Understand the underground market's access requirement
A buyer willing to take illegal stock can be useful, but several different trading systems sit behind the idea of an underground market. The official Probably Stolen demo description says that advanced licenses provide access to the underground market. Recorded pre-release player experience also shows a Shady Merchant buying contraband and access cards at a discount, while the Underground Exchange uses a separate overnight deposit-and-collection routine.
This Probably Stolen underground market guide covers that supported foundation: the official access requirement, an actual contraband-selling example, and the distinct exchange process. The available material does not establish the license's exact grade, issuing NPC, location or complete unlock chain, so those steps should not be guessed.
Sell contraband and access cards to the Shady Merchant
In a recorded pre-release trading session, the Shady Merchant offers to buy contraband and access cards, but below the market price. The player places dream dust into the transaction, observes a 35% discount for that offer, and decides the sale is still above the price originally paid.
After completing the transaction, the player checks which faction benefited and identifies a gain in Black Market reputation. That is a concrete example of how a discounted sale can serve both inventory turnover and faction standing.
The 35% figure belongs to that recorded offer, not a universal price table for every underground transaction. Likewise, the footage does not establish the exact advanced-license route or prove that the visiting merchant and a licensed market interface share one unlock condition. Use the actual offer in front of you when deciding whether to sell.
Weigh the discounted price against your risks
A lower-than-market sale can still make sense if your purchase cost was lower again, or if you want the associated faction benefit. Compare the final payout with what you paid instead of rejecting or accepting the transaction solely because it carries a discount.
The official demo description also describes the risks of stolen goods and contraband, including hiding them from authorities or bribing your way out of trouble. Having an interested buyer does not make every earlier purchase or later inspection safe.
Check what the item actually is, what the merchant will pay and whether keeping it creates an inventory or security problem. The reported transaction gives you a workable example, not a guarantee of profit or immunity.
Use the separate Underground Exchange directive
The Underground Exchange is a different process, not the advanced-license market unlock described above. Community reports in the exchange instructions discussion place normal access at day 25, when a directive lists the trades; they describe the Sawyer's Crew perk granting it on day 1 instead.
Those are pre-release community timings for the exchange, not a timetable for obtaining the market's advanced licenses. Keep the directive and read its current offers before depositing anything.
For a listed exchange:
- Identify the required items and exact quantities on the directive.
- Put those items into the trash container to the left of the main inventory.
- Enable and pay for janitorial service overnight.
- Check the trash the next morning for your exchanged goods.
- Move the returns into regular storage before another night passes.
This is an overnight item exchange, rather than the direct discounted sale demonstrated with the Shady Merchant.
Respect exchange limits and collect the returns
Community reports say each exchange option can be used only once per night, while different offers can run alongside one another. Adding several times the requested quantity does not multiply the return from one offer.
Their example deposits six used filters into an offer requiring three: one set produces a restored filter, while the other three are removed without a second return. Follow your current directive rather than assuming that example is a permanent recipe table.
Players also warn that returns left in the trash can be disposed of the following night. Collecting them is part of completing the exchange. Plan around the nightly limit instead of counting on unlimited last-minute restocking.
FAQ
What is the confirmed access requirement for the underground market?
The official demo description states that advanced licenses grant access. The collected material does not provide a complete license acquisition chain.
What does the Shady Merchant buy?
The recorded player session shows an offer to buy contraband and access cards below market price. Its dream-dust sale also produces a Black Market reputation gain.
Is the Underground Exchange the same as licensed market access?
No. The exchange's reported directive, trash deposits and janitorial service are a separate process. Its day-25 or perk-based timing should not be presented as the market-license unlock.
Can I repeat an exchange many times in one night?
Community reports say one use per exchange option per night, though different offers can run together. Retrieve the outputs the following morning.