Good trade routes

I've been using a pretty nice loop for the early-game trader, as you don't need to be allied to 3 or 4 different factions to buy all the expensive stuff. All you need is friendly with the Alliance Independents.

Alcuin - Fill up on Exotic Metals, 1000 a pod
Emerald - Sell the exotics for 2000 a pod
Huang - Fill up on fullerenes and nanomaterials from one of the common metals processors for 2000 a pod. There's 4 or 5 of them so this route will take a really long time to run dry.
Alcuin - Sell the fullerenes at a manufacturing plant for 3500 a pod.
Rinse and Repeat.

Net profits are a hair less than 40,000 per loop with a SnRV, 10 pod freighter, and your tug. And no pirates or taxes getting in the way. If its too early to be friendly with the Alliance Indies, you can get common metals in Bedelov instead of fullerenes in Huang to sell in Alcuin. Though the profits are much less its a nice looping route.

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Here are four very profitable routes. Some of them were posted in here already, but I think I made them a little easier to understand. Also added examples of how much you make in each route using 20 crates as standard.

Check out Trade Route #2, BIG BIG MONEY! I've made about $700000 after expenses per trip using two Venice-class freighters.


Trade Route #1
1. Alcuin – Exotic Metals Mine (buy-1000/crate) -> Emerald – Azran Exotic Metals Processing Facility (sell-2000/crate)
2. Emerald – Azran Exotic Metals Processing Facility (buy-6800/crate) -> Bedalov – Manufacturing Station (sell-8000/crate)
3. Bedalov – Manufacturing Station (buy-6800/crate) -> Bedalov – Mining Outpost (sell-7000/crate)
4. Bedalov – Mining Outpost (buy-1000/crate) -> Alcuin – Junkers Common Metals Processing (sell-1500/crate)

Example:
1. 20 crates = buy 20000, sell 40000 – profit 20000
2. 20 crates = buy 136000, sell 160000 – profit 24000
3. 20 crates = buy 136000, sell 140000 – profit 4000
4. 20 crates = buy 20000, sell 30000 – profit 10000
Total Profit before expenses = 58000

Trade Route #2
1. Alcuin – Exotic Metals Mine (buy-1000/crate) -> Bumpy’s Star -> Xu Xuan -> Li Po – Exotic Metals Processing Facility (sell-2500/crate)
2. Li Po – Biomass Processing Plant (buy-4000/crate) -> Ripon -> Lombard -> Epitaph -> New Constantinople – Irdis Food Processing Facility (sell-12000/crate)
3. New Constantinople – Iridis Food Processing Facility -> New Constantinople – Aljaya Robotics Facility (buy-4000/crate) -> Epitaph -> Penda -> Emerald – Heavy Manufacturing (sell-14000/crate)

Example:
1. 20 crates = buy 20000, sell 50000 – profit 30000
2. 20 crates = buy 80000, sell 240000 – profit 160000
3. 20 crates = buy 80000, sell 280000 – profit 200000
Total Profit before expenses = 390000

Trade Route #3
1. Bedalov – Common Metals Mine (buy-1000/crate) -> Huang – Common Metals Processing Facility (sell-1500/crate)
2. Huang – Common Metals Processing Facility (buy-2000/crate) -> Emerald – Jade Manufacturing Station (sell-2500/crate)
3. Emerald – Jade Manufacturing Station -> Pearl Nanotech Factory (buy-5800/crate) -> Bedalov -> Alcuin – Junkers Common Metal Processing (sell-7000/crate)

Example:
1. 20 crates = buy 20000, sell 30000 - profit 10000
2. 20 crates = buy 40000, sell 60000 - profit 20000
3. 20 crates = buy 116000, sell 140000 - profit 24000
Total Profit before expenses = 54000

Trade Route #4
1. Bumpy’s Star – Lunchbox Station (buy-2000/crate) -> Xu Xuan -> Providence (pay customs 100/crate) -> Emerald -> Penda -> Epitaph -> New Constantinople (pay customs 100/crate) – Al Wadi Neutronium Processing Plant (buy-8000/crate)

Example:
1. 20 crates = buy 40000, sell 160000 – profit 120000
Total Profit before expenses = 120000



Note: I didnt specify what goods you should buy at each station, so make sure you buy stuff that you can actually sell at the next stop in the route.

Curious, are you running any of those route through unknown l-points, and what kind of overall toll amounts are you paying to complete a single route?

No unknown l-points. Havent found any yet.

Each toll averages $100/crate. So with 20 crates, toll is $2000. Sometimes you encounter pirates in the barrens too, they usually cost me about $5000 total with 20 crates.

If anyone finds secret l-points, please let me know!

Wow, very nice and thorough post Rockonrrh. And some very lucrative routes. Just as they should be if you are going through Epitaph and Ripon. However, are you running Torn Stars or the lastest build of Unstable Space? In US such a route should be fairly costly in terms of wingmen and damage etc. whilst battling the Machines of Epitaph or the Brethren of Ripon.

give uss a brake... hah....
you guys rule
GOtornstars