Making Profit?

[Penn Island]

Hello good sirs!

 

I've just joined in on this TF2 trading after seeing how much money I can make. The only problem is, where do I start?

 

I've tried to sell weapons for a scrap but that isn't really working out because no one is responding on outpost. I'd really like to get into the whole TF2 Trading and stuff but I just don't know how to begin. Can anyone give me a few pointers and a step in the right direction?

 

 

Thanks.

[Cuttlefish]

Sell 2 weapons for 1 scrap and keep doing that until you have enough metal to buy things like stranges and vintages for prices under backpack.tf prices.

[Penn Island]

Sell 2 weapons for 1 scrap and keep doing that until you have enough metal to buy things like stranges and vintages for prices under backpack.tf prices.

Thanks for the advice, but do I get the weapons via the drop system? If so, don't you think it would be really slow?

[Hugeisno1]

Patience is key lad. Trades don't happen overnight (Not always).

If you're not going to buy keys to start off your capital you'll be working from the ground up.

Judging from your backpack you're really quite new.
 Remember in the weapon-scrap market you have dozens of competitors but we all start somewhere. Keep bumping your trades and replacing stock as they sell. You'll make progress over time. 
Work your way up to craft hats and stranges and keep playing the game for a few hours every day. Those drops do help.

I'd also recommend looking around for buyers. There are some Collector makers who buy weapons for 1 scrap here and there. You'd be surprised what deals you can find sometimes.

[Hugeisno1]

Thanks for the advice, but do I get the weapons via the drop system? If so, don't you think it would be really slow?

Don't do that. You'll not be making any profit. That's what they refer to as "scrap banking" You want to be the guy buying 2 weapons for a scrap, not the other way around.

[Curly Brace]

Hello good sirs!

 

I've just joined in on this TF2 trading after seeing how much money I can make. The only problem is, where do I start?

 

I've tried to sell weapons for a scrap but that isn't really working out because no one is responding on outpost. I'd really like to get into the whole TF2 Trading and stuff but I just don't know how to begin. Can anyone give me a few pointers and a step in the right direction?

 

 

Thanks.

You've got a plentiful enough backpack that if you cash out your items for around bp.tf price, you can start hat buying/selling.

You can do this by buying cheap-ish hats [1-66-3 ref] for 1 reclaimed under their bp.tf price.  People will sell to you, and you can resell these hats for normal price, generating a reclaimed profit each time you buy and sell a hat.

If you have other questions, you can add me and I can try to answer them the best I can.

[Sasuke200]

tf2vendor.com provides some of the best prices on items, you can use this and buy something cheap and resell for more ending up in profit.

[Penn Island]

Patience is key lad. Trades don't happen overnight (Not always).

If you're not going to buy keys to start off your capital you'll be working from the ground up.

Judging from your backpack you're really quite new.

 Remember in the weapon-scrap market you have dozens of competitors but we all start somewhere. Keep bumping your trades and replacing stock as they sell. You'll make progress over time. 

Work your way up to craft hats and stranges and keep playing the game for a few hours every day. Those drops do help.

 

I'd also recommend looking around for buyers. There are some Collector makers who buy weapons for 1 scrap here and there. You'd be surprised what deals you can find sometimes.

Thanks for the help, I'll remember that. Also, a stranger added me and donated 7 scrap to my backpack. Where do I go from here? 

[Hugeisno1]

Your backpack went up quite fast. Where did all that come from?
Nevermind you answered.

[Hugeisno1]

What Curly Brace suggested is always a good market, Buy hats for under their backpack price and resell them for a reclaimed profit. Sell that minsc you have and use the metal to buy more hats. 

Uncraftable hats tend to do ok as well. If you can buy them for a reclaimed each you can sell them again for 1 refined without a problem.

Also Always refer to backpack,tf. It's a good way to keep in touch with the market prices

[Curly Brace]

Thanks for the help, I'll remember that. Also, a stranger added me and donated 7 scrap to my backpack. Where do I go from here? 

Best way to find out what works? 

Dip your hands into the market of certain items and see how it turns out for you.

Avoid buying any newly released items along with killstreak items, as they take much longer to resell and generally aren't' worth your time to profit from.  

Also, nevermind about what I said about you having plenty to start, I misclicked and was viewing another user's backpack thinking he was you.

So in total you've got ~5 ref to use, and if you want to start how I started, do token banking, crafting them yourself for 3 weapons, reselling for 4 weapons or 2 scraps.  This can last you longer, but you'll profit less as opposed to doing the hat buying as I suggested before.  Right now it seems as if you'll just have to go slowly in your trading seeing as how you can't afford to set up any "shops" yet.  

[Hugeisno1]

Also just a heads up. If someone adds you claiming that "his friend" wants to buy your items. Don't follow the link. That's just a phisher trying to steal your account.

[Penn Island]

Best way to find out what works? 

Dip your hands into the market of certain items and see how it turns out for you.

Avoid buying any newly released items along with killstreak items, as they take much longer to resell and generally aren't' worth your time to profit from.  

Also, nevermind about what I said about you having plenty to start, I misclicked and was viewing another user's backpack thinking he was you.

So in total you've got ~5 ref to use, and if you want to start how I started, do token banking, crafting them yourself for 3 weapons, reselling for 4 weapons or 2 scraps.  This can last you longer, but you'll profit less as opposed to doing the hat buying as I suggested before.  Right now it seems as if you'll just have to go slowly in your trading seeing as how you can't afford to set up any "shops" yet.  

Ok. But if I am going to do the hat buying thing, how will I know which hats to use? 

[Curly Brace]

Ok. But if I am going to do the hat buying thing, how will I know which hats to use? 

http://backpack.tf/pricelist/spreadsheet

 

For the most part, these prices are generally accurate.

Try to purchase hats priced around 1.66-3 ref for a reclaimed off of their low end.  

For some general rules...

1. Don't pay extra for any paints, at the cost of extra metal, it'll just be harder to resell them for more.

2. Avoid buying uncraftables/genuines, even if they're priced higher.  Less users look for these and will have a smaller market for them.

3. Keep your prices firm, even if they beg you to throw more in with constant "Plz" comments.

 

And as a shameless self plug, http://www.tf2outpost.com/user/162026

There's an example of what I mean, along with some hats you can also decide to buy.  Even with a $800 backpack, I still do this kind of trading because I understand it and it's stable.  If you find yourself buying way too many of the same hat, lower your buying price.  

[Mr. Omani]

Also bump your trades on Outpost by using the Arrow button every 30 Minutes so People Can see your trades

[Hugeisno1]

Ok. But if I am going to do the hat buying thing, how will I know which hats to use? 

Finding a popular hat at a cheap price is never easy but it's normally a good bet that 1.33 valued craft hats will sell at 1.66 In my experience at least. Another item that I've sold regularly is the Sole Survivors. Costly at 2.33 but I've had a buyer every week or so.

 

Otherwise try your hand at different hats. You never know where an opportunity is lurking. You'd be surprised at what you can get in item offers some times. That little overpay can go a long way.

 

Also avoid paying for paint when you can. They can be a horror to resell.

[Hugeisno1]

Also avoid Robo hats. There's only a few worth getting. The others just don't sell well.

[Scatman John]

pray to shrek and the bread kings, and attempt to craft the 3rune blade, apoco fists, maul, and sharp dresser. With 8 weps you can get 2+ref. Gotta have luck tho, it can make you or break you.

[Curly Brace]

pray to shrek and the bread kings, and attempt to craft the 3rune blade, apoco fists, maul, and sharp dresser. With 8 weps you can get 2+ref. Gotta have luck tho, it can make you or break you.

Do not do this.  Crafting hardly ever works out well.  It's best to quickbuy and resell them for more than what you paid.

[Ersin]

Do not do this.  Crafting hardly ever works out well.  It's best to quickbuy and resell them for more than what you paid.

This is actually a good option. Getting 2 crafts in a row is easy profit (did this when I was new), but it really depends if he wants to risk it.

[plex_]

What curly said is a great way to profit, but not right now because the demand is high thanks to the bread boxes

[xoㅤ]

youve got 2.11

since the bread box needs 3 hats try buying hats for 1.22 refined each and re-selling for 1-2 scrap above the price you bought

if you do decide to buy robo hats buy them for a lower price since they take a long time to sell

rinse and repeat and you can start quickbuying stranges / taunts / tools good luck 

 

and high five taunt bank

high five is love

high five is life

[Penn Island]

youve got 2.11

since the bread box needs 3 hats try buying hats for 1.22 refined each and re-selling for 1-2 scrap above the price you bought

if you do decide to buy robo hats buy them for a lower price since they take a long time to sell

rinse and repeat and you can start quickbuying stranges / taunts / tools good luck 

 

and high five taunt bank

high five is love

high five is life

Thanks, but how does the bread box earn profit? Do I unbox it and sell my findings, or do I sell the box itself?

[Grabsac Turnancough.]

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet, try paint banking. Paint is pretty easy to sell for a rec or two above backpack.tf prices, and just about as easy to buy for a rec below. So around .66 profit per paint, and certain paints net more profit overall. (For example, lime paint, buy for 7 ref, sell for a key, roughly 1.44 profit per trade.)

 

Subtle plug of my trades. http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/19730914 is my prices for low tier paints. These are the cheapest paints, and they're all within your price range. It's a bit slow for them at these prices, so since you're just starting out, I'd buy for whatever backpack.tf says and sell for a rec more, and then move up into higher priced paints. It's all about patience though. No one's backpack shot up 600 dollars overnight (unless they got a crazy lucky unbox, but that's a whole different thing)

 

Also, never be afraid to take item overpay, since that always gives you items to trade and you make a bit of profit at the same time. Just don't take paint, killstreaks, or odd/collectors levels as overpay, because it's generally not worth it. And make sure the overpay is actually worth your time. Is a scrap overpay worth it on a key item? Not hardly. Is a scrap overpay worth it on a .22 item? Sure. It's your call in the end though.

 

tf2vendor.com provides some of the best prices on items, you can use this and buy something cheap and resell for more ending up in profit.

 

Great site if you're looking for a steady profit. Buy for a rec or two off, sell it for full price. And occasionally you get lucky and the hat you buy has paint on it, which gives you just a small amount of extra profit.

[Penn Island]

You've got a plentiful enough backpack that if you cash out your items for around bp.tf price, you can start hat buying/selling.

You can do this by buying cheap-ish hats [1-66-3 ref] for 1 reclaimed under their bp.tf price.  People will sell to you, and you can resell these hats for normal price, generating a reclaimed profit each time you buy and sell a hat.

If you have other questions, you can add me and I can try to answer them the best I can.

I was able to sell a couple weapons for a scrap and a strange market gardener someone generously gifted me, now I have enough to try out your hat thing. I setup an outpost trade but no one is actually viewing it, in a 30 minute period I got a meager total of five views and no friend requests/trade offers/comments or anything. It's going really slow, should I be giving it some more time or am I doing something wrong?