[3.5] Does the 50% sale value include wear and tear?

[kkplx]

Basically, as a player, should I be able to expect a 50% base value for sales of any items we find, since that includes the wear&tear from adventuring (extreme cases excluded), or should a DM always subtract additional gold from those 50% to account for wear&tear?

I'm assuming that in the end it's up to the DM, but I'm wondering how the general judgement or RAW is on that - a short search on google & the DMG couldn't get me any decisive info on the topic.

[CRtwenty]

I don't believe there's any actual ruling either way.

[avr]

Where the wear and tear has no mechanical effect there's no good reason to drop the price further. If there is some effect - a sword with reduced hit points so it'd be easier to break or sunder, for example - then sure, the price it should sell for would be less than 50% of full.

If there's some question as to whether the seller actually owns the item and angry former owners/heirs/the law might be following up then that too should drop the price.

[Douglas]

What is this "wear and tear" you speak of? Magic items are eternal!:smalltongue:

If something actually has hp damage, look up the rules for how much it would cost to repair it and factor that in. Otherwise, you're talking pure fluff.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

The 50% rule is a lazy rule that assumes a situation that is average in every way.

There is neither a remarkable demand nor a remarkable glut of the goods in the market.

The seller has a neutral relationship with the local merchants.

The item has some marks of use, but doesn't require any repairs.

In most games though we've assumed that there's no demand for certain low value items like leather or hide armor and weapons cheaper than swords especially if they came from less civilized monstrous races, presuming they are of poor quality in ways that don't have a mechanical effect.

[nyjastul69]

The 50% rule is a lazy rule that assumes a situation that is average in every way.

There is neither a remarkable demand nor a remarkable glut of the goods in the market.

The seller has a neutral relationship with the local merchants.

The item has some marks of use, but doesn't require any repairs.

In most games though we've assumed that there's no demand for certain low value items like leather or hide armor and weapons cheaper than swords especially if they came from less civilized monstrous races, presuming they are of poor quality in ways that don't have a mechanical effect.

I don't think it's a lazy rule, I think an average situation is the only one the designers can assume. Moving away from the average assumptions is for each DM to do as they see fit.