Traveling Merchant

Desktop/Console/Mobile-Only Content: This information applies only to the desktop, console and mobile versions of Terraria.

Traveling Merchant
Statistics
Type	NPC
AI Type	Passive
Max Life	250
Defense	15
KB Resist	50%
Item (Quantity) Rate Peddler's Hat    100%
Map Icon
Internal NPC ID: 368

The Traveling Merchant is a unique NPC vendor who randomly visits the player's town for one day. His inventory is randomized and different every visit, selling 4-10 (average 5.5) different items (4-11, average 6 in Expert Mode) listed below

In order for the Traveling Merchant to spawn, at least 2 other NPCs must already be present. The Guide counts as one of these, but the Old Man and Skeleton Merchant do not. He won't spawn during Events (except Rain and Slime Rain). He does not require his own house in order to spawn, and will instead spawn near existing NPCs, spending the day walking around near them.

Once the criteria are met, the Traveling Merchant has a 25% chance (1/4) of spawning each day, appearing at a random time between 4:30 AM and 12 PM. He stays for only one day at a time, after which he leaves at 6:00 PM. He despawns if the world is vacated before that time,

If threatened by enemies, the Traveling Merchant will defend himself with a Revolver. Once Hardmode begins, he upgrades to a Pulse Bow.

Items sold

Inventory Item Cost Availability Sake    5 3% chance Pho    30 3% chance Pad Thai    20 3% chance Ultrabright Torch    3 1.5% chance Ammo Box    15 1% chance Magic Hat    3 1% chance Gypsy Robe    2 1% chance Gi    2 1% chance Celestial Magnet    15 0.66% chance DPS Meter  5 3% chance Lifeform Analyzer  5 3% chance Stopwatch  5 3% chance Paint Sprayer    10 1.5% chance Brick Layer    10 1.5% chance Portable Cement Mixer    10 1.5% chance Extendo Grip    10 1.5% chance Presserator  10 () Black Counterweight  5 0.5% chance Yellow Counterweight  5 0.66% chance Sitting Duck's Fishing Pole    35 0.66% chance Katana    4 1.5% chance Code 1  5 1.5% chance after defeating the Eye of Cthulhu Revolver    10 1% chance after smashing a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart Gatligator    35 0.5% chance during hardmode Code 2  25 1.5% chance after defeating any Mechanical Boss Pulse Bow    45 0.66% chance after defeating Plantera Red Team Block  1 Sold with Red Team Platforms Red Team Platform  1 Sold with Red Team Blocks Yellow Team Block  1 Sold with Yellow Team Platforms Yellow Team Platform  1 Sold with Yellow Team Blocks Green Team Block  1 Sold with Green Team Platforms Green Team Platform  1 Sold with Green Team Blocks Blue Team Block  1 Sold with Blue Team Platforms Blue Team Platform  1 Sold with Blue Team Blocks Pink Team Block  1 Sold with Pink Team Platforms Pink Team Platform  1 Sold with Pink Team Blocks White Team Block  1 Sold with White Team Platforms White Team Platform  1 Sold with White Team Blocks

Inventory Item Cost Availability Diamond Ring    2 0.66% chance Angel Halo   40 0.33% chance Fez    3 50 1% chance Winter Cape    5 0.66% chance Red Cape    5 0.66% chance Crimson Cloak    5 0.66% chance Mysterious Cape    5 0.66% chance Kimono    1 0.5% chance Water Gun    1 50 0.66% chance Companion Cube  5 0.66% chance Chalice    50 3% chance Arcane Rune Wall    2 50 0.5% chance Fancy Dishes    20 3% chance Dynasty Wood    50 3% chance Red Dynasty Shingles    50 When selling Dynasty Wood Blue Dynasty Shingles    50 When selling Dynasty Wood Zebra Skin    1 1% chance Leopard Skin    1 1% chance Tiger Skin    1 1% chance Castle Marsberg  3 1.5% chance after defeating Martian Madness Martia Lisa  2 1.5% chance after defeating Martian Madness The Truth Is Up There  2 1.5% chance after defeating Martian Madness Not a Kid, nor a Squid  3 1.5% chance after defeating Moon Lord Acorns  50 1.5% chance during Christmas Cold Snap  50 1.5% chance during Christmas Cursed Saint  50 1.5% chance during Christmas Snowfellas  50 1.5% chance during Christmas The Season  50 1.5% chance during Christmas

Notes

• The actual "roll" to spawn the Traveling Merchant is not performed once-per-day as a Goblin Invasion or other Event is determined. Rather, the roll is performed once per in-game second for the first half of each day. There are 60 in-game seconds per 1 real-world second.
  • For each in-game second of the first half of each day (4:30am – 12:00pm = 7.5 hours = 27,000 seconds), there is a 1 in 108,000 chance to spawn the Traveling Merchant. Thus, the Traveling Merchant has a: 1-(1-1/108000)^27000 = 0.2212001339 or 22.12% chance of arriving each day.
  • This means that if you want a specific item from the Traveling Merchant but he arrived without that particular item you can simply kill him and there's a chance that another merchant may spawn if you killed him before 12:00pm. An easy way to kill him (and any other friendly NPC) is with a boulder if you already got the Goblin Tinkerer (you need the Tinkerer's Workshop to craft it), otherwise your best option is lava or spiky balls. (Rotten Eggs may work although it's not that effective.)
• The Traveling Merchant departs by simply disappearing while off-screen. If the player keeps him on-screen during the time when he would normally depart, he will remain until he is off-screen again. If he is kept on-screen until dawn, he will not depart until he is off-screen the following evening. This does NOT, however, change his inventory.
• The Traveling Merchant does not leave during an event. ^Verify
• If you are standing where the Traveling Merchant spawns, you will notice that he falls from the sky.
• In the mobile version, if he arrived with an item you didn't want, exiting and re-entering to the world would've produced a different inventory, allowing you to find what you want even if it is not available when he first arrived. This appears to have been patched (mid 2016), leaving the world will cause him to despawn. He may still respawn during the day, though.

Trivia

• Many of the things he sells are of Asian origin, often from the Qing Dynasty.
  • Many of his wares may be a reference to the East India company, and to the goods that were brought to Europe during the age of discovery in general.
• The name Willy is most likely a reference to the play, "The Death of a Salesman", by Arthur Miller, where the main character is named Willy Loman and is a traveling salesman.
• One of his quotes is a reference to a man who yells "One pound fish!" to sell fish, popularized by the song "One Pound Fish".
• The quote "Combination hookah and coffee maker! Also makes julienne fries!" Is an allusion to the popular animated disney film "Aladdin".
• The item "Not a Kid, Nor a Squid" is likely a reference to Splatoon, a Wii U game with a hyperactive advertisement featuring the line "You're a kid, you're a squid" due to the transformative nature of Inklings, as a play on the depicted Moon Lord's Cthulhu-esque nature.
• The Item, "The Truth is Up There" is a reference to "The X-Files", this quote is a twist on "The Truth is Out There".

Quotes

• "Combination hookah and coffee maker! Also makes julienne fries!"
• "A thrift shop? No, I am only selling the highest quality items on the market."
• "I don't refund for "buyer's remorse..." Or for any other reason, really."
• "If you're looking for junk, you've come to the wrong place."
• "I sell wares from places that might not even exist!"
• "Hmm, you look like you could use an Angel Statue! They slice, and dice, and make everything nice!"
• "Come and have a look! One pound fish! Very very good! One pound fish!" (Possibly a reference to the song One Pound Fish.)
• "Buy now, and get free shipping!"
• "You want two penny farthings!? Make it one and we have a deal."

When Guide is present:

• "Meet me behind [Name of Guide]'s house in about three hours, I think I have something you will find very appealing."

When Clothier is present:

• "I only sell what I can get. [Name of Clothier] keeps hounding me for exotic clothing."

When Merchant is present:

• "That [Name of Merchant], he really has no appreciation for a really good deal."

During a Party

• "Many say that parties give you the richest of memories. So buy something and make this memory rich!"

Names

The Traveling Merchant may have any of the following names:

Abraham Aedan Aphraim Bohemas

Eladon Gallius Llewellyn Mercer

Rawleigh Riley Romeo Shipton

Willy

See also

• Skeleton Merchant

History

• Console 1.08: Added Capes (Winter Cape, Mysterious Cape, Red Cape,and Crimson Cloak), and Diamond Ring.
• 1.3.1: Now sells the Companion Cube, Team Blocks, Team Platforms and the Presserator.
• Console 1.07 Holiday Update: Introduced Traveling Merchant, and his vendor items from 1.2.3 and 1.2.4.1 (minus the Angel Halo, capes, and Diamond Ring).
• 1.3.0.1: Now sells many new items, including yoyos, accessories, and paintings.
• 1.2.4.1: Now sells animal skins.
• 1.2.4: Fixed issue where Scorpions worked with King Statue and Traveling Merchant did not.
• 1.2.3.1: The Traveling Merchant can no longer spawn in lava. Fixed bug where Queen/King Statues didn't teleport Stylist and traveling merchant respectively.
• 1.2.3: Introduced.