Black Market: Crafting, Refining & Trade Guide
The NPC gear sink in Caerleon that buys finished gear and feeds it into mob loot.
- Refining bonus: Not a refining location — the Black Market is an NPC buy-order sink, not a crafting or refining city.
- Crafting bonuses: Not a crafting city — NPC demand sink
Overview
The Black Market is not a city you craft or refine in — it is an NPC located inside Caerleon that posts buy orders only. You can sell finished gear to it, but you can never buy from it. Its purpose is to create demand for player-crafted equipment and recirculate that gear into the world.
Mechanically, when mobs are killed there is a chance a Black Market buy order is generated for a specific item. The gear you sell into the Black Market becomes the stock that drops from mobs, chests, and factions across Albion. When stock for an item is high the buy price falls; when it is low the NPC raises its buy price — so prices move with what mobs are dropping versus what players are feeding in.
The Black Market is also a gear sink: the trader keeps a percentage of items he buys (especially lower-tier gear) and removes them from the game, which keeps the economy from drowning in cheap gear. For crafters, selling here is often the best exit because it raises the effective price floor on finished items — see flips and the market to compare Black Market buy orders against player sell orders.
What to buy and sell in Black Market
| Buy here (cheaper) | Sell here (in demand) |
|---|---|
| Nothing — the Black Market only buys, it does not sell to players | Finished weapons & armor |
| Tier 4-8 gear of various qualities | |
| Mob-droppable equipment | |
| Lower-tier gear (partially consumed as a sink) |
Trading tips for Black Market
- Sell crafted gear to the Black Market when its buy-order price beats player sell orders — the NPC effectively raises the floor.
- Black Market prices swing with mob drops: when an item is dropping a lot, its buy price falls; when it is scarce, it rises.
- Craft gear in the IP/tier/quality ranges mobs actually drop — that is what the Black Market is buying for loot tables.
- Use the Black Market as a fast, reliable exit for bulk-crafted gear instead of waiting on slow player order books.
- Lower-tier gear is partially consumed as a sink, so do not overproduce cheap items expecting full recovery.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Black Market in Albion Online?
The Black Market is an NPC in Caerleon that posts buy orders for finished gear. It buys equipment from players and feeds that gear into mob, chest, and faction loot drops across the world.
Can you buy from the Black Market?
No. The Black Market only has buy orders — players can sell gear to it but cannot purchase from it. Its inventory is redistributed as mob loot, not sold back to players.
How do you make money with the Black Market?
Craft finished weapons and armor in tiers, IP, and qualities that mobs drop, then sell them to the Black Market when its buy price beats player sell orders. It is a reliable exit that often sets the price floor for crafted gear.