How to Trade in SimCity BuildIt and Visit Neighbour Cities
How to Trade in SimCity BuildIt and Visit Neighbour Cities
Learning how to trade in SimCity BuildIt is the fastest way to turn surplus goods into Simoleons and to get the items you are missing without waiting for a factory. Trading has two sides — selling in your Trade Depot and buying in the Global Trade HQ — and a third side most new mayors miss: visiting other mayors’ cities, where gift bubbles and bargains are hiding. This guide explains all three, plus Daniel, your AI neighbour, who is the most reliable trading partner in the game.
How to trade in SimCity BuildIt: selling in the Trade Depot
The Trade Depot is where you sell items to other players for Simoleons. It unlocks when your city reaches 8,000 population, according to the wiki, and sits on the highway just outside your city limits. Tap an empty box in the Trade Depot, tap an item in your storage, and it appears in the box. Use the plus and minus buttons to choose how many to sell and what price to ask: the game shows a default price, and community guides recommend selling at the maximum price in almost all cases. Then check the blue “Advertise!” box before you tap “Put on sale” — without it, nobody outside your city will see the listing in the Global Trade HQ. An advertised item stays listed for a reported 12 hours, according to the wiki. You can sell almost any item except OMEGA and railway items, according to the wiki, and war items can be sold but are only visible to club members. Your Trade Depot has a maximum of 32 slots, with up to 5 items per slot, according to community guides. If nobody buys your items within 48 hours, your neighbour Daniel will buy them, according to community guides — advertised and unadvertised alike.
Buying in the Global Trade HQ
The Global Trade HQ is where you buy from other mayors. It becomes available once your population grows large enough, and community guides place the unlock at 10,000 population and Mayor level 11. You will find it just outside your city limits on the main highway, next to the motorway junction. Inside, you see advertised sales from other cities. Tap an item to visit the seller’s city, then go straight to their Trade Depot to buy it — and see what else they are selling while you are there. Once you confirm the purchase, the goods go into your City Storage. The seller sets the price, so check who has the best deal before you buy, and check your storage first: a bargain is no bargain if you have nowhere to put it.
Visiting neighbour cities and Daniel
Your most reliable neighbour is Daniel, an AI mayor whose city sits at the far end of the icon bar at the bottom left of your screen. Daniel’s Trade Depot refreshes its stock every 24 hours, according to community guides, and he always sells at the default price — which is why community guides call his depot the best place for bargains. Most real players sell at maximum price in the Global Trade HQ, so Daniel’s default-price stock is often cheaper than the same item elsewhere. Buy most of what he has, even items you do not need right now: you can resell the surplus at maximum price in your own Trade Depot for a profit. You can also visit friends’ cities through the green friends icon, after connecting through Facebook or Google Play Games, and visit club mates’ cities and the cities of sellers in the Global Trade HQ. EA’s own beginner guide notes that if social features are disabled, you cannot visit friends’ cities, but Daniel’s Trade Depot stays open.
Gift bubbles and advisor deals
While you visit other cities, look for gift bubbles. They appear on a timed cycle in other mayors’ cities and can contain items, expansion materials, Golden Keys or SimCash. To find them, tap an item to buy in the Global Trade HQ, which takes you to that city’s Trade Depot; close the depot view and look around the city for bubbles. Back in your own city, advisor deals appear as characters with offers on your map: they offer Simoleons for a set of items. Accept the good ones and refuse the bad ones — check the price against what those items would sell for in the Trade Depot before you agree. Deals, gift bubbles and Daniel’s daily stock together make a short daily trading loop that earns more than producing alone.
What you cannot trade
Some things cannot be traded, and knowing the limits saves frustration. OMEGA items cannot be sold in the Trade Depot — EA’s help notes they can only be sold to neighbouring mayors, not in the Trade Depot or the NeoMall. War items cannot be advertised in the Global Trade HQ, and are only visible to club members. Railway items cannot be sold in the Trade Depot either. And if you play offline, your Trade Depot and Global Trade HQ are inaccessible, although items you listed before going offline can still sell while you are away, and you will collect the Simoleons when you reconnect, according to EA’s beginner guide.
FAQ
How do I trade in SimCity BuildIt?
Sell in your Trade Depot (unlocks at 8,000 population) and buy in the Global Trade HQ (reported unlock: 10,000 population, Mayor level 11). Advertise your sales so other mayors can see them.
Who is Daniel in SimCity BuildIt?
An AI neighbour mayor whose Trade Depot refreshes every 24 hours and sells at default price. He also buys your unsold items after 48 hours.
How do I visit another player’s city?
Tap an item in the Global Trade HQ to visit the seller, use the green friends icon for friends, or visit club mates. Look for gift bubbles while you are there.
Why is nobody buying my items?
You may have forgotten to tick “Advertise!”, your price may be too high, or the item may be in low demand. Advertise, price at the maximum only for items players actually need, and wait — Daniel buys unsold items after 48 hours.
Can I sell OMEGA items in the Trade Depot?
No. OMEGA items can only be sold to neighbouring mayors, not in the Trade Depot or the NeoMall.
Start at our homepage: https://simcitybuildditapk.com/ — and read our unlimited money and SimCash guide at https://simcitybuildditapk.com/unlimited-money-simcash-keys-how-the-mod-works/
