The Best Merchants in Skyrim

Highlights

• Glover Mallory in Raven Rock is a top blacksmith and merchant, with a high gold stash of 2,000, perfect for selling weapons and blacksmith items.
• Zaria in Falkreath may not have the best selection, but with 500 gold, she’s a great option for selling merchandise.
• Wuunferth the Unliving in Windhelm is a court wizard with an all-day availability and a small stockpile of 500 gold, making him a convenient option for buying magical items and learning Destruction magic.

With enough gold, anything is possible in Skyrim. After a long adventure, there’s no better feeling than hauling all that junk to the closest merchant and selling it all to afford the best house in all of Skyrim. That is, if the merchant happens to be open at that time and if they even have enough money to buy off everything.

Every player has been there at least once, annoyed by the fact that a merchant runs out of money too fast. In Skyrim, merchants simply aren’t made equally. Some are significantly better than others, whether they’ve elected to set up shop in better locations, have better working hours, or have a tendency to carry more useful stock.

Updated on December 11, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: With the launch of Starfield, more and more people have come to appreciate Skyrim for achieving the impossible more than a decade ago and letting players experience one of the most magical open-world RPGs of all time. The fact that Starfield is somehow less captivating than The Elder Scrolls 5 is a worrying fact for Bethesda, but fans can still try and ignore these problems by booting up this Nordic adventure for the umpteenth time. Hunting down dragons, fulfilling one’s duty as the Dragonborn, and exploring numerous magical places is a blast and helps Skyrim stand out as a truly magisterial game. Players will definitely spend a lot of time hoarding loot and selling it to merchants all over the map, amassing a lot of gold in no time at all.

24 Glover Mallory

Raven Rock

Glover Mallory is among the best blacksmiths in the game, and also among the best merchants. However, since he’s exclusive to the Dragonborn DLC, he won’t be the first recommendation for obvious reasons.

As a blacksmith, he only buys and sells limited items, but for players who are fine with that, he’s a great choice due to his unusually high gold stash of 2,000 gold. Because of that alone, he’s perfect for people wanting to sell weapons and other blacksmith items. He can be found in Raven Rock.

23 Zaria Of Grave Concoctions

Falkreath

Zaria is one of the alchemists that players can find in Falkreath. This hold has several merchants, which makes her services pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

However, any merchant with around 500 gold is a great outlet for players to sell their merchandise, and Zaria is certainly quite helpful in that regard. Once this gold is depleted, there’s not really a lot of use for her for the Dragonborn, but that’s fine.

22 Bolar

Narzulbur

Most people won’t expect an apothecary to be loaded with gold, which is what makes Bolar so valuable in an orc stronghold where players may find it hard to dispose of their loot. 500 gold may not be a lot, but beggars can’t be choosers.

She is the oldest member of the settlement and is considered to be the wisest by many. As a result, she believes in spiritual healing and carries around many herbs and concoctions that players can purchase.

21 Nurelion Of The White Phial

Windhelm

Nurelion and his assistant, Quintus Navale, run The White Phial in Windhelm. It’s a pretty reputed alchemical shop in the area that the Dragonborn should definitely go to if they want to stock up on potions or just have some unwanted decoctions that they want to offload.

Regardless, Nurelion and his assistant will be great in this regard. Both characters have 500 gold, letting players sell and buy whatever they please without worrying too much about making their funds run out in the process.

20 Wuunferth The Unliving In The Palace Of The King

Windhelm

An elderly mage who serves as the court wizard, Wuunferth has several interesting items that are bound to entice anyone who is interested in the magic system of Skyrim. The best part about this merchant is that he’s available throughout the day, meaning that players don’t have to worry about the time of day when interacting with him.

He can also teach Destruction magic up to the level of an Adept, which is bound to be useful for mages who don’t want to be stuck on the learning curve for too long. His stockpile of gold may not be massive, but his magical items and teachings more than make up for this minor drawback.

19 Aval Atheron’s Stall In The Marketplace

Windhelm

Windhelm is one of the most populated settlements in the entire game and one that the Dragonborn will be frequenting quite often. The marketplace is crowded all the time, and players will find several merchants worth interacting with here, one of whom is called Aval Atheron.

For a stall that only deals in food, it’s genuinely impressive to see that Aval Atheron has a decent stockpile of 750 gold to spare. Some shrewd deals will ensure that players will be able to gather a small fortune by dealing with this seemingly humble merchant.

18 Falas Selvayn

Ramshackle Trading Post

Fals Selvayn is included in the Dragonborn DLC, found at the Ramshackle Trading Post. He’s a bit of a unique merchant, active from midnight to 6 a.m. As a general merchant, he’ll buy and sell a bit of everything but is best known for selling the unique Glass Bow of the Stag Prince.

He starts off with 750 gold, which is a classic amount and ideal for some small, quick trading here and there. This solidifies his status as one of Skyrim‘s best merchants and someone who is well worth seeking out.

17 Endarie And Taarie Of The Radiant Raiment

Solitude

Selling jewelry can be difficult since a single gemstone can fetch a decent price. In Solitude, luckily, there’s a dedicated place where Endarie and Taarie will buy any of the player’s many precious stones. The Radiant Raiment is located on the right, right after the execution block in the city.

The shop is open at regular hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Considering this is a specialized store, it’s impressive that Endarie and Taarie have a total of 750 gold to buy. With the general goods store around as well, this is a great place to first get rid of any gemstones before selling the rest at Sayma’s place.

16 Sayma Of Bits And Pieces

Solitude

Sayma is the shopkeeper of Bits and Pieces, Solitude’s go-to general goods store. General goods merchants will buy and sell practically anything, making them an important part of the game. That being said, they have a limited buying power of 750 gold.

Sayma is one of the best general goods merchants due to Radiant Raiment being around, as well as being in a major city in Skyrim. It’s an easy stop to make, open at the regular hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

15 Revyn Sadri Of Sadri’s Used Wares

Windhelm

Windhelm is a fantastic city when it comes to merchants. On top of Niranye being a general goods merchant found at the Windhelm marketplace, and her having 750 gold to buy with, there’s also Revyn’s Sadri over at Sadri’s Used Wares.

He also has about 750 gold to buy with and he’s considered a general merchant. That means the city effectively has two general merchants, on top of a blacksmith. Revyn and Niranye are the best to go to if the player has a ton of junk to get rid of.

14 Lucan Valerius Of Riverwood Trader

Riverwood

A great merchant isn’t just determined by his amount of gold. Sometimes, a great location is key when getting customers. Riverwood has one of the more central locations in the province and is the earliest town the player visits after Helgen if they choose to follow the main story.

Most towns lack a general good merchant, but Riverwood is very well established. Riverwood Trader, owned by Lucan Valerius, is a perfect spot to stop to sell any junk or loot for some profit. Like any general goods merchant, he has 750 gold to buy with.

13 Belethor Of Belethor’s General Goods

Whiterun

The best of all general goods merchants is without a doubt Belethor. Whiterun is a city most players will come to visit time and time again, thanks to the main quest and the variety of side quests that will lead back to the city.

This is why Belethor is so important. His central location makes him easy to visit, even if he only has the typical 750 gold to trade with. However, his shop faces the Whiterun marketplace, where players can continue to make trades after his out of money, though with less flexibility.

12 Elrindir Of The Drunken Huntsman

Whiterun

The central location of Whiterun makes it one of the best places to go and trade things. However, many often overlook The Drunken Huntsman tavern and prioritize The Bannered Mare. Next time, make sure to drop by this location and speak with Elrindir, the shop owner.

Since the place is a tavern, it’s open at all times, which makes trading with Elrindir very convenient. He’s available all day and has 750 gold on him. It’s not ideal, but his location and flexible times make up for not having 1,000 gold on him. He’s specialized in hunting gear in particular.

11 Neloth, A Mage Merchant

Tel Mithryn

If players are the proud owners of the Dragonborn DLC, one of the coolest and most flexible merchants is Neloth, the arrogant mage found in Tel Mithryn. He specializes mostly in magic-related things when it comes to his inventory, but what’s particularly cool is that he has a ton of gold.

Neloth has 1,000 gold, which is well above the average amount that most merchants have. Moreover, for anyone traveling in Solstheim, it’s a nice location to return to despite being on the extreme southwestern corner of the map. It’s well worth the trek, though.

10 Beirand, The Blacksmith

Solitude

Solitude is one of the major cities in Skyrim, and as such, it’s likely players will spend quite a bit of time here or around the city doing various quests or just adventuring. Plus, it has the best house in the game, so knowing the city is a big advantage.

Beirand is easily the best merchant in the city. As a blacksmith, he’s subject to opening hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but his purse makes up for it. He has 1,000 gold with him, so returning here from a long quest nearby is the best possible choice to make.

9 Oengul War-Anvil, The Blacksmith

Windhelm

Those traveling on the opposite end of Skyrim in the east might want to head over to Windhelm for a bunch of great merchants. Among them, there’s one man who’s slightly superior, and that’s Oengul, who’s usually working at his forge.

He’s only available from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., which is a bit annoying. However, like most blacksmiths, he has that big purse of 1,000 gold which means he can buy more. Whether the player is headed for Riften or up north to Winterhold, this is a nice place to do a pit stop and clear that inventory.

8 Eorlund Gray-Mane, The Blacksmith – Winterhold

Another gem in Winterhold, Eorlund Gray-Mane is first introduced during the Companions questline. That being said, he’s a free agent who claims to be neutral and ready to help anyone. As the best blacksmith in Skyrim, it would be silly not to stop by his forge.

The cool thing about Eorlund is that he opens early compared to some other shops. He’s up at 6 a.m. and available all the way until 8 p.m., so there’s a few hours of extra time in the morning to trade with him. He has 1,000 gold, which again helps when selling stuff.

7 Balimund Of The Scorched Hammer

Riften

Balimund isn’t anything special when it comes to merchants, but he’s more of an old faithful at an easy location most players can visit as soon as possible. Head to the market square of Riften, where his blacksmith shop is located.

Balimund has classic opening hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and buys and sells blacksmith-related items only. That somewhat limits his utility. He has 1,000 gold to spare, which is the most any merchant has in Riften, save for the Thieves Guild fences.

6 Gunmar, The Blacksmith

Fort Dawnguard

If players have the Dawnguard DLC, it’s good to know who to approach in the Dawnguard faction to sell all that useless junk. The local blacksmith, Gunmar, is the best guy to go to since he has the most money of the three merchants in Fort Dawnguard.

Better yet, Gunmar and the other merchants are available at any time of the day, so no need to monitor opening hours. Moreover, Gunmar has a whopping 1,000 gold on him, so it’s pretty easy to sell a bunch of weapons or ores to him for a good price.

5 Hestla, The Blacksmith

Volkihar Castle

If players can’t be bothered with joining the Dawnguard, and instead, fancy becoming an ally to the Volkihar clan, don’t worry. They have an almost identical setup. The Volkihars also have three merchants at their castle, one of which is blacksmith Hestla.

Similarly to Gunmar, she has 1,000 gold on her, which makes selling much easier. She’s available at all times of the day (makes sense for a vampire), so no need to worry about opening hours here either.