Cargo

Cargo are items available for trade between ports at shops, and take up space in the ship's hold. With the exception of Fuel, Supplies, and Petrichor, the buying and selling of cargo items through regular shops costs the same, netting no loss or profit.

Cargo can also be obtained or used in various actions, or bought at a Bazaar as Bargains.

Value, Bargains and Prospects
Cargo can be purchased for below market price using Bargains, and sold for above market price using Prospects. They can also be purchased at market price from various ports and sold at market price at main hubs.

Unlike other cargo, Fuel and Supplies can be bought from main hubs as well as man other ports, and they sell for half as much. The gain per cargo below assumes acquiring the cargo via most common bargains and later selling it via a common prospect. Higher and lower profit can be made from some rare bargains and prospects. The reward for completing a normal prospect is usually a Savage Secret, Vision of the Heavens, Sky-Story or Salon-Stewed Gossip as well as 100-200 experience. Illicit cargo can be bought from The Gentlemen in Eleutheria, Wit & Vinegar Lumber Company in Albion, and Titania in The Reach. Each location will buy back the cargo that it sells for a drastically reduced price. The cargo must be smuggled to a different region to be sold for a profit. The gain per cargo below assumes purchasing the cargo at the appropriate port and selling it via prospect. The reward for completing smuggling prospects is much greater than that of common cargo: 1000-2000 sovereigns and either 2-3 of a common possession or one of the rarer ones such as a Crimson Promise, Invitation to Perdurance or Favour Bestowed. These items, unlike other kinds of cargo, may not be stored in your Bank.

Trading strategy
The best route to profit is to buy at Bargains and sell at Prospects.

Early in the game when you have little cash on hand, the best bet is to 'buy to order' - acquire a Prospect then buy (or find) the goods needed to fill it, then fulfill the Prospect by visiting ports likely to have the right goods. Preferably buy Bargains - don't forget you can have 4 Prospects at once and they refresh every 30 days, so there is little rush. But if you need the money immediately don't worry about buying non-Bargain goods.

Once you have enough capital, then you should aim to buy at Bargains until you have a stock of all Goods. That way, you can be sure that you have enough goods to fulfill any Prospect that appears.

Avoid the temptation to sell goods other than at Prospects. It can be tempting to sell from your stockpile to upgrade your ship or equipment - but this isn't such a good long-term deal for you. Only do it when the need is crucial or when your stock is very high. 10 of a Good can cover one large Prospect and a quest or two and may feel like it vanishes quickly. 20 is a safer amount to hold as it will cover two or three Prospects and possibly a quest that uses a large amount. There are a small number of advanced quests that require 20+ of a specific material, however.