If a city has recently fallen, the market may be glutted with women; in times of relative peace, when they are scarce, their prices may be outrageously high. We may assume, however, that with a well organized slaving industry, a regular number of property females will commonly be available, the fruit not only of professional slave raids but of the breeding pens. Speculation in slave girls is risky, as the market tends, aside from the stabilities provided by the slaving industry, to be uncertain. The price of a girl is usually lowest in the winter, however, and highest in the spring. Accordingly some houses lay in large stocks in the winter months, and then dispose of them in the spring and early summer. Investors may purchase stock in such houses, and receive dividends. These stock shares, too, of course, vary in price and speculation in such shares is not uncommon.

Women are not always cheap to obtain, of course. It takes time and money to organize an intelligent, efficient slave raid. A young slaver, skilled with rope and iron, a master of weapons, commands high wages, both in gold and women. Furthermore, many times one must travel far to obtain women, to outlying villages and islands, less protected. Even after her capture, the woman must be returned to the pens, and processed, and trained and fed, until she is sold. All this costs money.