[hilbertsawhat]

I don't think that WCF is the right way to go here as there is no required need of intercommunication, real time data or scalability. In fact, only reason to pick WCF in this scenario is if you don't happen to know anything but WCF...

Now if you want to be able to change prices reorganize items, move some items to the bank or display vendor info on a player-web pages, then I see WCF as an option (I do how ever think we all know no one will do this). If not, then it's a limitation and complication.

With a simple database solution you (can) track trade history, prices and other type of statistics and you would get the best performance. Always using the shiniest tool on top of your toolbox ruins the point of a toolbox and it ruins the process of creative thinking and problem solving.

This is a cool system and lot of people want it. If you really want to implement something like this, step one (according to me) would be to make it the easiest way possible. Just do it the way you know how then change it later This is not the way I normally recommend to code, but this is RunUO coding, overly ambitious systems tend not to get developed. For the record, I think this would take about an hour to code with JSON and a simple interface.

Using a database could possibly be the worst way to do it.

This was borderline insane and I doubt you have grounds for it, but then again, this isn't SO and there's no need for a factual discussion. But really man..? That statement is interesting on so many levels.