The rules (Spending Loot, p. 91) say that Objects d’Art and Jewelry and such can’t be broken down the way coins can be, and that they must be spent whole, but on the very next page (Cashing In, p. 92) it says you can sell them for cash (which, of course, can be spent a die at a time).
This seems to make the first point moot 99% of the time. Am I missing something? Is there a drawback to “cashing in” your tapestry? Is it a matter of making room for the gold coins in your pack or something?
Page 92 specifies that you can sell gems and jewels, not jewelry. Basically, the distinction is that precious stones can be converted to cash dice (and their value is appraised at the time of sale), whereas valuable objects are used to pay at their maximum die value.
This system seems to suggest a kind of trade and barter system when it comes to objects, where you attempt to pay vendors in the odd trinkets and objects found below and hope your cash dice come up with enough successes to cover your purchase. If you end up with extra successes, too bad.
The way I see it, you have to find yourself a right good buyer for that tapestry, because not everyone has the cash or the need to acquire it. On the other hand, if you’re willing to exchange the tapestry for services roughly worth up to its maximum die value…well, that’s not an offer anyone could turn down.
But I haven’t read the book in detail, that’s just my off-the-cuff impression.
Yeah, that’s maybe a simpler way of saying it.
Gems and jewels are inherently valuable, and can be sold for cash dice (which can then be used piecemeal, but not in their raw state).
Things like tapestries are maybe valuable to the merchant and the value is determined at the time of sale by how the cash dice come up.
“Cashing In” says that "Other rare items may be exchanged for cash as well." That’s followed by the value table for Loot Items.
Making a Circles test to find a buyer is a great idea, but there’s nothing there to suggest that it’s necessary. Maybe “Cashing In” counts as personal business and incurs a lifestyle cost.
I think this is something that is very dependent upon the item and the location it is trying to be sold, as what is rare in one place is common in another.
Then there’s also the fact that very few people are rich in the implied setting.
I would definitely require a Circles test to find buyers for anything over a certain die value.