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Items are an integral part of DotA, and as the right choice of items can make a game, the wrong choice can break a game. Gold in DotA can be spent only on buying back hero, and on buying items. DotA currently has 105 items, sold in 11 different shops. There are two copies of every type of shop. 9 of the shops have a copy at each of the bases, and the "secret shop" and the "new secret shop" each have one copy on the top left half of the map, and one on the bottom right. Items can cost from as low as 50 gold, to up to 8250 gold. As of 6.52, items have a muted form, when a player picks up an item that's dropped by another player, in order to prevent item stealing. There are exceptions to this rule: items are not muted when the picked up item is a basic regeneration item/consumable, in the short list of other exceptions, or the former owner of the item has left the game.
Basic Items
Just buying these gives you the full benefit of them.
Consumables
These items contain a certain amount of charges that, once used, are gone forever. They usually have a regeneration-based effect (Restoring HP or Mana). When damage is inflicted (With exception to Tangos or time expires, the effect is lost. Others include wards which give a large radius of sight or reveal invisible units for a duration of time.
Recipe Items
Recipe items are items where multiple components are needed to form the item. These components can be items, or recipe scrolls. These items are often stronger than the benefits of having just the needed items.
No-Recipe Recipes
Some recipe items merely require you to have all the necessary items, Perseverance for example only requires you to have a Void Stone and a Ring of Health. These recipes often merely improve the effects of their needed items, and aren't necessarily that much stronger than the needed items.
Recipe Needed Recipes
Some recipe items require you to have all the items in your inventory, and then buy a "scroll", also known as a "recipe", to form the item for you. The Butterfly, for example, requires you to have an Eaglehorn and a Quarterstaff, but also an 1800 gold recipe. These recipes are often significantly stronger than their needed items.
Basic Items
Approach an item vendor. Make sure you have enough gold to buy the item, and that you have less than 6 items in your inventory. Click on the item vendor, find the item you want, and click on it. It should now be in your inventory, unless your hero is not allowed to use the item (If you are playing as Pudge or Vengeful Spirit and trying to buy Kelen's Dagger).
Recipe Items
Approach a recipe item vendor, and search for the item you want to buy. At the bottom of the item description, look for the required items. If the item itself costs no gold, it means that you need not buy a recipe, and you only need to buy the required items. If the item itself costs some gold, it means that you need to buy the recipe in addition to the required items
