Powerful magic items come into existence by being commissioned. An individual or organization approaches an artificer or master craftsman with a specific request and the item is made to spec. In addition to the time and expertise of the craftsman, creating magical items typically requires rare and expensive components. Additionally, magical items are complicated to design, requiring prolonged and expensive periods of experimentation before the artificer settles on a design that meets its intended purpose. This means that artificers often specialize into narrow fields, and there may be only one or two individuals in the world who have the skills to forge, say, a legendary blade.
However, it is possible to obtain blueprints for a design that would shorten the learning process for another artisan. These are easier to find for more common items, but may be jealously guarded or even nonexistent for legendary artifacts.
So, can magic items be bought and sold? Many of the magic items used by monsters and adventurers are prone to transferring ownership when their current owners meets a violent end. So what happens to these items? There must exist some secondary market for transferring ownership.
In almost all cases, commissioning an item is more expensive than purchasing a used one. But it can be extremely difficult or impossible to find a specific used item. So the problem comes with trying to connect sellers with potential buyers.
Additionally, because magic items are valuable and portable, theft is a major concern. So any party purchasing a magic item for resale would need to incur substantial security costs to store the item in the meantime.
Some wealthy individuals may collect magic items. The rarest of magic items may end up held in the collections of powerful outsiders, such as devils, for use as trading chips in their schemes. Some magic items may even be created directly by deities to bestow upon their chosen champions. Finally, certain magic items may be commonplace among outsiders. Angels may all wield blessed weapons. Azer’s hammers may commonly be imbued with magical heat from their home plane, etc.
All this to say, there exists methods for the production of magic items and places for them to end up. Common items will likely remain circulating in use or in the collections of wealthy merchants or minor houses. Uncommon items may be found among the nobility or wealthy collectors. Rare items may be sought after by the richest doges or hoarded by outsiders, etc. In fact, many items are probably more likely to be in storage at any given time rather than in use on the battlefield.
Ways to sell magic items
- Pawned off at a steep discount to someone who believes they can turn around and sell it for a higher price
- Direct sale to an interested party (someone who will use the item or wants it for their collection)
- Via a broker who will seek out a buyer on behalf of the seller
- Consignment to an auction house