Atelier Ryza 2 changes quite a few systems from the original Ryza, and one of them is where to sell items. In the first game, Ryza could unload synthesized ingredients and items at any merchant on Kurken Island. This is not the case in Atelier Ryza 2.
It's a bit of a process to open Romy's store, but our Atelier Ryza 2 guide to selling items walks you through the process.
How to unlock Romy's shop
Unlocking the Ryza 2 Atelier Item Buyer involves following a few side stories and possibly fulfilling some message board requests. As with all Atelier games, some side stories and their unlock conditions overlap with other stories, so they may trigger at different times. But here's how it worked for me.
After clearing the first ruins, explore the Valley of the Winds and enter the ruins. Go back to the workshop and when you check the map you should see a new face icon next to Central District. Otherwise, try to synthesize or pass the time in some other way.
This event sees Ryza and Romy reunite. Romy mentions that she has moved to the capital and asks Ryza to come back. You should, but you can't sell things yet.
The next day, a new Romy icon should once again appear next to the central district. Try to leave and re-enter the city otherwise or pass the time in another way.
This time a client approaches Romy and Romy says that Ryza can create whatever she needs. Listening completes the quest, which is great, except it still doesn't unlock anything. Romy asks Ryza to sell things, but you still can't.
You'll need to trigger the next Romy story event, which takes another game day and possibly a completion request.
I've triggered a few other side stories, made three easy requests, and accepted some reputation building tasks, so if that doesn't work for you, try any combination of those things.
After that, Romy's story was updated in the story tab and another icon appeared. Talk to her and she'll ask you to vary her offer by selling what you find, rare or not.
Your standard ingredients won't sell for much, so hang on to those for requests. If you need cash, synthesize some items – ideally equipment or high-quality items – and try to add items with the “expensive” trait. This increases the value of the finished product, but not always by much.
Also, like previous Atelier games, you won't rake the Cole until you get better recipes.
The real benefit of selling items in Atelier Ryza 2 is to expand the selection of stalls in the central district. Selling an item to Romy means that one of the associated stalls starts stocking it, which is handy when you don't want to find it (or can't remember where it was). The higher the store's rating, the more products are listed, so it's a win-win situation.
