Evaluate Item Sucks

Now that I have your attention, here's an effective way to make Evaluate Item less tedious and more valuable for players.


Just buy a box of these!
I have never really seen a workable Evaluate Item system before. There's always some kinds of problems. Many systems use sheets to decode what something is worth. The problem with that strategy is that every NPC/Plot member has to know the system in order for characters with EI to barter.

Some just print values on the card and say "You need to find someone with Evaluate Item," but players cheese the hell out of it.

Instead, use the OOG convention of the little black envelopes!

Rules:

1. Only players with Evaluate Item can "see" black envelopes. This means that players without EI cannot pick up envelopes and hand them to their friends to identify. However, there's no way to completely remove metagaming, so players can alert others to something on the character. For example, if a monster had a black envelope and you didn't have EI, you could say "Why would this guy be carrying this worthless piece of crap? Joe, look at this ridiculous thing!"
2. Players with Evaluate Items can remove the items from the envelope temporarily or permanently. This represents them shining, refurbishing, or simply pointing out the value of the item. Tags outside of the envelope can be seen by everyone, and everyone has an idea of the value (as it's written on the tag.)
3. Black Envelopes carried on a person with Evaluate Item cannot be seen by players without EI, even in instances of theft. In cases where someone without EI steals a pouch or box with black envelopes, the first time they open the pouch and see the black envelopes, they're simply to drop them.
4. Black Envelopes are still considered IG and are affected normally by destroy effects, such as an explosive trap, but cannot be targeted specifically. They are also left behind when a player dissipates, as with any other tagged item that is not spirit linked.
5. It takes the amount of time to open the envelope and read the tag to identify that the value of the item. Like any other item, if a player doesn't want to show you the tag IG, then you cannot identify the item. Unconscious players, of course, cannot refuse to show you the tag.
6. The tags in these envelopes can be either have a phys-rep or not. It should be shown on the tag when it's given out (and should come with a phys-rep if appropriate), and repped items should always be worth more than tags without phys-reps.
7. Evaluate Item tags can be turned in at logistics for the value of the tag, which will be added to a player's bank total. The Phys-rep should also be turned in, if appropriate.
8. If a spot-checked player has black envelopes but does not have the Evaluate Item skill, those items are destroyed and the player may be given a warning (depending on the circumstance).

Using this system, Evaluate Item now has a real IG value. You can move currency discretely with Evaluate Item tags, and having EI when going out on modules has the potential to increase the treasure from that module.

The obvious pros are that more people will purchase Evaluate Item, it will be easier for plot teams to implement that skill during plotlines, and it's simple enough for all players to understand (except the very new). The cons are that players can simply cheat and grab black envelopes without the skill and that it adds a little more up-front logistics.

What do you think of this system?