Mastering the Minecraft Marketplace: What Do Villagers Sell?
Villagers in Minecraft are essential for acquiring resources, powerful enchantments, and rare items that might otherwise be difficult or time-consuming to obtain. They are your in-game merchants, each with a unique profession and set of wares to offer in exchange for emeralds and other goods. They also give items in return for emeralds. The specific items sold depend heavily on the villager’s profession and their experience level. From enchanted books to diamond tools, understanding the villager trading system is key to maximizing your gameplay.
Decoding the Villager Trades: A Profession-by-Profession Breakdown
Each villager profession offers a distinct set of items. Leveling up a villager unlocks more valuable trades, making them an indispensable asset to any player. Here’s a detailed look at what each profession sells:
- Armorer: An armorer is your go-to for all things armor. They sell iron, chainmail, diamond, and sometimes enchanted armor pieces. As they level up, they offer more durable and enchanted options, making them vital for gearing up for dangerous adventures. Expert armorers in Bedrock Edition will buy one diamond for an emerald.
- Butcher: The butcher focuses on meat products. They will buy raw meat and sell cooked meat like chicken, beef, and pork, as well as stews and sometimes rabbit stew. For players focused on survival, butchers offer a steady food supply.
- Cartographer: If you’re looking to explore, cartographers are essential. They sell maps of ocean monuments, woodland mansions, and other points of interest. They also offer banner patterns, allowing you to customize your banners with unique designs.
- Cleric: Clerics deal in magical items. They sell redstone dust, glowstone dust, lapis lazuli, ender pearls, and bottles o’ enchanting. At higher levels, they may also sell rarer items like enchanted golden apples and potions. Expert level clerics in both Java and Bedrock Editions sell Ender Pearls for 5 emeralds.
- Farmer: Farmers are the backbone of a sustainable village economy. They buy crops like wheat, carrots, potatoes, and beetroots, and sell items like bread, cookies, pumpkin pie, and melon seeds. Their trades are useful for food production and resource management.
- Fisherman: Fishermen trade in aquatic items. They buy fish like raw cod and salmon and sell cooked versions, as well as enchanted fishing rods and nautilus shells. They are a good source of renewable resources.
- Fletcher: For ranged combat, fletchers are essential. They sell arrows, bows, and crossbows, often with enchantments. They also buy feathers, sticks, and flint.
- Leatherworker: Leatherworkers trade in leather goods. They buy leather and sell leather armor pieces, as well as saddles. They can also sell rabbit hide and scutes.
- Librarian: Librarians are among the most valuable villagers. They sell bookshelves, books, lanterns, name tags, and, most importantly, enchanted books. You can find almost any enchantment through a Librarian, including the coveted Mending enchantment.
- Mason (Stonemason): Masons trade in stone and related materials. They buy stone, granite, diorite, and andesite, and sell bricks, terracotta, chiseled stone bricks, and quartz blocks. They are important for building projects.
- Shepherd: Shepherds work with wool and dyes. They buy wool and sell colored wool, carpets, and beds. They may also sell shears and paintings.
- Toolsmith: Toolsmiths are your source for tools. They sell stone, iron, diamond, and sometimes enchanted tools. As they level up, they offer more durable and enchanted options, making them invaluable for mining and construction. Expert level toolsmiths will buy one diamond for an emerald in Bedrock Edition.
- Weaponsmith: Weaponsmiths trade in weapons. They sell stone, iron, diamond, and sometimes enchanted swords and axes. They are critical for preparing for combat. Expert weaponsmiths in Bedrock Edition will buy one diamond for an emerald.
- Nitwit: Nitwits are unemployed villagers who cannot learn a profession. They have no trades and primarily serve as village inhabitants.
Understanding Villager Trading Mechanics
Villagers will only trade if they can access their workstation. The workstation is a job site block that correlates with the villager’s profession. For example, a librarian requires a lectern, and a fletcher needs a fletching table. If the villager cannot access their workstation, they will not restock their trades. It is also important to know that villagers restock their trades twice per day. The first time being roughly half way through the work schedule and the second time being after the work time. It is best to make sure the villager can access their job site and bed. Also, ensure that the villager can pathfind to their workstation to restock trades. Otherwise, the villager will not restock.
Demand and Pricing
Mojang introduced “Supply and Demand” mechanics in version 1.14. This means that repeatedly trading a specific item can temporarily increase its price. If you trade a certain item too often, the villager will eventually run out of stock until they restock. Additionally, the price for that item will rise due to its frequent trading.
Curing Zombie Villagers
Curing a Zombie Villager offers a significant advantage: permanent trading discounts. If a villager was a professional before turning into a zombie, curing them will grant you discounted rates for their trades. Curing a villager multiple times stacks these discounts, eventually reaching a minimum price of one emerald for certain items.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Villager Trading
1. Can villagers sell diamond items?
Yes, toolsmiths, weaponsmiths, and armorers can sell diamond tools, weapons, and armor, respectively. These are usually available at higher experience levels.
2. Do any villagers sell Ender Pearls?
Cleric villagers at the expert level have a chance to sell Ender Pearls in both Java and Bedrock Editions. They typically trade one Ender Pearl for 5 emeralds.
3. What is the best villager to trade with for enchanted books?
The Librarian is the best villager to trade with for enchanted books. They can offer almost any enchantment in the game, including highly sought-after enchantments like Mending.
4. How do I change a villager’s profession?
To change a villager’s profession, remove their current workstation and place a different one nearby. The villager must be unemployed (not a Nitwit) and have access to the new workstation to claim it and change their profession.
5. What happens if I trade too much with a villager?
If you trade too much of a specific item with a villager, they may run out of stock and temporarily increase the price of that item due to the supply and demand mechanics. This resets when the villager restocks their trades.
6. Can villagers sell diamond armor?
Armorer villagers can sell diamond armor pieces, often with enchantments, at higher experience levels.
7. What is the most profitable villager to trade with?
The “most profitable” villager depends on your needs, but Librarians are generally considered the most valuable due to their enchanted books. Cartographers are also highly profitable due to their rare maps.
8. Will villagers restock their trades?
Yes, villagers restock their trades twice per day if they can access their workstation and bed. Ensure they have a clear path to their workstation to enable restocking.
9. What is a Nitwit villager, and what do they do?
A Nitwit is an unemployed villager who cannot learn a profession. They primarily wander around the village and have no trades to offer.
10. Can villagers wear armor that I give them?
No, villagers do not wear armor given to them by players.
11. What do Farmer villagers sell for emeralds?
Farmer villagers will sell you wheat, carrots, potatoes, and melon seeds for emeralds.
12. Do villagers sell diamonds?
No, Villagers don’t actually sell diamonds directly, but three types of villagers accept diamonds in trade: toolsmiths, weaponsmiths, and armorers.
13. Can Wandering Traders turn into Villagers?
No, once a villager has become a wandering trader, they cannot become a villager again, even if their job site block is broken.
14. What is the rarest Villager profession?
The rarest Villager profession is said to be Fletcher, as this profession spawns least frequently than other jobs.
15. Where can I learn more about game mechanics and design?
For a deeper understanding of game design principles and the mechanics behind games like Minecraft, visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org.
Understanding the Minecraft villager trading system is crucial for efficient resource acquisition and gameplay progression. Knowing what each profession offers, how to manage demand, and the benefits of curing Zombie Villagers will give you a significant advantage in your Minecraft adventures. Happy trading!