Here's what I've learned about artifact management - the really essential ones to hang onto are going to be Compass (gives amazing protection but watch that radiation), Hypercube if you're diving into those nasty thermal zones, and Thunderberry which is incredible for stamina even though it'll cook you a bit. Liquid Rock is basically mandatory for radiation protection and Magic Cube works decent as a budget version of Compass if you can handle the rad output. From my runs through the zone, I'd say don't waste inventory space on basic stuff like Bubble or Mold - better to sell those and put the money into better gear, honestly. Skipjack is situational, maybe keep one if you're planning to tackle heavy radiation areas but otherwise it's not worth the slot.

Something interesting about loadout balance - try running Compass with Liquid Rock as your core setup for general exploring, works really well. Just remember that even the best artifacts can mess you up if your suit isn't upgraded enough to handle the radiation they pump out, so maybe prioritize selling duplicates since finding replacements is way easier than scrounging for repair money. The zone's pretty generous with artifacts once you know where to look, but repair costs will drain your funds fast if you're not careful.