I have been playing Oblivion for 4 years now, but one fear that I always had was buying stuff from stores that were on display in the store, Like for example a piece of armor or weapon that's on the counter and is connected to what the merchant can sell, If I buy it it would disappear which makes sense however my fear was that it would never respawn and if I bought all the items the store would look empty forever.

Does this actually happen? Or do items respawn this way?

They restock inventories, but it's somewhat random, at least for some items. For example, I've had soul gems restock in 1 day or several days, and everything in between.

I'm not talking about their merchant chests, which do respawn. I meant items on display

I'd say it all depends on the item. For example, food on tables in the guilds may respawn, but some of it doesn't. Most does, though. Sometimes other items such as bowls might get moved but then respawn back in their original locations.

It isn't something you can say as a generality if that's what you are asking. Respawning normally applies to containers (including ingredients) or spawn points for encounters.

If you are wondering about something in particular, look in the construction set.

I have done that infact, but they do not show as respawning. I just wanted to confirm this.

I've wondered the same thing, so I just tested it in-game, and it would appear that they do not respawn at all.

I used A Fighting Chance for the test. From the beginning of the game, Rohssan has a steel claymore, a fine iron longsword and an iron shortsword on the counter in front of her. When I went into the store the first time, I simply bought the fine iron longsword (which vanished from the counter) then left and waited 73 hours and went back in, and it was still missing.

I wasn't convinced with that though, so I went back and redid it. Interestingly, that time, she showed two fine iron longswords and two iron shortswords in her inventory, which I would have to assume were the ones on the counter plus ones that had spawned in her vendor chest. That time I bought all three weapons (and noted that when I bought only one of the fine iron longsword and the iron shortsword, the ones on the counter disappeared, so they even have priority over the ones in her vendor chest). I then waited and kept checking back (it took a total of four sets of 73 hours) until she respawned one of the items in her inventory (another steel claymore), just to make sure that it didn't replace the one on the counter, which it didn't.

So I'd have to conclude that if you buy the items that are on display, they vanish forever. Nothing else takes their place and even duplicates of the same items don't take their place.

Ya, I don't like that. thanks for confirming though

Oh... I dunno.... I can see some use for it.

For instance, the next time I go into The Fair Deal in Bravil, I'm going to buy that bottle of ale or beer or whatever it is that's on the counter right square in front of Nilawen, just to make it go away.

That'll be a good thing.