First off, every since Morrowind I have become a barter junkie. I love raising my mercantile to ensure I get the most bang for my buck. You'd think that restore fatigue potion is only worth 18 septims max, but watch as I get 19! =)

Anyway, I bartered and bartered until I hit Journeyman status. Good, one road block down, two to go. As soon as I hit 50 skill, I stopped gaining skill points. I don't mean it slowed down, I mean the slider actually stopped.

How do I gain skill? I did notice that merchants have their own skill, do they have to have the same skill status or higher in order to increase my skill? I've sold probably 4k worth of loot without seeing any red in the skill bar.

Any help or theories please. Don't hold back. =)

Vlan Jod'Rhazor
Level 14 Imperial Adventurer

Do you always put the "haggle" bar as high as it can go without them rejecting your offer? Thats all I can think of,

Yes, sorry I should have explained that in the original post. It's pretty much habit for me to test my limits with a merchant before I sell anything worth while. Oblivion makes that alot easier than doing the math in my head like I had to in Morrowind.

I use my alchemy potions to find the high spot on the haggle slider bar before I sell my good stuff. =) still no scale raises.

And a quick update, I did find a journeyman merchant and I get no skill from him either.

By the way, my governing attribute is higher than the skill, if that matters.

Vlan

Hmm thats weird, maybe try training?

The orc female in the Kvatch camp is a master, if you've still got her standing there, you might try bartering there.

Yea you have to barter with someone who has a higher skill than you in order for you to gain skill.

That's not exactly right either...I found a merchant in Skingrad that is an expert at mercantile. Sold about 30 potions to her and still nothiong on the bar. She was a smith so I figured maybe you only get skill from selling what she wants to buy...so I sold all my elven arrows to her...still nothin. =/

Vlan

*edit* also tried buying her entire inventory in case you can only get skill from buying instead of selling. Nadda.

This wouldn't be so aggrivating except Mercantile is one of my main skills. =)

More and more, the answer to your problem sounds like it's going to start with:

"First open the console using the ` key..."

Its a bug...I'll explain in a new topic.