Corporate Command (and SOTP to some extent) add items that are absurdly valuable to specific factions. This can make them literally impossible to sell.
This makes sense: there are items that quite simply can't be priced. And in some cases, ownership is problematic (eg. Pioneer 10 in Transcendence is probably still claimed by the NAU, having inherited ownership from the USA)..... But at the same time, this means the player can't <i>do</i> anything with them. And that's sad. The feeling of finding a really amazing artefact shouldn't be followed by "Huh.....<i>now</i> what do I do with it?"
Especially if the answer to that is "Put it in my hold and/or a crate and leave it there because it's useless".
Adding some NPCs to relevant factions who will accept priceless artifacts in exchange for significant buffs (unique gear, special upgrades, special ships, massive reputation boosts, ways to resolve a conflict peacefully) would provide some really neat depth for the game, and really boost the feeling you get from stumbling across Pioneer 10, or a 750,000 rin ringer artefact.
These shouldn't be <i>game breaking</i>, but at the same time, being able to end a war by brokering a deal over some historical item or getting a unique and fun new toy to play with would be a great thing to incorporate into future releases and patches.
Also worth noting: Giving an artefact to the right (or wrong, depending on how you look at it) person could also cause a heck of a lot of trouble.
Imagine, if you will, giving a priceless ringer artefact to the Ranx and seeing what their reaction is.
Dammit Shrike, that was my coffee I just had to wipe off the screen after reading that! >.<
On a more serious note — if anything can be considered more serious than caffeinating — this is definitely an idea I would love to see expanded on. Maybe not even just the über-priceless ones like Pioneer 10, but some of the lower level ones, too, like the travel case with the Taikon monogram on it.
I love these ideas.