Money in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt always feels tight when you need it most. You are flush with junk swords and broken rakes, yet somehow broke the moment a mastercrafted diagram appears. Crowns vanish into repairs, crafting fees, alchemy ingredients and the occasional game of Gwent that got slightly out of hand.
The good news is that the economy is not random. Once you understand what actually has value, you stop selling rare crafting materials for pennies and start funding your dream Witcher build properly.
Let’s fix Geralt’s finances.
How the Economy Actually Works
Vendors pay different prices for different categories of goods. Sell swords to a blacksmith. Sell armour to an armorer. Sell junk to innkeepers and merchants. Sell books to bookkeepers. It sounds obvious, but the price difference is significant.
Higher level regions pay more. Novigrad and Toussaint are far better markets than Velen. If you are early game and desperate, sell locally. If you can wait, haul valuable gear to a major city.
Repairs also matter. Selling a damaged sword gives you less value. Repair it first only if the repair cost is lower than the increase in sale value. Usually that is not worth it, so sell damaged loot unless it is high tier.
What You Should Always Sell
Low Tier Weapons and Armour
Common and magic tier gear becomes obsolete fast. Once you outlevel it, it is just weight in your inventory.
Sell:
- White and blue gear you will never use
- Duplicate relics with worse stats
- Crossbows unless you are running a niche build
Relic gear can look tempting, but most of it is filler compared to Witcher school sets. If it is not part of a long term build, it is currency.
Junk Items
Broken rakes, ladles, candlesticks, skulls, necklaces. Most junk exists to be sold.
Exceptions exist, and they matter. Some junk dismantles into valuable crafting materials. Before mass selling, check if it contains:
- Dimeritium
- Silver
- Meteorite ore
- Monster parts you need
If it dismantles into something rare, break it down. If not, sell it without guilt.
Extra Horse Gear
Saddles and blinders stack up. Keep the best version. Sell the rest. Roach does not need a wardrobe.
What You Should Usually Dismantle
This is where players quietly lose thousands of crowns.
Shells and Seashells
Dismantle them. They contain pearls and black pearls. Pearls sell for far more than the shell itself.
It feels like a scam until you try it.
Jewellery with Precious Metals
Silver rings and necklaces often dismantle into silver ingots. Those ingots are useful for crafting Witcher gear and runewright upgrades.
If you are mid to late game, dismantling often beats selling.
Monster Trophies
You can sell them, but check the dismantle value. Some contain rare mutagens or crafting components.
If you already have better trophies equipped, treat the extras as materials first, cash second.
What You Should Almost Always Keep
Witcher Gear Diagrams and Components
Never sell Witcher gear components. Ever.
Witcher school sets scale beautifully into late game. Crafting mastercrafted and grandmaster variants requires rare materials. Selling them early saves a few crowns and costs you thousands later.
Patience pays.
Crafting Materials
Dimeritium, infused shards, rare monster parts, enriched ores. These become critical for high tier crafting.
If you are unsure whether something is rare, store it in your stash. Your future self will be grateful.
Alchemy Ingredients
Alchemy in The Witcher 3 is generous. You craft a potion once and refill it with alcohol. That means ingredients are far more valuable than they appear.
Keep:
- Rare mutagens
- Red mutagens especially
- Formula ingredients for bombs and decoctions
Selling alchemy components is short term thinking.
Early Game Strategy: Survive and Stabilise
In White Orchard and early Velen, crowns are scarce.
Focus on:
- Selling common gear
- Looting everything that is not nailed down
- Clearing question marks for relic drops
- Playing Gwent for early rewards
Avoid:
- Crafting too early
- Overpaying for diagrams
- Dismantling everything blindly
Early game is about liquidity. Keep enough materials for future crafting, but prioritise survival.
Mid Game Strategy: Invest in Your Build
Once you reach Novigrad and Skellige, you should think long term.
Choose your build direction:
- Combat heavy
- Sign focused
- Alchemy based
Craft Witcher school gear that supports it. Invest in upgrades. Stop hoarding random relic swords that you will never use.
This is where disciplined selling funds real power spikes.
Late Game and Toussaint: Optimise Like a Merchant Prince
In Toussaint from the Blood and Wine expansion, prices improve. Grandmaster gear becomes available. Crafting costs rise sharply.
At this stage:
- Sell relics aggressively
- Dismantle high value jewellery
- Keep rare crafting metals
- Avoid impulse purchases
By now you should treat your stash like a strategic reserve, not a museum of bad decisions.
Common Economy Mistakes
Selling Witcher gear components early
Ignoring dismantle value
Selling to the wrong vendor type
Crafting every diagram you find
Hoarding heavy gear and slowing yourself down
The game does not punish experimentation, but it does reward efficiency.
Takeaway: Play Smart, Not Poor
The Witcher 3 economy rewards awareness. It is not about grinding endlessly. It is about recognising what has long term value.
Sell the clutter. Dismantle the hidden gems. Keep the rare materials. Invest in Witcher sets that match your playstyle.
Geralt may not care about money in the lore, but you definitely will when that grandmaster upgrade costs more than a small village.
Manage your inventory properly and suddenly you are not broke. You are prepared.
