Being a first time player I wonder how important shops are for me working up to my first reset. I am feeling like I am having more financial success being a supplier of raw materials and the like and that I should be focusing on putting myself in a better position for future rounds instead of worry about me score.
?? 
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Sounds good to me 
At this point in the round you can make the most money by being a supplier. When you start the next round you need to start with shops. The raw materials market doesn't heat up until a few hundred turns have passed.
BTW, you can also make good money supplying finished goods to the mkt. Usually people will over supply the items that make the most money (ice box, telephone, shoes, leather jacket..) You can still make good money in an over supplied market though. BTW, shoes are not oversupplied right now so that would be a good item to produce. And if you do produce them, you can send them straight to me 
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-Dave
One-Stroke (slow)
No-Knots (speed)
