Summary
With enough gold, anything is possible inSkyrim.After a long adventure, there’s no better feeling than hauling all that junk to the closest merchant and selling it all to affordthe best housein all ofSkyrim. That is, if the merchant happens to be open at that time and if they even have enough money to buy off everything.
Every player has been there at least once, annoyed by the fact that a merchant runs out of money too fast. InSkyrim, merchants simply aren’t made equally. Some are significantly better than others, whether they’ve elected to set up shop in better locations, have better working hours, or have a tendency to carry more useful stock. The kind of goods that can be sold to thebest merchants inSkyrimis also something that should be considered if players want to unload the stuff they have for a ton of gold.
Updated on June 07, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:One of the things that make Skyrim so great, is that there’s a ton of NPC variety. Granted, there are a few bugs here and there and the game is not perfect, since there are some aspects that could use some improvement. However, elements like merchants elevate the experience by allowing players to get the items they need, sell those that they don’t, and hear interesting origin stories about them. Merchants in the land of Skyrim are not restricted to Nords, as there are also Khajiit, Argonians, Dunmer, Bosmer, Imperials, and more. It’s strongly advised that players talk to as many merchants as possible to find valuable items and increase their inventories.
Weapons & armor
8:00-20:00
Gold On Hand
200
Glover Mallory is among the best blacksmiths in the game, and also among the best merchants. However, since he’s exclusive to theDragonbornDLC, he won’t be the first recommendation for obvious reasons.
As a blacksmith, he only buys and sells limited items, but for players who are fine with that,he’s a great choice due to his unusually high gold stash of 2,000 gold. Because of that alone, he’s perfect for people wanting to sell weapons and other blacksmith items. He can be found in Raven Rock.
There are four different interactions that players can have with Glover Mallory, which include “An Axe to Find”, “Paid in Full”, “It’s All In The Taste”, and “Finishing the Job”. Like other inhabitants of Raven Rock, Glover Mallory is a strong worshipper of the Earth Stone, up to a point where players could guess he’s been indoctrinated far beyond the realms of ordinary faith.
Herbs & restoratives
500
Zaria is one of the alchemists that players can find in Falkreath. This hold has several merchants, which makes her services pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of things.
However, any merchant with around 500 gold is a great outlet for players to sell their merchandise, and Zaria is certainly quite helpful in that regard. Once this gold is depleted, there’s not really a lot of use for her for the Dragonborn, but that’s fine.
As mentioned earlier, one of the greatest parts about talking to the various merchant NPCs spread across the land of Skyrim, is that players can learn their backstories, which are often related to exile or rejection. Zaria is a great example of this, as she fled to Skyrim when her family did not approve of her choice of becoming an alchemist and her unnatural fixation with poisons and death. This led her to call Falkreath her home, where she seems to feel happy and welcomed by most. On top of this, if players dig deep enough, they can also learn that Zaria used to be a soldier, which makes her character even more interesting.
Most people won’t expect an apothecary to be loaded with gold, which is what makes Bolar so valuable in an orc stronghold where players may find it hard to dispose of their loot. 500 gold may not be a lot, but beggars can’t be choosers.
She is the oldest member of the settlement and is considered to be the wisest by many. As a result, she believes in spiritual healing and carries around many herbs and concoctions that players can purchase.
Nurelion and his assistant, Quintus Navale, run The White Phial in Windhelm. It’s a pretty reputed alchemical shop in the area that the Dragonborn should definitely go to ifthey want to stock up on potionsor just have some unwanted decoctions that they want to offload.
Regardless, Nurelion and his assistant will be great in this regard. Both characters have 500 gold, letting players sell and buy whatever they please without worrying too much about making their funds run out in the process. Nurelion offers players two different interactions, including “Finding the Phial”, and “Repairing the Phial”. He can also be a pickpocket target if Devin Mallory employs the Dragonborn to steal a ruby from him. While this can be profitable and interesting, it has dire consequences, as Nurelion will retaliate by sending hired thugs after the Dragonborn to teach them a lesson.
Magical items
All day
An elderly mage who serves as the court wizard, Wuunferth has several interesting items that are bound to entice anyone who is interested in the magic system ofSkyrim. The best part about this merchant is that he’s available throughout the day, meaning that players don’t have to worry about the time of day when interacting with him.
He can alsoteach Destruction magic up to the level of an Adept, which is bound to be useful for mages who don’t want to be stuck on the learning curve for too long. His stockpile of gold may not be massive, but his magical items and teachings more than makeup for this minor drawback.
During the quest “Blood on the Ice”, players can confront Wuunferth as being the possible Butcher, which he quickly denies by saying that necromancy has always been forbidden in the College of Winterhold. However, upon further questioning, he backtracks and specifies that this practice was actually never forbidden per se. He also has a very funny reaction when players summon an Atronach in his presence, which is something everyone must try at least once.
750
Windhelm is one of the most populated settlements in the entire game and one that the Dragonborn will be frequenting quite often. The marketplace is crowded all the time, and players will find several merchants worth interacting with here, one of whom is called Aval Atheron.
For a stall that only deals in food, it’s genuinely impressive to see that Aval Atheron has a decent stockpile of 750 gold to spare. Some shrewd deals will ensure that players will be able to gather a small fortune by dealing with this seemingly humble merchant.
General goods
00:00–06:00
Fals Selvayn is included in the Dragonborn DLC, found at the Ramshackle Trading Post. He’s a bit of a unique merchant, active from midnight to 6 a.m. As a general merchant, he’ll buy and sell a bit of everything but is best known for sellingthe unique Glass Bow of the Stag Prince.
He starts with 750 gold, which is a classic amount and ideal for some small, quick trading here and there. This solidifies his status as one ofSkyrim’s best merchants and someone who is well worth seeking out.
Selling jewelry can be difficult since a single gemstone can fetch a decent price.In Solitude, luckily, there’s a dedicated place where Endarie and Taarie will buy any of the player’s many precious stones.The Radiant Raiment is located on the right, right after the execution block in the city.
The shop is open at regular hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Considering this is a specialized store, it’s impressive that Endarie and Taarie have a total of 750 gold to buy. With the general goods store around as well, this is a great place to first get rid of any gemstones before selling the rest at Sayma’s place.
Sayma is the shopkeeper of Bits and Pieces, Solitude’s go-to general goods store.General goods merchants will buy and sell practically anything, making them an important part of the game. That being said, they have a limited buying power of 750 gold.
Sayma is one of the best general goods merchants due to Radiant Raiment being around, as well as being in a major city inSkyrim. It’s an easy stop to make, open at the regular hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Windhelm is a fantastic city when it comes to merchants. On top of Niranye being a general goods merchant found at the Windhelm marketplace, and her having 750 gold to buy with, there’s also Revyn’s Sadri over at Sadri’s Used Wares.
He also has about 750 gold to buy with and he’s considered a general merchant. That means the city effectively has two general merchants,on top of a blacksmith. Revyn and Niranye are the best to go to if the player has a ton of junk to get rid of.
