What level do vendors stop selling normal items?

[GandalfTheGhey]

I am looking for a 2 socket wand with +3 skeleton mastery and +3 skeleton.

I found I can shop normal wands that can get 2 sockets with a level 19 character in act 4 normal. However, I can't hold much gold at level 19 and I was wondering how much more I could level-up before they will all be magic wands.

[Hrus]

I think that higher level you are, higher chance fot magic items.
Also with higher level the chance for get low level skill mods on wands is getting low or even impossible.

Base tier to use for an item is determined by the ilvl as
tier: ilvl range
1: 1-11
2: 12-18
3: 19-24
4: 25-36
5: 37+
then there is a random adjustment made for which tier to actually use when selecting the actual skill:
20% chance to add 1
50% chance to stay unmodified
20% chance to subtract 1
10% chance to subtract 2

Both RS and SM are tier 1, so you need to have as low item level on wand as possible.
Items bought at vendors have ilvl = character level + 5. (There are caps for ilvl in normal, for example ilvl from venodors from 2nd act is 20 at maximum).

If I have everything ok, the best chance to buy a +3 SM/RS wand is exactly at lvl 13, when you can buy bone wands from Drognan and they will be level 18, so the skills will have 20% chance to be lvl 1 skills.

Another way to get the +3SM/RS wand is to collect low quality wands (able to get 2 sockets) and upgrade them to normal quality with ELD+chippy recipe(that will result in wand with ilvl=1 thus random skill mods with the best chance to be lvl 1 skills)

[GandalfTheGhey]

Another way to get the +3SM/RS wand is to collect low quality wands (able to get 2 sockets) and upgrade them to normal quality with ELD+chippy recipe(that will result in wand with ilvl=1 thus random skill mods with the best chance to be lvl 1 skills)

are you sure the wands get 2 sockets when you do that? I thought ilvl 1 wands only get 1 socket.

[Hrus]

are you sure the wands get 2 sockets when you do that? I thought ilvl 1 wands only get 1 socket.
Yes. Check the link with socket numbers (http://www.diabloii.net/items/sockets-list.shtml)

[jiansonz]

Hrus is correct: if you want to shop such wands, a level 13 character in act 2 is the best bet.

Vendors (except those in the first two acts in Normal) will not sell non-magical items if you are level 20 or higher.