I’ve seen a few people who’ve had a fundamental misunderstanding of how EVE’s market works. While it’s been explained to them, I’m going to explain it here, so I can direct people more efficiently.
There’s even a picture, which I’ll be referencing in the explanation.
The most important thing in the market, is to understand that you’re not buying and selling directly from other players. You deal with the Market. So do they. Unless it’s the trade window (avoid avoid avoid, it’ll likely be a scam), or a contract, you’ll be dealing with the market. Not another player.
The main misunderstanding I’ve seen is, someone sees a market like the above. They click on a specific order (lets say the 125,999.87 isk sell order), and select buy. They then have the buy window pop up, with that as the price. They hit ok, and have now acquired a shiny new Executioner. Their wallet is 125,999.87 isk lighter as well. However, the order they clicked on still has 100 units on it.
What’s happened is they’ve actually bought from the cheapest order on the market. And the player selling it is 125,999.87(-tax) richer.
When a player places a sell order, with a duration, what they’re saying is: ‘Sell this for at least this much’. People who put in a higher price will just give you extra isk
When a player places a buy order, with a duration, what they’re saying is: ‘Buy for no more than this much’. People who put in a lower will just sell it to you cheaper.
The highest buy order always wins.
The lowest Sell order always wins.
In the events of ties, it’s the order modified the longest time ago.
If you put in an order, with a duration, which overlaps the price of the other kind of order, you get the worst deal.
If a buy order:
You will buy at the price you say, from all the sell orders with lower prices, then the remainder will be a regular buy order, where people can sell to you for cheaper
If a sell order:
You will sell at the price of the your sell order to any buy orders with higher prices, then then the remainder will be a regular sell order, where people can buy from you for more.
Just keep all this in mind. Double check the prices you’re doing stuff at.