How to Sell Multi Tool NMS Units Without Getting Scammed by Space Stations

You’ve finally found it. That S-Class beast with the high-voltage aesthetics and enough inventory slots to carry half a planet. But your current rig is a C-Class piece of junk you found in a swamp three systems ago. You want to upgrade. You need the Units. But honestly, the economy in No Man’s Sky is kinda weird when it comes to personal hardware. If you’ve ever tried to figure out how to sell multi tool nms items directly to a vendor, you probably realized pretty quickly that the game doesn't make it as easy as selling a stack of Gold or Activated Indium.

You can’t just walk up to a Galactic Trade Terminal and hock your old boltcaster. It doesn't work that way.

The reality of the No Man's Sky economy is that your multi-tool is more like a car than a commodity. You don't just "sell" it for cash in the traditional sense; you trade it in, or you scrap it for parts. If you’re looking to maximize your profit, you have to be smart about which station you visit and what you’ve got installed in those slots before you pull the trigger on a deal.

Why You Can't Just Sell Multi Tool NMS Gear Directly

Most new players get confused. They go to the space station, talk to the Multi-Tool technology merchant, and see plenty of things to buy, but no option to sell. It’s frustrating. Basically, Hello Games designed the system to prevent players from accidentally selling their only way to mine resources and defend themselves. Imagine being stranded on a frozen moon with no multi-tool because you wanted an extra 50,000 Units. You’d be dead in minutes.

So, the "sell" mechanic is hidden behind two specific actions.

First, there is the Trade-In. When you find a new tool you want—whether it’s at a wall terminal in a Space Station, a Minor Settlement, or one of those creepy Sentinel Pillars—you have the option to exchange your current tool. The game calculates a trade-in value based on the class (C, B, A, or S) and the number of slots. This value is then deducted from the price of the new tool. It’s the easiest way to get rid of old junk while upgrading.

But what if you just want the money? Or what if you found a crashed tool and it’s a total wreck?

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That’s where the Multi-Tool Decommissioning Terminal comes in. You’ll find this on the Space Station, right next to the Appearance Modifier and the Starship Outfitting station. This is the only place where you can effectively "sell" a tool for its scrap value. You won't get pure Units, though. Instead, you get valuable items and upgrade modules that you can then turn around and sell for Nanites or Units.

The Scrapping Strategy: Turning Junk into Nanites

If you’re hunting for S-Class upgrades, scrapping is actually better than selling. When you use the decommissioning terminal, the game breaks the tool down. You’ll usually get a few "Scrapped Electronics" or "Optical Converters" which sell for a decent chunk of change.

But the real prize? The Upgrade Modules.

The class of the tool you scrap determines the class of the modules you receive. Scrap an A-Class tool? You’re getting A-Class modules. You can take those over to any technology merchant and sell them for Nanites. In the current state of No Man's Sky, Nanites are arguably more valuable than Units because they allow you to upgrade your favorite tool's class at the terminal. It costs 50,000 Nanites to go from A to S. That is a massive grind. Scrapping is a shortcut.

Here is a tip most people overlook: Strip the tech first.

Before you go to sell multi tool nms units at the scrap station, look at what’s installed. If you have custom-built tech like a Combat Scope or a Personal Forcefield, you should dismantle them manually. You’ll get back some of the raw materials like Carbon Nanotubes or Wiring Looms. The scrapping terminal doesn't always give you full value for installed tech, so getting those resources back into your inventory is a small but helpful win.

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However, don't bother dismantling the "packaged" upgrade modules if you intend to scrap the tool. The terminal factors those in. Just make sure you aren't accidentally scrapping your "Forever Tool." We’ve all been there—late-night gaming, too much caffeine, and suddenly your 24-slot S-Class Alien Multi-Tool is a pile of circuit boards.

Where to Find the Best Trade-In Deals

Economy matters. If you are looking to buy a new tool to replace your old one, you need to head to High-Wealth systems. Look for descriptors like Opulent, Wealthy, Prosperous, or Advanced on your Galaxy Map. These systems have a much higher statistical probability of spawning S-Class multi-tools in the cabinets.

If you find a cabinet with a tool you love but the class is too low, try the "Reload Trick."

1. Land on a planet in that system.
2. Exit your ship to create a restore point.
3. Reload that restore point.
4. Fly back to the Space Station.

The tool in the cabinet will change based on the planet's loot pool you just reloaded on. This is the pro way to find the perfect replacement before you sell multi tool nms assets that you've outgrown.

The Hidden Value of Sentinel Pillars

Since the Sentinels update, there’s a new way to get high-value tools to sell or scrap. Sentinel Pillars are heavily guarded, but if you take down the waves and access the terminal, you can often extract a "Royal" multi-tool. These look like exotic ships—shiny, gold or silver, and very sleek.

Even if you don't like the look, grab them.

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Royal multi-tools usually have high base stats, meaning their trade-in and scrap value is significantly higher than the standard rifles or pistols you find in Vy'keen systems. If you’re farming Units, hunting Sentinel Pillars and then taking the spoils to the Space Station Decommissioning Terminal is a legitimate, albeit dangerous, side-hustle.

Common Mistakes When Offloading Your Gear

Stop ignoring the broken slots. If you find a crashed multi-tool, it’s going to have a bunch of "damaged machinery" slots. You might be tempted to go straight to the station to sell multi tool nms junk you just found. Don't.

The trade-in value is calculated based on functional slots. If half the slots are broken, the value is tanked. Now, you have to do the math. Is the cost of the Chromatic Metal and Microprocessors needed to fix the slots lower than the increase in sell price? Usually, for C-class tools, it’s not worth it. Just scrap it. But for an A-class or S-class crashed tool, spending ten minutes repairing the slots can easily net you an extra million Units or more when you finally trade it in.

Also, remember you can carry up to six multi-tools now.
There is no rush.
You don't have to sell your old one the second you find something slightly better. Keep a "junk" tool equipped when you’re jumping through black holes—since black holes break tech, it’s better to let them break a tool you don't care about. Then, when you get to a station, swap back to your main and decide if it's time to scrap the backup.

Maximizing Your Return

To wrap this up, let’s look at the actionable steps you should take right now if your inventory is cluttered with old hardware.

• Check the Class: If it's C-class, don't waste resources fixing it. Go straight to the Space Station Decommissioning Terminal.
• Farm the Modules: Always sell the resulting upgrade modules to the technology vendors for Nanites rather than keeping them, unless they are S-class and you actually need them.
• Visit the Anomaly: Sometimes players forget that the Multi-Tool station in the back of the Nexus also offers trades, though it doesn't have a scrap terminal.
• Watch the Market: While item prices stay relatively stable, the "Scrapped Electronics" you get from decommissioning can be sold in systems where "Technology" is in high demand for a small percentage boost.

The economy of No Man's Sky is massive. It's easy to get lost in the weeds of base building or exploration, but managing your arsenal is key to progression. Whether you're trading up for that perfect Royal Multi-Tool or just cleaning out your inventory for some quick Nanites, knowing how the system actually treats your gear will save you millions of Units in the long run. Get to a station, find that terminal tucked away in the corner, and start turning your old steel into new upgrades.

Inventory management is the real endgame. Sort your tools, scrap the weak ones, and keep your focus on the center of the galaxy.

Step-by-Step Action Plan for Your Old Multi-Tools

1. Identify your primary tool and ensure it is currently equipped so you don't accidentally scrap it.
2. Navigate to a Space Station in a high-wealth system to ensure any trade-in options are high quality.
3. Locate the Multi-Tool Decommissioning Terminal on the upper platform (right side when facing the back of the station).
4. Dismantle manually installed technologies to reclaim raw materials like Copper or Wiring Looms.
5. Scrap the tool and collect the items and upgrade modules.
6. Walk ten feet to the Technology Merchant and sell those modules for Nanites.
7. Sell the physical scrap items at the Galactic Trade Terminal for Units.