
Line 252: Line 265:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
For glass, trap components top the list again. They're so valuable they make reasonable trade goods, even though goblets and vials are much lighter. The best non-trap-component furniture is probably a statue, since it seems to be admired more often than a window.
+
For glass, goblets top the list again. The best furniture is probably a statue, since it seems to be admired more often than a window.
  
−
Glass has the added advantage that (provided you have a [[Magma glass furnace]]) green glass can be easily and cheaply produced in massive quantities without consuming any meaningful resources.  Clear glass can as well, but it consumes [[wood]], which may be available in more limited supply and needed for other things; additionally, due to the required wood, it cannot be sold to [[elves]].  Crystal glass is more valuable still, but available in finite supply.
+
Glass has the added advantage that (provided you have a [[Magma glass furnace]] and a source of [[sand]]) green glass can be easily and cheaply produced in massive quantities without consuming any meaningful resources.  Clear glass can as well, but it consumes [[wood]], which may be available in more limited supply and needed for other things; additionally, due to the required wood, it cannot be sold to [[elves]].  Crystal glass is more valuable still, but available in finite supply.
  
 
==Wood==
 
==Wood==
 
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Item !! Value !! Notes
 
! Item !! Value !! Notes
−
|-
 
−
| Spiked Ball|| 126 || (weapon trap)
 
−
|-
 
−
| Menacing Spike|| 66 || (weapon trap)
 
−
|-
 
−
| Enormous Corkscrew|| 66 || (weapon trap)
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Minecart || 50 ||   
 
| Minecart || 50 ||   
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| Wheelbarrow || 50 ||  
 
| Wheelbarrow || 50 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Shield || 27 ||  
+
| Stepladder || 50 ||
 +
|-
 +
| Cup (3) || 30 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Ammo (stack of 25) || 25 ||
 
| Ammo (stack of 25) || 25 ||
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| Crafts (1-3) || ~20 || variable
 
| Crafts (1-3) || ~20 || variable
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Traction bench || 20 ||
+
| Spiked Ball|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Training axe || 17 || (weapon trap)
+
| Menacing Spike|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Buckler || 14 ||  
+
| Enormous Corkscrew|| 10 || (weapon trap)
 +
|-
 +
| Training axe || 10 || (weapon trap)
 +
|-
 +
| Shield || 10 ||
 +
|-
 +
| Buckler || 10 ||  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Armor stand || 10 ||  
 
| Armor stand || 10 ||  
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| Pot || 10 ||  
 
| Pot || 10 ||  
 
|-  
 
|-  
−
| Training spear || 9 || (weapon trap)
+
| Training spear || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Training sword || 7 || (weapon trap)
+
| Training sword || 10 || (weapon trap)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Blocks || 5 || no quality
+
| Blocks (4) || 20 || no quality
 +
|-
 +
| Ash || 5 || no quality
 +
|-
 +
| Potash || 15 || no quality
 +
|-
 +
| Pearlash || 20 || no quality
 +
|-
 +
| Ash glaze || 50 || Requires glazeable item
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
For wood, trap components top the list yet again. They're also the best trade goods, even though crafts are much lighter. All of the non-trap-component furniture has similar value (except traction benches, but they require additional material).
+
Mine carts, stepladders and wheelbarrows have the highest base value of any item made from wood, while bolts have the highest stack size. All the furniture has similar value. If your fortress has plenty of fuel, glazed stone or ceramic items can be quite valuable.
  
−
Wood is available in unlimited supply, but the ''rate'' at which you can produce it is often limited; given its many other uses, many players avoid using it for trading.  Another drawback is that as a material, all wood has the same low base value of 2.
+
Wood is available in unlimited supply, but the ''rate'' at which you can produce it is often limited; given its many other uses, many players avoid using it for trading.  Another drawback is that as a material, all wood has the same low base value of 1.
  
 
==Pottery==
 
==Pottery==
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==Cloth==
 
==Cloth==
−
Value of cloth items is [[textile industry#Value|complicated]].  For most purposes, the dye, cloth and thread components add a constant amount to the value of cloth products, but goods that are produced in pairs get this value added to each item, making them worthwhile when using high-quality dyed cloth.
+
The value of cloth items is [[textile industry#Value|complicated]].  For most purposes, the dye, cloth and thread components add a constant amount to the value of cloth products, but goods that are produced in pairs get this value added to each item, making them worthwhile when using high-quality dyed cloth.
  
 
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Item !! Value !! Notes
 
! Item !! Value !! Notes
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Robe || 33 ||
+
| Crafts (1-3) || ~20 || variable
 +
|-
 +
|-
 +
| Shoe (2) || 16.6 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Dress || 31 ||
+
| Mitten (2) || 16.6 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Cloak || 26 ||
+
| Glove (2) || 16.6 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Trousers || 23 ||
+
| Sock (2) || 16.6 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Shoe (2) || 16 ||
+
| Robe || 10 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Mitten (2) || 14 ||
+
| Dress || 10 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Glove (2) || 12 ||
+
| Cloak || 10 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Sock (2) || 12 ||
+
| Trousers || 10 ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Bag || 10 ||
 
| Bag || 10 ||
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| Rope || 10 || (restraint)  
 
| Rope || 10 || (restraint)  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Hood || 8 ||
+
| Hood || 10 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Vest || 8 ||
+
| Vest || 10 ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Cap || 5 ||
+
| Cap || 10 ||
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Food==
 
==Food==
−
The value of a well-prepared meal made from the proper ingredients is so high that some players consider trading them to be an exploit.  One advantage to relying on them to trade or amass value is that you don't have to split your production between feeding your dwarves and producing trade goods; another advantage is that the workflow that leads to a cooked meal can accept materials from a wide variety of sources indiscriminately, including crops, meats, fishes, random gathered plants, and even many liquids (provided the meal has at least one solid base.)  On the other hand, food rots when left outside of a food stockpile, which can make it tricky to manage, and higher-value ingredients (such as flour) generally require long production chains to turn them into food.
+
The value of a well-prepared meal made from the proper ingredients is so high that some players consider trading them to be an exploit.  One advantage to relying on them to trade or amass value is that you don't have to split your production between feeding your dwarves and producing trade goods; another advantage is that the workflow that leads to a cooked meal can accept materials from a wide variety of sources indiscriminately, including crops, meat, fish, random gathered plants, and even many liquids (provided the meal has at least one solid base.)  On the other hand, food rots when left outside of a food stockpile, which can make it tricky to manage, and higher-value ingredients (such as flour) generally require long production chains to turn them into food.
  
−
The final value of a meal is complicated and depends primarily on the number of ingredients, which acts as a multiplier to the final total ''after'' summing up the value of each individual ingredient; therefore, the low value of each individual [[Crop]] is misleading (although some, like flour, are already fairly high.)  See [[Cook]] for details and the material multipliers on [[item value]] to get a sense of the relative value of plants and meats.
+
The final value of a meal is complicated and depends primarily on the number of ingredients, which acts as a multiplier to the final total ''after'' summing up the value of each individual ingredient; therefore, the low value of each individual [[crop]] is misleading (although some, like flour, are already fairly high.)  See [[Cook]] for details and the material multipliers on [[item value]] to get a sense of the relative value of plants and meats.
  
 
{{Category|Trade}}
 
{{Category|Trade}}
 
{{Category|Economy}}
 
{{Category|Economy}}
 +
[[ru:Maximizing value]]

Latest revision as of 03:02, 25 March 2024

!!UNKNOWN!!  · xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼
v50.14 · v0.47.05
This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

Value is important for trade with caravans, ensuring your dwarves happiness, attracting migrants, and luring in visitors. One reliable way to increase value is creating items. Not all items are equal, or even close to equal, in value, however. The tables below are ordered by value, to help you select optimum furniture and trade goods to maximize your fortress's value.

It is also vital to consider the material, which acts as a multiplier to the base values listed here; see the table on Item value for details. For example: iron has value 10, so iron cap has value 10 * 10 = 100, and iron anvil has value 10 * 10 = 100. Note, that value of material is not the same as value of material item. For example, 'bar' item has multiplier 5, so iron has value 10, but iron bar has value 50.

The quality of an item then affects the value by multiplying this number by a quality modifier, then adding bonus value to the item. For stacks of items, this bonus is added for each item. This means that for skilled dwarves, it is sometimes better to create items with lower value if they come in a stack. For example, while a wooden minecart is worth twice a stack of bolts when neither has a quality modifier (50 vs. 25), a masterful minecart is worth much less than masterful bolts (130 vs. 800).

Metal[edit]

Weapon-grade metals[edit]

Item Value Bars Value/Bar Notes
Mechanisms 30 1 30 (lever, trap)
Ammo (stack of 25) 25 1 25
Spiked Ball 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Large Serrated Disc 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Menacing Spike 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Giant Axe Blade 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Enormous Corkscrew 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Battle axe 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Shield 10 1 10
High boot (2) 10 1 10
Leggings 10 1 10
Pick 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Gauntlet (2) 10 1 10
Spear 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Low boot (2) 10 1 10
Mace 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Short sword 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Buckler 10 1 10
Helm 10 1 10
Crossbow 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
War hammer 10 1 10 (weapon trap)
Cap 10 1 10
Bar 5 1 5 base bar value. Anything lower is cheaper than the metal from which it is smelted.
Greaves 10 2 5
Mail shirt 10 2 5
Breastplate 10 3 3.3
Anvil 10 3 3.3 (forge)

For weapon-grade metals, bolts or goblets (see below) are more valuable than any other products.

All metals[edit]

Item Value Bars Value/Bar Notes
Flask, Goblet (3) 30 1 30 trade goods
Traction bench ~150 5 ~30 now made from table, mechanism and chain. Not very good choice for craft for trade.
Minecart 50 2 25
Wheelbarrow 50 2 25
Trade Goods (1-3) ~20 1 ~20 variable
Chain 10 1 10 (restraint)
Nest box 10 1 10
Hive 10 1 10
Bucket 10 1 10 (well)
Jug 10 1 10
Pot 10 1 10
Animal trap 10 1 10
Statue 25 3 8.3
Pedestal 10 2 5
Bar 5 1 5 base bar value. Anything lower is cheaper than the metal from which it is smelted.
Armor stand 10 3 3.3
Barrel 10 3 3.3 (dyer's shop)
Bin 10 3 3.3
Cabinet 10 3 3.3
Cage 10 3 3.3
Chair 10 3 3.3
Chest 10 3 3.3
Coffin 10 3 3.3
Crutch 10 3 3.3
Door 10 3 3.3
Floodgate 10 3 3.3
Grate 10 3 3.3
Hatch cover 10 3 3.3
Pipe section 10 3 3.3
Splint 10 3 3.3
Table 10 3 3.3
Weapon rack 10 3 3.3
Blocks 5 1 5 no quality
Glaze 50 1 50 Tin only, requires glazeable item

For all non-weapon-grade metals, flasks and goblets are the optimum trade goods. The best choice for furniture is probably a chain--they can be decorated as "finished goods" and installed in restraints and wells, both of which can be admired by passing dwarves. Lower-quality chains can be melted without loss of material.

Tin can be used to glaze certain stone and ceramic items. While the glaze is quite valuable, more value is generated if you combine the tin with copper to make bronze goblets, mechanisms, or trade goods. The sole exception is if your primary copper source is tetrahedrite and you have easy access to gold, in which case smelting electrum alloy to make goblets and using the tin as glaze is slightly more valuable (5-8% on net, assuming all products are equal quality).

Stone[edit]

Item Value Notes
Mechanisms 30 (lever, trap)
Short sword 30 (weapon trap) need rare obsidian
Mug (3) 30 trade goods
Statue 25
Trade Goods (1-3) ~20 variable
Traction bench 20
Armor stand 10
Cabinet 10
Throne 10
Coffer 10
Coffin 10
Door 10
Floodgate 10
Grate 10
Hatch cover 10
Table 10
Weapon rack 10
Quern/Millstone 10 (quern/mill)
Nest box 10
Hive 10
Jug 10
Pot 10
Blocks (4) 20 no quality

For stone, mugs are the optimum trade goods. The best choice for furniture is statues. It can be decorated and, when built, admired by passing dwarves. Thanks to the 4x bar multiplier, metal ores are always more valuable when smelted to bars than when worked as stone (assuming equivalent quality).

The base value of common stone is quite low (a mere 1), but most fortresses end up with such vast amounts of it that consuming it to produce value or trade goods is seen as an upside. Flux stone has a slightly higher value of 2, but you may want to use it for steel production instead. Obsidian has the highest value of all non-ore stones and can be mass-produced, making it ideal if you want to produce large amounts of value over the long term.

Glass[edit]

Item Value Notes
Goblet/Vial (3) 30 trade goods
Statue 25
Window 25
Trade Goods (1-3) ~20 variable
Raw glass (after cutting) 6 (20)
Spiked Ball 10 (weapon trap)
Large Serrated Disc 10 (weapon trap)
Menacing Spike 10 (weapon trap)
Giant Axe Blade 10 (weapon trap)
Enormous Corkscrew 10 (weapon trap)
Armor stand 10
Cabinet 10
Throne 10
Box 10
Coffin 10
Portal 10
Floodgate 10
Grate 10
Hatch cover 10
Table 10
Terrarium 10
Weapon rack 10
Tube 10 (screw pump)
Nest box 10
Hive 10
Jug 10
Pot 10
Blocks 5 no quality

For glass, goblets top the list again. The best furniture is probably a statue, since it seems to be admired more often than a window.

Glass has the added advantage that (provided you have a Magma glass furnace and a source of sand) green glass can be easily and cheaply produced in massive quantities without consuming any meaningful resources. Clear glass can as well, but it consumes wood, which may be available in more limited supply and needed for other things; additionally, due to the required wood, it cannot be sold to elves. Crystal glass is more valuable still, but available in finite supply.

Wood[edit]

Item Value Notes
Minecart 50
Wheelbarrow 50
Stepladder 50
Cup (3) 30
Ammo (stack of 25) 25
Crafts (1-3) ~20 variable
Spiked Ball 10 (weapon trap)
Menacing Spike 10 (weapon trap)
Enormous Corkscrew 10 (weapon trap)
Training axe 10 (weapon trap)
Shield 10
Buckler 10
Armor stand 10
Bed 10
Cabinet 10
Chair 10
Chest 10
Casket 10
Door 10
Floodgate 10
Grate 10
Hatch cover 10
Table 10
Cage 10
Weapon rack 10
Pipe section 10 (screw pump)
Nest box 10
Hive 10
Crossbow 10 (weapon trap)
Bucket 10 (well)
Barrel 10 (dyer's shop)
Jug 10
Pot 10
Training spear 10 (weapon trap)
Training sword 10 (weapon trap)
Blocks (4) 20 no quality
Ash 5 no quality
Potash 15 no quality
Pearlash 20 no quality
Ash glaze 50 Requires glazeable item

Mine carts, stepladders and wheelbarrows have the highest base value of any item made from wood, while bolts have the highest stack size. All the furniture has similar value. If your fortress has plenty of fuel, glazed stone or ceramic items can be quite valuable.

Wood is available in unlimited supply, but the rate at which you can produce it is often limited; given its many other uses, many players avoid using it for trading. Another drawback is that as a material, all wood has the same low base value of 1.

Pottery[edit]

Item Value Notes
Statue 25
Crafts (1-3) ~20 variable
Hive 10
Jug 10
Pot 10
Bricks 5 no quality

For pottery, the options are quite limited. Statues are the most valuable furniture, though a set of three crafts can be more valuable overall.

Cloth[edit]

The value of cloth items is complicated. For most purposes, the dye, cloth and thread components add a constant amount to the value of cloth products, but goods that are produced in pairs get this value added to each item, making them worthwhile when using high-quality dyed cloth.

Item Value Notes
Crafts (1-3) ~20 variable
Shoe (2) 16.6
Mitten (2) 16.6
Glove (2) 16.6
Sock (2) 16.6
Robe 10
Dress 10
Cloak 10
Trousers 10
Bag 10
Rope 10 (restraint)
Hood 10
Vest 10
Cap 10

Food[edit]

The value of a well-prepared meal made from the proper ingredients is so high that some players consider trading them to be an exploit. One advantage to relying on them to trade or amass value is that you don't have to split your production between feeding your dwarves and producing trade goods; another advantage is that the workflow that leads to a cooked meal can accept materials from a wide variety of sources indiscriminately, including crops, meat, fish, random gathered plants, and even many liquids (provided the meal has at least one solid base.) On the other hand, food rots when left outside of a food stockpile, which can make it tricky to manage, and higher-value ingredients (such as flour) generally require long production chains to turn them into food.

The final value of a meal is complicated and depends primarily on the number of ingredients, which acts as a multiplier to the final total after summing up the value of each individual ingredient; therefore, the low value of each individual crop is misleading (although some, like flour, are already fairly high.) See Cook for details and the material multipliers on item value to get a sense of the relative value of plants and meats.

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