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Poncho Marx?
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Second Lieutenant
 
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Elite Warlord
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Conscript
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Warlord
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I am pot
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Conscript Rabbi
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First of all, prices differ over the ages for the simple reason that in the later ages there is more money going around in the world. But I do have a few rules of thumb.
1- Trade for trade's sake
Trading makes other civs happy about you and happy civs are likely to offer better prices and better pays. So I try to trade as of the beginning of the game. I'd rather take some bad deals, just to create a good disposition. It amazes me to see that when I sell luxury for 1GPT, which I consider a low price for good stuff, the deal can be increased to 7-20 GPT after 20 turns.
I feel, rightfully or not, that the civs are 'sounding' me out tradewise and after a good tradition are always willing to trade and only give bad prices when they simply do not have the cash.
2- Always go for bidding rounds
I spend a lot of time almost every turn, asking civs what they offer and what they ask for almost anything -- it gives you a sense of the market at any given point in time.
3- Stick to the bid where you can
In the bidding rounds the AI will never give the full price they are ready to pay, but they get to like you so much for trading at a 'fair' price, that on the long run it is worth taking the deals as offered rather than maxing it out with contra deals. Unless you cannot afford it or have tactical reason to stagnate an opponent's economy -- see below.
4- on trading Techs
Techs must be traded in the ancient times. Trading tech for tech is a good deal. Selling tech for 10-40 GP seems about as good as it gets. Less than 10 GP hardly anybody accepts and I won't accept it either. GPT in this era cannot be achieved.
Afterwards, techs are traded for gold. I have learned to appreciate GPT deals, also when I pay. It gives the incentive not to attack you. 1 GPT equals 20 GP and is considered as such by the AI. Hence, if they like 100 GP, they will like 80+1GPT just as much. But it is a better deal for you. On the offering side, they may frown upon it, but you can sell for 100 just as easy as for 80+1gpt. This brings me to try and pay as little GPT as I can, but always something and try to obtain as much GPT as I can in order to keep some control over the AI's finance.
New techs can easily go for 100+10gpt, but frequently offers are less, as the money isn't there. Any deal of X+Ygpt for tech I like when Y>10. I consider when 4>Y>10 and generally do not like Y<5. However, obsolete techs cannot be sold for much gold anyway, so you'd better sell them, to have some income and also to have the retarded civ improve a bit. X in the equation should come as close as possible to the current treasure (T) of the AI. If X=T and 4>Y>10, I consider it a good deal tactically, if I need the AI to stay poor. If Y>10, but T-X>100, I try to up the X in contra offers.
5- Communications and maps
Trading communications I'd rather not do. But when the time comes round, I have to sell before they become worthless -- it is a one time deal anyway.
Trading maps is a bit like a one time deal. A world map is worth plenty money on the first deal and wil recur to be so after much time and exploration.
As one time deals go, once you sold to one, you must sell to others simultaneously.
The first world map deal is a knock out. The AI will bleed you dry on it and I rarely take the deal. For a world map they offer an arm and a leg and this once I will not sell unless they offer the other arm and leg as well.
6- Luxuries
Luxuries in surplus are wasted anyway, so you might as well sell for almost any price. Like a good drug dealer, be ready to give it away if you must, just to get them hooked. After every 20 turns, raise the deal.
On the buying side, when my cities get bigger and I am in the WoW race, I make sure I have marketplaces and try to get all luxuries. I am ready to pay a lot as the last luxuries are a great investment the larger your cities are.
Generally, I think luxuries should go for a 5-10 GPT. Once hooked the AI may be ready to pay up to 15 GPT, but that is rare.
On the buying side, I am happy to pay similar prices, but I am always scrutinizing where the money goes to. I will readily pay 20 GPT for my last luxury if it is a poor civ selling. If my direct opponent is selling, i do not like to pay at all. Then I'd rather sell tech for luxury. The tech gets obsolete, but luxuries get better all the time.
7- Resources
Trading resources must be carefully matched with strategy. It must fit with planned and threatening wars. But other than that, just as with luxuries, unused resources go to waste, so it is better to get some money out of it.
A resource should do 20-40 GPT and will be accompanied by tech and map if it can. Selling a resource for less should only be considered if it doesn't harm the overall strategy.
Buying resources is tough. Resources you need are rarely for sale and if they are, the prices are usually not to be afforded. War seems the answer, but, if you CAN afford the price and a crucial benefit can be obtained, any price should be considered.
The availability of resources can hold nasty surprises though. I remember selling my parents and my children and my children's children for horses and iron, only to find that the price of horsemen and swordsmen compared to warriors made my production too slow to build up a proper army. In addition, with no funds around, no upgrades came in question either. That money was wasted on iron and horses.
The same goes the other way round. Selling your opponent tech and resources to open up highly advanced units, can choke his war factory. I saw this with germans who didn't yet succeed building panzers, when I jump started them to Modern Armor and aluminum, and we saw that germany did not have the kind of shield output that could produce proper amounts of MA in proper time.
If you play your hand carefully, you can sell resources at a good price to whom it is a poisonous gift -- daring and stunningly effective!
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Poncho Marx?
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Conscript Rabbi
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Warlord
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