Trader

“The Trader will only open her shop for a brief time when the coast is clear. You'll have to find where she is situated in each map, and plan your shopping beforehand.” —Loading screen tip

The Trader is a mysterious woman of undisclosed name and origin who can be found in various fortified locations, selling guns, ammunition and other equipment to the players in exchange for money obtained from killing specimens. She sends audio messages to the players notifying them of the current status of the shop, when its opening, closing, and if it will be open again. These messages however are often interpreted as sexual innuendos with mixed responses from fans and critics.

Posters advertising her shop can be found scattered about in various maps with adverts such as "I'm lonely, you're dry on ammo, we can help each other", "Hot bargains on things to kill with", and various others.

During the Potato Fools Day Hunt (after April 12th), she was replaced by the 'Anger' core of GLaDOS on a rocket-sentry pedestal from the Portal series.

Opening times[edit]

Once all of the specimens in any wave are all dead, the trader opens her shop for a brief window of time: 90 seconds on beginner difficulty, or 60 seconds on any other difficulty. The open shop can be in any of a number of given locations, as indicated by a red arrow and a distance in the top-left of the head-up display for the duration of the wave preceding trader opening time, as well as during opening time, after which the arrow and distance readjust to the next trader location.

By default, once all the specimens in a wave are dead, a red smoke path will appear to denote the fastest walkable route to the trader. Faster routes may be found by passing obstacles, though this frequently involves dangerous falls.

Interestingly, a trader location is indicated by an arrow and a distance during the final wave, although no red path appears once the Patriarch is dead, even if he was the only specimen at that time. Of course, this trader is impossible to access and any money the player has left after killing the Patriarch, including the bounty for the Patriarch itself, cannot be spent and is wasted.

Since the opening time between each wave is very brief, it is often advisable to end the wave near the location where the trader will open. This is often achieved by an agreement between players to leave the last few specimens in a wave alive until the party members are all close to the trader. This period of respite is often also used by players to heal team-mates and ensure that all their weapons are fully loaded. If a player is still inside the shop once the time has ended, they are transported to just outside the shop doors with a warning message: "You can't stay in the shop after closing."

Trader menu[edit]

The trader menu has a number of features.

In the top-left is an option to view perks along with quick-select button for each perk.

In the top-centre is a countdown to closing time. This starts in white and turns red when there are less than 10 seconds to go.

The left side of the screen is devoted to the player's inventory, where the player can sell their weapons, buy ammo by the magazine or to fill each weapon - including grenades. Armour is also bought and repaired here. Interestingly, the option to auto-fill all ammo is found at the bottom-right of the trader menu. Note that any auto-fill or repair button can be pressed when insufficient funds are available, and the command is executed to a proportionate extent, and all of the player's money is expended. There is an artifact whereby the missing ammo from a player's weapons can be of such little worth that the auto-fill ammo button indicates that the cost of this command is £0, although ammo is actually bought when this is pressed. The 'repair armour' and 'auto-fill ammo' commands cannot be selected if the armour is fully repaired or the the player has full ammo respectively.

The right side of the trader menu consists of a list of weapons not owned by the player. Each weapon entry includes an icon indicating the perk which the weapon is intended for and its price. Weapons for the perk currently being played by the player are always listed at the top of the list. The scroll bar for this menu, like other scroll bars in the game, will not respond to the mouse wheel unless it has first been selected by clicking it.

The centre of the screen shows information about the currently selected weapon, whether it is in the inventory or trader list. It includes an image of the weapon, a weight blocks value, a buy or sell price depending on whether the player owns the weapon and a brief summary of the weapon's capabilities. If no weapon is selected, this portion of the screen is blank.

Price list[edit]

Item		Weight	Relevant perk	Buy								Sell
Item		Weight	Relevant perk	Base	Level 0	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5	Level 6	Base	Level 0	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5	Level 6

	Combat armour	0	Field medic	£300	£270	£240	£210	£180	£150	£120	£90	N/A
	MP7M medic gun	3	Field medic	£3000	£750	£690	£629	£569	£510	£450	£390	£2250	£562	£517	£471	£426	£382	£337	£292
	MP5M medic gun	3	Field medic	£5000	£1250	£1150	£1049	£949	£850	£750	£650	£3750	£937	£862	£786	£711	£637	£562	£487
	M7A3 medic gun	6	Field medic	£7500	£1875	£1724	£1574	£1424	£1275	£1125	£975	£5625	£1405	£1293	£1180	£1068	£955	£843	£730
	Schneidzekk medic gun	3	Field medic	£10000	£2500	£2300	£2099	£1899	£1700	£1500	£1300	£7500	£1874	£1724	£1574	£1424	£1274	£1124	£974

	Shotgun	8	Support specialist	£500	£450	£400	£350	£300	£250	£200	£150	£375	£337	£299	£262	£224	£187	£149	£112
	Hunting shotgun	10	Support specialist	£750	£675	£600	£525	£450	£375	£300	£225	£562	£505	£449	£393	£337	£280	£224	£168
	HSG-1 shotgun	6	Support specialist	£1250	£1125	£1000	£875	£750	£625	£500	£375	£937	£843	£749	£655	£562	£468	£374	£280
	Multichamber zed thrower	10	Support specialist	£2000	£1800	£1600	£1400	£1200	£1000	£800	£600	£1500	£1349	£1199	£1049	£899	£749	£599	£449
	Combat shotgun	8	Support specialist	£2500	£2250	£2000	£1750	£1500	£1250	£1000	£750	£1875	£1687	£1499	£1312	£1124	£937	£749	£562
	AA12	10	Support specialist	£4000	£3600	£3200	£2800	£2400	£2000	£1600	£1200	£3000	£2699	£2399	£2099	£1799	£1499	£1199	£899

	Dual 9mm pistols	4	Sharpshooter	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£112	£112	£112	£112	£112	£112	£112	£112
	MK23	2	Sharpshooter	£500	£450	£400	£350	£300	£250	£200	£150	£375	£337	£299	£262	£224	£187	£149	£112
	Dual MK23	4	Sharpshooter	£1000	£900	£800	£700	£600	£500	£400	£300	£750	£674	£599	£524	£449	£374	£299	£224
	.44 Magnum	2	Sharpshooter	£450	£405	£360	£315	£270	£225	£180	£135	£337	£303	£269	£235	£202	£168	£134	£100
	Dual .44 Magnums	4	Sharpshooter	£900	£810	£720	£630	£540	£450	£360	£270	£675	£607	£539	£472	£404	£337	£269	£202
	Handcannon	4	Sharpshooter	£500	£450	£400	£350	£300	£250	£200	£150	£375	£337	£299	£262	£224	£187	£149	£112
	Dual handcannons	4	Sharpshooter	£1000	£900	£800	£700	£600	£500	£400	£300	£750	£674	£599	£524	£449	£374	£299	£224
	Lever-action rifle	6	Sharpshooter	£200	£200	£200	£200	£200	£200	£200	£200	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150	£150
	Single Piston Long Musket	6	Sharpshooter	£1500	£1350	£1200	£1050	£900	£750	£600	£450	£1125	£1012	£899	£787	£674	£562	£449	£337
	Compound crossbow	9	Sharpshooter	£800	£800	£800	£800	£800	£800	£800	£800	£600	£600	£600	£600	£600	£600	£600	£600
	M14 EBR	8	Sharpshooter	£2500	£2250	£2000	£1750	£1500	£1250	£1000	£750	£1875	£1687	£1499	£1312	£1124	£937	£749	£562
	M99 AMR	13	Sharpshooter	£3500	£3150	£2800	£2450	£2100	£1750	£1400	£1050	£2625	£2362	£2099	£1837	£1574	£1312	£1049	£787

	Bullpup	6	Commando	£400	£360	£320	£280	£240	£200	£160	£120	£300	£269	£239	£209	£179	£149	£119	£89
	AK-47	6	Commando	£1000	£900	£800	£700	£600	£500	£400	£300	£750	£674	£599	£524	£449	£374	£299	£224
	M4 carbine	6	Commando	£1000	£900	£800	£700	£600	£500	£400	£300	£750	£674	£599	£524	£449	£374	£299	£224
	Tommy gun	5	Commando	£900	£810	£720	£630	£540	£450	£360	£270	£675	£607	£539	£472	£404	£337	£269	£202
	Dr. T's Lead Delivery System	5	Commando	£950	£855	£760	£665	£570	£475	£380	£285	£712	£640	£569	£498	£427	£355	£284	£213
	MKb42	6	Commando	£1100	£990	£880	£770	£660	£550	£440	£330	£825	£742	£659	£577	£494	£412	£329	£247
	SCARMK17	5	Commando	£2500	£2250	£2000	£1750	£1500	£1250	£1000	£750	£1875	£1687	£1499	£1312	£1124	£937	£749	£562
	FNFAL ACOG	6	Commando	£2750	£2475	£2200	£1924	£1650	£1375	£1100	£825	£2062	£1855	£1649	£1443	£1237	£1030	£824	£618

	Machete	1	Berserker	£500	£450	£400	£350	£300	£250	£200	£150	£375	£337	£299	£262	£224	£187	£149	£112
	Fire axe	5	Berserker	£1000	£900	£800	£700	£600	£500	£400	£300	£750	£674	£599	£524	£449	£374	£299	£224
	Chainsaw	8	Berserker	£2750	£2475	£2200	£1924	£1650	£1375	£1100	£825	£2062	£1855	£1649	£1443	£1237	£1030	£824	£618
	Katana	3	Berserker	£2000	£1800	£1600	£1400	£1200	£1000	£800	£600	£1500	£1349	£1199	£1049	£899	£749	£599	£449
	Claymore	6	Berserker	£3000	£2700	£2400	£2100	£1800	£1500	£1200	£900	£2250	£2024	£1799	£1574	£1349	£1124	£899	£674
	Scythe	6	Berserker	£2500	£2250	£2000	£1750	£1500	£1250	£1000	£750	£1875	£1687	£1499	£1312	£1124	£937	£749	£562
	Buzzsaw bow	7	Berserker	£4000	£3600	£3200	£2800	£2400	£2000	£1600	£1200	£3000	£2699	£2399	£2099	£1799	£1499	£1199	£899
	Dwarfs!? axe	6	Berserker	£3000	£2700	£2400	£2100	£1800	£1500	£1200	£900	£2250	£2024	£1799	£1574	£1349	£1124	£899	£674

	Flamethrower	10	Firebug	£750	£675	£600	£525	£450	£375	£300	£225	£562	£505	£449	£393	£337	£280	£224	£168
	MAC-10	4	Firebug	£500	£450	£400	£350	£300	£250	£200	£150	£375	£337	£299	£262	£224	£187	£149	£112
	Husk fireball launcher	8	Firebug	£4000	£3600	£3200	£2800	£2400	£2000	£1600	£1200	£3000	£2699	£2399	£2099	£1799	£1499	£1199	£899
	Flare revolver	2	Firebug	£500	£450	£400	£350	£300	£250	£200	£150	£375	£337	£299	£262	£224	£187	£149	£112
	Dual flare revolvers	4	Firebug	£1000	£900	£800	£700	£600	£500	£400	£300	£750	£674	£599	£524	£449	£374	£299	£224
	Trenchgun	8	Firebug	£1250	£1125	£1000	£875	£750	£625	£500	£375	£937	£843	£749	£655	£562	£468	£374	£280

	Pipe bomb (2)	1	Demolition	£1500	£750	£690	£630	£570	£509	£450	£390	£1125	£562	£517	£472	£427	£381	£337	£292
	M79 grenade launcher	4	Demolition	£1200	£1080	£960	£840	£720	£600	£480	£360	£900	£809	£719	£629	£539	£449	£359	£269
	Orca bomb propeller	4	Demolition	£1250	£1125	£1000	£875	£750	£625	£500	£375	£937	£843	£749	£655	£562	£468	£374	£280
	M32 grenade launcher	7	Demolition	£2500	£2250	£2000	£1750	£1500	£1250	£1000	£750	£1875	£1687	£1499	£1312	£1124	£937	£749	£562
	M4 203	6	Demolition	£3500	£3150	£2800	£2450	£2100	£1750	£1400	£1050	£2625	£2362	£2099	£1837	£1574	£1312	£1049	£787
	L.A.W.	13	Demolition	£3000	£2700	£2400	£2100	£1800	£1500	£1200	£900	£2250	£2024	£1799	£1574	£1349	£1124	£899	£674

	Zed eradication device	8	Perk neutral	£2000	£2000	£2000	£2000	£2000	£2000	£2000	£2000	£1500	£1500	£1500	£1500	£1500	£1500	£1500	£1500
	Zed Gun MKII	6	Perk neutral	£750	£750	£750	£750	£750	£750	£750	£750	£562	£562	£562	£562	£562	£562	£562	£562