[Pirates of Drinax] Do all stolen goods have to be fenced?

[paltrysum]

How have you handled fencing goods? Do you make your pirates fence all the goods they steal? Or only those that are traceable? For example, fencing electronics, pharmaceuticals and the like makes sense since those are manufactured, presumably have serial numbers, and are therefore traceable to their point of sale once stolen. But what about radioactives? Or precious metals? Or other bulk resource goods? Couldn't they just employ their broker to sell the goods in various ports without consequences? Yes, if they go overboard and sell too much in once place there's the possibility that someone might get suspicious, but if they spread the wealth a bit, couldn't they just trade the stuff?

 

[GarethL]

How have you handled fencing goods? Do you make your pirates fence all the goods they steal? Or only those that are traceable? For example, fencing electronics, pharmaceuticals and the like makes sense since those are manufactured, presumably have serial numbers, and are therefore traceable to their point of sale once stolen. But what about radioactives? Or precious metals? Or other bulk resource goods? Couldn't they just employ their broker to sell the goods in various ports without consequences? Yes, if they go overboard and sell too much in once place there's the possibility that someone might get suspicious, but if they spread the wealth a bit, couldn't they just trade the stuff?

Pretty much what you say,

Pages 22-24 of Pirates of Drinax covers a lot of this ground:

Under Cargo

Cargo may or may not need to be fenced, depending on how identifiable it is. Fifty tons of wood or ore can be sold anywhere; fifty tons of brand new TL15 robots are covered in tracking numbers and codes, and have to be sold through a fence

Prize Ships

Selling a stolen ship is virtually impossible – not only is a stolen ship a ‘hot’ property, thanks to IFF beacons and serial numbers woven into the hull’s molecular structure, but few brokers have the ready cash to buy a ship. Some pirates who steal a ship keep it and use it as a cargo store or even as a legitimate merchant; others add it to their pirate fleet. Another option is to donate the stolen ship to a friendly system to curry favour with the government there.

Etc, etc, etc.

Regarding the specific items you list, radioactives are likely to be tricky I would hope, and consider that anything where the quality of the item is important might be tricky - would you buy medical supplies for your child off a dodgy supplier unless you where desperate?

 

[MonkeyX]

Treasure Ship mentions several items that if stilenare not traceable and several ones that need to be fenced. The fenced stuff tends to be hi tech stuff that has atomic level identification but that could be added to any manufactured goods causing an unknown upset unless they check it before selling it to a regular merchant. Chemicals or drugs are the obvious things that could have these tags but they could be added to a lot of things.

 

[Reynard]

This is why you use a fence who uses contacts that market the goods out to regions less concerned with higher authority. Lots of people and places are more than happy to get wanted products without questions. Seriously, do not make deals with the Imperial merchants at the starports. We see it on modern Earth all the time.

 

[DickNervous]

If my players want to get rid of something that is really "hot", including a ship, they take it to Theev. I figure a planet full of pirates would buy anything, just not anywhere near full price. They once traded a ship with the shipyard there for "store credit" since they are such "good customers" (IE: They keep getting their ship shot up!)