Has this been discussed for Skyrim? Morrowind and Oblivion had different economies. In Oblivion, merchants had a set amount that did not diminish as you sold items. This was good for the unlimited ridding of your heavy items and junk. The problem was that your nice find worth 4000 gold would sell to Thoronir in the Copious Coinpurse for 1600 gold, his highest offer without investments. This left me feeling jimped, and it would have been really bad if only there were more things available to the player to save their gold and spend on, other than houses and horses. For Morrowind, the merchants lost money when they bought and gained money when they sold. You buy your needs first to give the merchant more money and sell to gain that money back. TES lovers liked this more but, again, low merchant starting gold. We had to go to the scamp merchant or the mudcrab merchant for top dollar. Still, having so much loot meant that you couldn't sell it all. You could wait 24 hours and sell more.

How do you feel merchant economy should be handled in Oblivion? You want to sell for as high as you can. You want to roll in money, at least I do. And I want lots of worthwhile stuff to spend money on. My opinion is that merchants should have a set gold that increases when they sell and diminishes when they buy, but it can not go down to zero. A minimum gold, say 200, is always available so that you can unburden yourself of those heavy bars of metal, heavy cheap weapons and armor, staffs you don't use, petty soul gems, and junk you've collected just for selling.

The reason I say this is because of my OOO 1.33 game with living economy. My inventory and Waterfront Shack chest is full of items I have not sold yet because of the economy ( scrolls, gems, gold furnishings, clothing sets, enchanted things ). I can only ever sell one weapon per merchant before a huge chunk of their money is gone and I won't get top dollar for the less heavy items such as enchanted rings. Soon they are at zero and can't buy anything more until the player waits 24 hours. It doesn't work well for me because I am the type that does not hit the wait button, but goes to the inn and gets a bed to sleep in. Because my character does not stand outside Slash and Smash awake in the rain and cold for Urkul gro Orkulg to open shop. With a minimum gold that does not go lower than 200 I can at least get a good price for the weaker enchanted items and lighten my inventory.

Long post. How do you feel a good merchant economy would work?