Town need good sales to add to their squad and keep all their promising young talent, but few fans will have been persuaded to part with their cash after this performance.
The first half was a complete non-event, but the match livened up after Fabian Wilnis' own goal put Stoke ahead on 51 minutes.
Substitute Danny Haynes levelled, but Town suffered a late defensive disaster as Sammy Bangoura, Luke Chadwick and the game's outstanding player, Darel Russell, all scored late on.
There was no sign of what was to come in a first period when Stoke managed just two tame shots on target and the hosts not one, although they had a couple of decent efforts blocked.
The game finally sprang to life on 50 minutes when Paul Gallagher laid the ball back, Andy Wilkinson crossed and Wilnis unluckily deflected the ball off his knee beyond Shane Supple as he was challenged by Carl Hoefkens.
Town sent on veteran Jim Magilton and youngster Haynes to try and turn things around, but it was still Stoke who looked the more threatening on the breakaway.
Matt Richards had one shot deflected over and another charged down, before Town levelled with their first effort on goal midway through the second half.
Jimmy Juan's firm low shot was spilled by Steve Simonsen, Alan Lee challenged with Clint Hill and the ball broke to Michael Duberry. He took too long to clear and Haynes nipped in to poke home.
Chadwick had a shot charged down and unsuccessfully appealed that it was blocked by an Ipswich hand, before Dave Brammer fired over from the rebound.
Only a goalline clearance spared Town on 73 minutes when Supple mis-kicked a Wilnis back-pass under pressure from Chadwick, before Bangoura seized on the loose ball and shot towards the empty net only for Richard Naylor to slide in to clear.
Just when the game looked like petering out into a draw, Stoke added three goals in 10 crazy minutes with Ipswich's defence culpable for each.
Sito Castro was day-dreaming as Gallagher clipped the ball over his head and Bangoura neatly chested down before firing a low shot past Supple.
Town should have had a penalty on 84 minutes when Haynes was clearly taken down by Chadwick in the box, but referee Patrick Miller - on his Championship debut - said no.
Stoke then struck twice more in breakaway attacks in stoppage time, as first Chadwick raced away, turned Naylor twice and then side-footed beyond Supple and in off the post.
In stoppage time another Stoke break ended with Chadwick playing in Russell, whose first effort was saved by Supple, but he got his richly-deserved goal by clipping in the rebound.