Dye Vat

Every dye recipe in the game runs through this station, so without one the Strange Plants and dye materials you pick up just sit in a chest. It also covers paint and the colored variants of string and golf balls, which is the only reason a builder who never touches dyes might still want one placed.

You can buy it, use it, and get your money back. As long as you do not close the shop window after the purchase, selling an item back to a vendor returns the full price you paid. Buy the vat from the Dye Trader, craft everything on your list, then hand it back before you walk away. The same works for any station a merchant stocks, which is worth remembering early when gold is tight.