Market Orders (Buy & Sell)

Market orders represent the automated backbone of SEED's trading system. Rather than manually negotiating each transaction, market orders allow you to set up automated buying and selling that happens twice daily, creating an efficient system for managing business supply chains and inventory.

Understanding the Market Order System

Market orders process at midnight and noon in sim time, creating predictable windows when all buying and selling occurs automatically. This system prevents the chaos that might result from constant real-time trading while ensuring regular economic activity.

The beauty of this system lies in its automation. Once you set up orders, they continue working even when you're not actively playing. Your business can sell products and acquire materials around the clock, making your economic activities much more efficient than manual trading.

Setting Up Your First Market Orders

Getting Started with the Business App To create market orders, open your Business app and navigate to the Market tab. This interface serves as your command center for all automated trading activities. The system clearly separates buy orders (for acquiring items) from sell orders (for selling your products), making it easy to manage both sides of your business operations.

Creating Effective Sell Orders Sell orders are where most businesses start, since they generate immediate revenue from existing inventory. The system connects your sell orders to "selling containers" within your business building. This means you need to physically stock these containers with the items you want to sell.

Here's how the process works: you create a sell order specifying the item, price, and quantity. Then you stock your selling container with those items. When the market processes at midnight or noon, the system automatically sells items from your container to matching buy orders, transferring SeedCoin to your business wallet.

The IsAutoStocked feature makes this even more convenient. When enabled, the system automatically restocks your selling container from your general business inventory, meaning you don't need to manually move items each time. This is particularly valuable for businesses with consistent production schedules.

Strategic Buy Order Management Buy orders work similarly but in reverse - you're requesting specific items at maximum prices you're willing to pay. The system automatically purchases these items when matching sell orders become available, having them delivered to your business location.

The IsAutoRequested feature allows buy orders to repeat automatically at set intervals. This is incredibly useful for manufacturing businesses that need regular supplies of raw materials. Set up a buy order for wood with IsAutoRequested enabled, and your business will automatically acquire new wood supplies without constant manual intervention.

Advanced Market Order Strategies

Timing and Market Cycles Understanding the twice-daily processing schedule helps you optimize your trading strategies. Place new orders well before midnight or noon to ensure they're included in the next processing cycle. Monitor which processing time typically has more activity in your society - this can vary based on player schedules and time zones.

Consider the economic implications of this timing. Items sold during the morning processing might be available for afternoon production cycles, while evening sales can provide overnight inventory management. Plan your business operations around these natural rhythms.

Container and Inventory Management Successful market order management requires careful attention to your container systems. Selling containers need adequate space and organization to handle your products efficiently. Some businesses dedicate specific containers to specific products, making inventory management much clearer.

For buy orders, ensure you have adequate space to receive purchased items. Running out of storage space can cause delivery problems and disrupt your supply chains. Plan container capacity around your expected order volumes.

Pricing Strategies and Competition Market orders operate in a competitive environment where pricing affects order fulfillment priority. Setting competitive prices increases the likelihood your orders will be matched, while pricing too aggressively might reduce your profit margins.

Monitor market trends and adjust your prices accordingly. Some sellers prefer consistent pricing for predictable profits, while others adjust prices based on supply and demand patterns. Experiment with different approaches to find what works best for your business model.

Building Sustainable Trading Operations

Supply Chain Integration Market orders become truly powerful when integrated into broader supply chain strategies. Use buy orders to automatically acquire raw materials for production, and sell orders to automatically distribute finished goods. This creates efficient production cycles with minimal manual intervention.

Consider the entire flow from raw materials to finished products to end customers. Well-designed market order systems can automate much of this process, allowing you to focus on production optimization and business development rather than constant trading management.

Risk Management and Backup Plans While automation is convenient, maintain backup plans for when market orders don't fulfill as expected. Keep emergency suppliers for critical materials, and maintain some inventory buffers to handle supply disruptions.

Monitor your order fulfillment rates and adjust strategies when patterns change. Market conditions evolve as societies develop and player behavior shifts, so successful traders adapt their automated systems accordingly.

This guide was generated with AI to help get you started quickly. If you spot any errors or have suggestions for improvement, please reach out via "Contact Us" above - your feedback helps make these articles better for everyone!