Arc Raiders is built around smart looting. Inventory space is tight, recycling mid-raid is inefficient, and not all containers or zones pay out the same. If you want reliable early momentum—more currency for upgrades, faster bench unlocks, and better weapons—go in with a short, focused list of targets.

Best valuables to sell for early cash

These items deliver strong returns without locking you into tough boss fights or rare event chains. Extract them intact and sell them; they have little or no use beyond value.

Item Rarity Sell price Notes
Lance’s Mixtape (5th Edition) Epic $10,000 Pure valuable; high payout without prerequisites.
Breathtaking Snow Globe Common $7,000 Often found in commercial districts.
Music Box Common $5,000 Common in residential areas; stack up to three.
Rubber Duck Common $1,000 Spawns broadly; stack up to 15. Also used in quests.
Note: Queen Reactor sells for $13,000, but it’s tied to quests and workbench upgrades. It’s not a practical early target, and holding one is typically more valuable than cashing it out.

Items to upgrade Scrappy early

Scrappy upgrades provide low-effort, passive looting benefits. Most requirements are common and can be gathered quickly from lockers, caches, and indoor containers. Grab these whenever you see them and bank them for early upgrades.

Item Rarity Recycle result Sell price
Mushroom Common Cannot be recycled $1,000
Apricot Common Cannot be recycled $640
Dog Collar Rare 8× Fabric, 1× Metal Parts $640
Lemon Common Cannot be recycled $640
Olives Common Cannot be recycled $640
Prickly Pear Common Cannot be recycled $640
Torn Blanket Rare 12× Fabric $640
Cat Bed Common Cannot be recycled $1,000
Very Comfortable Pillow Common Cannot be recycled $2,000
Tip: Fruit-based items (lemons, apricots, olives, prickly pears) tend to appear near swamps and jungle biomes—look for trees, small bushes, and along desert riverbeds.

Crafting and upgrade components to prioritize

Common basics like Plastic Parts and Wires are useful but easy to restock. If your bag is limited, prioritize higher-rarity components that unlock weapons and benches faster.

Item Rarity Recycle input Sell price Primary use
Advanced Electrical Components Epic 4× Wires, 3× ARC Alloy $3,000 Weapon bench (e.g., Torrente, Venator, Osprey, Renegade, Bettina)
Exodus Modules Epic 2× Magnet, 1× Mechanical Components $2,750 Weapon crafting (e.g., Tempest, Vulcano, Hullcracker, Bobcat, Snap Hook)
Complex Gun Parts Epic 3× Simple Gun Parts $2,000 Weapon crafting (e.g., Equalizer, Jupiter)
Advanced Mechanical Components Rare 1× Mechanical Components, 1× Steel Spring $1,750 Weapon bench (e.g., Torrente, Venator, Osprey, Renegade, Bettina)
Electrical Components Rare 4× Wires, 3× ARC Alloy $3,000 Quests and equipment/utility benches

Why these matter: These parts sit at the heart of weapon unlocks and bench progression. Banking them early shortens the path to mid-tier guns and gadgets.

Know your zones and containers

Maps rotate through color-coded risk bands that correlate with loot quality. Adjust your route to your comfort level and objective.

  • White zones: low risk, lower-value loot; good for quick, quiet runs.
  • Orange zones: better loot density with regular ARC patrols.
  • Red zones: highest threat and traffic, but the best rewards.

Not all containers are equal. Target the ones with consistent, meaningful returns:

Source Why it’s good
Weapon Case Guns, up to two ammo types, mods/parts, and occasional recipes.
Medical Bag Up to five heals; sometimes a schematic.
Ammo Case Multiple ammo stacks with a chance at recipes.
ARC Husks (e.g., Hornet, Rocketeer) Breaching yields ARC parts used in high-end gear.
Buried Raider Cache Mixed ammo, grenades, gadgets, and rare weapon rolls.
Field Depot Drop Requires a small puzzle; refreshes, strong variety.
Supply Drop Generalist cache for heals, ammo, and throwables.
Vehicle Loot Electronics/power items; mind potential alarms.

Seasonal or rotating map events also push value up in specific places:

  • Uncovered Caches: exposed briefly by storms, then detonate if ignored.
  • Husk Graveyard: scrap fields with premium robot parts.
  • Launch Tower Loot: elite-guarded summit stashes; high risk/high reward.
  • Lush Blooms: rare flora for unique crafting bonuses.
  • Darkness: night phase that boosts loot quality with harsher visibility and enemy density.

ARC enemies and what to salvage

Loot from ARC units scales with threat. Always strip defeated machines and crack husks when you can sustain the noise and time.

  • Wasp: yields ARC Alloy, Wasp Driver, and light ammo.
  • Hornet: yields ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Hornet Driver, and medium ammo.
  • Snitch: yields ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, and a Snitch Scanner.
Tip: Stronger ARC variants widen the loot pool, including epic-tier materials that feed multiple benches and advanced weapon crafts.

Inventory rules to avoid wasting value

  • Backpacks are capacity-limited, and items vary in size and weight. Pre-sort your priorities before you enter a hot zone.
  • Rarity colors tell you what to keep or ditch under pressure: gray/white (common), green (uncommon), blue (rare), purple (epic), orange/yellow (legendary).
  • Recycling during a raid only returns 50% of the normal material value. Extract first, then break items down at base.

Set a clear objective before each run—cash, Scrappy upgrades, or crafting parts—and route through zones that fit your risk tolerance. Hit event caches quickly, crack ARC husks when you can cover the sound, and save mid-raid recycling for emergencies. The faster you bank these early valuables and components, the sooner you’ll be crafting the weapons that let you contest red zones on your own terms.