I have seen other games solve this buy you just getting the gold value of the item that you get at the store. So? In other words instead of going to the store to sell some thing alchemy gives you the amount of coin you would get if you did. Its really only useful when your carrying to much stuff or you have a item not many stores will buy. Dose that sound like some thing that might solve that?
I know what you?re saying about Metals to other Metals being more like alchemy. In real life alchemist had more to do with finding ways to make more steal then on making new herbal remedies. But you have to remember it?s a game and in games stuffs turned upside down and Alchemy starts meaning some thing a bit different.