So, what if we were to change the policy so that a PC could sell an item to a shop, and then wait a grace period... say 48 hours, or perhaps even a full week, and then be allowed to buy that item from the shop if it were still there? Would that -really- be so bad? I don't see it as being that much different, if the grace period is there, as some other player getting an item and selling it, and then your PC purchasing it. It would also give other PCs the opportunity to buy it, thus stimulating the economy. Perhaps it would open up some items that people would otherwise hoard.
My original thought was to propose that any shop be available for this, but then it occurred to me that there are some pretty far out shops out there, such as Yuirwood, where people probably don't frequent much, and thus someone could 'back rack' things (ever gone into a store and seen something you wanted on sale, but didn't have the cash to buy it that day, so you hang it on a back rack, hoping nobody else will find it before you can come back?). Perhaps the shops could be limited to places like Waterdeep and Zhentil Keep. I would suggest Daggerford, but the economy is so wonky there, sometimes it's hard to sell things as it is.
Just an idea, and possibly one that won't go anywhere... but I imagine many of us have faced this frustration, especially when we're trying to match our outfits -just- right.
