Trade counter
At the side of the shop counter. Trade only. The Assistant holds both halves of a deal and makes the swap while nobody is looking, which is how it likes it.
Nothing here costs money, and nothing here can be bought with it. Sardines on the books come only from checked games: a board game’s daily, replayed by the server. One sardine in 10 of every deal goes to the Sardine Reserve, which has never said what it does with them.
Your books
Numbered editions
A fixed run of something that is always on the counter unnumbered. The size of the run is set before the first copy goes, and never raised; copies go first come, first served, at a fixed price in sardines on the books, numbered in order. Nothing is random and nothing ends: only the number is scarce, and the look itself stays on the counter for everyone.
- Teacup, numberedEdition of 50 · 60 sardines on the books · opens 2026-10-15The Teacup skin with a number on the saucer. The look is the same as the one on the counter; the number is the point.
- Guestbook stamp sheet, numberedEdition of 100 · 20 sardines on the books · opens 2026-10-15The stamp sheet, with its number pressed into the corner of every stamp. The ink is still from 1998.
- Walnut card back, numberedEdition of 50 · 80 sardines on the books · opens 2026-10-16The walnut card back with a number inlaid on the ace of spades. Every card is the same walnut; the number is the point.
- Sardine tin deck, numberedEdition of 50 · 90 sardines on the books · opens 2026-10-16The sardine tin deck graphic with a number stamped on the lid, as tins are. You see it mostly when you fall.
- Antique map style, numberedEdition of 25 · 150 sardines on the books · opens 2026-10-16The antique map style with a number in the cartouche. The map is the same map; it is none of it to scale either way.
“In demand” marks a thing grabbed or traded 5 or more times in the last 7 days, counted without names. It goes away by itself when that stops being true, and it changes nothing about the thing.
On the counter
Looking…
Put something on the counter
The log
Every trade of the last 30 days, by made-up name. Nothing else about anyone is kept.
Looking…
What trades, and what doesn’t
Things trade only if every one of them was paid for with sardines the server checked. You need a name, and the name needs to be 2 days old.
| Trades | For |
|---|---|
| Sardines on the books | an item (never sardines for sardines) |
| Walnut theatre, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Teacup, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Diving bell, taken on the books | 50–150 sardines (it’s 100 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| All display, taken on the books | 20–60 sardines (it’s 40 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Jelly mould, taken on the books | 25–75 sardines (it’s 50 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Walnut shell, taken on the books | 35–105 sardines (it’s 70 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Lighthouse, taken on the books | 45–135 sardines (it’s 90 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Guestbook stamp sheet, taken on the books | 10–30 sardines (it’s 20 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Slopoween stamp sheet, taken on the books | 15–45 sardines (it’s 30 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Tin card back, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Walnut card back, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Velvet card back, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Pumpkin card back, taken on the books | 20–60 sardines (it’s 40 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Sardine tin deck, taken on the books | 45–135 sardines (it’s 90 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Ruler deck, taken on the books | 45–135 sardines (it’s 90 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Lamp deck, taken on the books | 45–135 sardines (it’s 90 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Pegboard deck, taken on the books | 45–135 sardines (it’s 90 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Oilskins, taken on the books | 50–150 sardines (it’s 100 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Pyjamas, taken on the books | 50–150 sardines (it’s 100 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Overalls, taken on the books | 50–150 sardines (it’s 100 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Copper pipe, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Brass pipe, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Wooden golf ball, taken on the books | 25–75 sardines (it’s 50 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Glass golf ball, taken on the books | 25–75 sardines (it’s 50 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Brass clock face, taken on the books | 38–112 sardines (it’s 75 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Enamel clock face, taken on the books | 38–112 sardines (it’s 75 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Luminous clock face, taken on the books | 38–112 sardines (it’s 75 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Railway clock face, taken on the books | 38–112 sardines (it’s 75 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Antique map style, taken on the books | 75–225 sardines (it’s 150 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Survey map style, taken on the books | 75–225 sardines (it’s 150 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Under construction stamp sheet, taken on the books | 15–45 sardines (it’s 30 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Webring stamp sheet, taken on the books | 15–45 sardines (it’s 30 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Starfield background, taken on the books | 20–60 sardines (it’s 40 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Clouds background, taken on the books | 20–60 sardines (it’s 40 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Notepaper background, taken on the books | 20–60 sardines (it’s 40 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Sparkle cursor, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Sepia palette, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Amber screen, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Green phosphor, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Wallpaper pack: the bench, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Wallpaper pack: the sea, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Wallpaper pack: the showroom, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Icon pack: tin, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Icon pack: chalk, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Single stamp: THANK YOU, taken on the books | 3–7 sardines (it’s 5 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Sticky note pad, taken on the books | 3–7 sardines (it’s 5 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| 88 × 31 button, taken on the books | 5–15 sardines (it’s 10 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Bookplate: the pencil, taken on the books | 5–15 sardines (it’s 10 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Squared paper card back, taken on the books | 8–22 sardines (it’s 15 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Teacup, numbered, taken on the books | 30–90 sardines (it’s 60 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Guestbook stamp sheet, numbered, taken on the books | 10–30 sardines (it’s 20 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Walnut card back, numbered, taken on the books | 40–120 sardines (it’s 80 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Sardine tin deck, numbered, taken on the books | 45–135 sardines (it’s 90 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Antique map style, numbered, taken on the books | 75–225 sardines (it’s 150 at the counter), or a thing within 2× of its price |
| Never trades | Why |
|---|---|
| Anything brought over from your browser’s wallet | nobody can check how it was paid for, so it stays bound to you |
| Things priced in thimbles or marbles | those currencies never trade |
| Thimbles | a record that you learned; selling them would sell the curriculum |
| Marbles | a marble is a found secret; selling one would sell finding |
| Sardines in your pocket | kept in your browser, so nobody can check them |
| Free and secret skins, secret palettes, found cards | free things aren’t owned, and secret rewards are never sold or traded |
| Badges | credentials, with the name you typed on them |
| Board places | a record of what you did, not a thing you have |
| Standing | a relation with a faction, not an asset |
| In-game money and Make Do’s materials | they stay in their game, so its balance holds |
- Up to 5 things on the counter at once, 5 new ones and 5 swaps a day, and one swap a day between the same two names.
- A listing goes back to its owner after 7 days. You can take it back any time before.
- Something you got here can be traded again, but Returns won’t take it: Returns only takes back what you took from the counter yourself.
- No auctions, no bids, no bundles, no packs, nothing random, no money.