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ANY DYE

3 trades involving this item across 1 trader.

Last checked
11 August 2026
Java Edition
26.2, 3 of 3 rows found
Bedrock Edition
1.26.30.5, 3 of 3 matching
Edition differences
none, both editions match

Any Dye in villager trading

Any Dye is a raw-material trade: villagers pay emeralds for it, which makes it a candidate for an automated emerald farm rather than something you purchase back.

Villagers that buy Any Dye(you give Any Dye, get emeralds)

ProfessionLevelYou GiveYou GetVillager XPJava 26.2Bedrock 1.26.30.5
ShepherdApprenticeAny Dye1x Emerald10same in Bedrockverifiedverified
ShepherdJourneymanAny Dye1x Emerald20same in Bedrockverifiedverified
ShepherdExpertAny Dye1x Emerald30same in Bedrockverifiedverified

All 3 trades on this item were read out of the trade files Minecraft Java 26.2 ships in its own data, checked on against the item, both amounts and the use limit. Bedrock 1.26.30.5 is read as well, and where it disagrees the row says how. Which files, and what is not checked.

Your odds of finding Any Dye

A villager only shows part of its trade table, so knowing who trades any dye is not the same as getting it. The friendliest roll here is the shepherd (journeyman): 9.5% of them carry it, so it takes about 10.5 of them on average before one does.

Chance and daily throughput per villager for Any Dye
VillagerTierVillagers with this offerRolls to see itMost from one villagerAfter a cure
ShepherdApprentice5.4% (2 in 37)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 18.532 emeralds a day2 restocks a day6 any dyewas 12, 6 off
ShepherdJourneyman9.5% (2 in 21)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 10.532 emeralds a day2 restocks a day6 any dyewas 12, 6 off
ShepherdExpert9.1% (2 in 22)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 1132 emeralds a day2 restocks a day6 any dyewas 12, 6 off

The chance is the draw size over the pool size in the game's own trade set file for that tier. The Bedrock line under it is the same sum on Bedrock's own table, which splits a tier into groups and draws out of each one separately, so the two editions often disagree. The day figure is the trade's use limit times the 2 restocks a villager is allowed per in-game day (Villager.allowedToRestock), so it is a ceiling and not an average: it assumes you are there for every restock. The cure column is 125 reputation times the trade's own multiplier, floored, and never takes a cost below one. Counted from the game's own draw sizes. How that check works.

Who trades Any Dye, and at what price

To sell Any Dye for emeralds, bring it to a Shepherd at the Apprentice tier (12 units per 1 emerald), a Shepherd at the Journeyman tier (12 units per 1 emerald), and a Shepherd at the Expert tier (12 units per 1 emerald).

Is trading Any Dye worth it?

The best rate any villager offers is an emerald per 12 any dye, from the Shepherd, and nothing else on the list pays out faster. No villager sells any dye back, so it is emeralds out and nothing in.

What the Shepherd pays for, best rate first
Any DyeApprentice12
Black WoolNovice18
Brown WoolNovice18
Gray WoolNovice18
White WoolNovice18
Units you hand over per emerald, so a shorter bar is a better deal. Every other row links to that item.

Any Dye against the other 69 ways to earn an emerald

One slot at the Shepherd takes 12 any dye a trade, 16 trades, 16 emeralds. 8 of the 72 villagers that pay emeralds, emptied out:

8 emerald routes measured against Any Dye
A full slot ofToEmeraldsWorth in Any Dye
12 acacia boatsmaster Fisherman12144 any dye
24 book and quillsexpert Librarian12144 any dye
48 melonsjourneyman Farmer12144 any dye
108 glass bottlesexpert Cleric12144 any dye
224 stringjourneyman Fletcher16192 any dye
240 coalapprentice Butcher16192 any dye
384 feathersexpert Fletcher16192 any dye
312 flintapprentice Fletcher12144 any dye

16 acacia boats against 416 flint for the same 16 emeralds, 26 times the carrying, and the shortest wait is the Fletcher at 10 real minutes of shelf, gathering not counted. Any Dye itself pays 12 an emerald, so 37 of the 72 ask less and 31 ask more.

How Any Dye trading works

Every any dye offer here locks after 16 uses, and a villager restocks up to twice per Minecraft day, so one is good for 32 of these trades a day and no more.

The earliest any dye shows up is the Shepherd's Apprentice tier, level 2 of five, which a villager reaches at 10 trade experience. A freshly employed one is 1 tier short of offering any dye at all.

How long Any Dye takes in real time

192 any dye empty one slot at the Shepherd, 2400 ticks (Villager.allowedToRestock) at 20 a second (TickRateManager) refill it 2 real minutes later, and the 24000-tick villager day (Timelines) holds 2 of those fills in 20 real minutes.

So one shepherd moves 384 any dye against 32 emeralds a Minecraft day, 12 any dye every 37.5 real seconds, 1.6 emeralds a real minute. 64 any dye fit inside one of those slots, refill untouched.

Tips for trading Any Dye

  • One villager, one restock: the Shepherd pays an emerald per 12 any dye and that slot runs 16 trades, so 192 any dye (3 full stacks) is all one will take before it locks, for 16 emeralds in total.
  • Where they go back: that Shepherd also sells colored wool at 1 emerald each, its cheapest offer.
  • Also on the Shepherd's list: colored carpet, bed, banner, painting, white wool, brown wool.

Any Dye trading FAQ

How many any dye make an emerald?
12 any dye at the best rate any villager offers, from the Shepherd at the Apprentice tier. That slot runs 16 trades before it locks, so one villager takes 192 of them per restock.
Which villager sells Any Dye?
None. Any Dye is bought from you rather than sold to you, so trading is a way to turn it into emeralds and not a way to obtain it.

Same trader, other items

The Shepherd works at a loom and also trades: