Buds or Keys?

[Langweenee]

I'm starting to get into the unusual business, and I've been thinking.

 

If I make a trade on outpost asking for unusual offers, should I say that I have 1 Bud or 19 Keys for trade? Which would you rather take as payment when you sell your low-tier unusual for if both options were available?

[Cedarium]

I take them equally, as long as the person values them properly.

[Langweenee]

Thank you for your input

[The G What ™]

For low-tier? Keys. buds will likely dip again at Halloween. 

[Seminal Inhalation]

I'm starting to get into the unusual business, and I've been thinking.

 

If I make a trade on outpost asking for unusual offers, should I say that I have 1 Bud or 19 Keys for trade? Which would you rather take as payment when you sell your low-tier unusual for if both options were available?

Keys are safest

[Langweenee]

I appreciate the advice

[The Radiated Banana]

keys, even in large amounts are better. aside from the fact u have to click a lot

[Gren]

For quicksales, Keys are much better.

 

If you have buds, you're stuck offering in increments of 19 keys unless the other guy has change, which they often don't (that's why they're offering quicksells, because they need pure).  You can be much more flexible with keys. 

[PinkiePie]

keys if you like having 100+ of them taking up your inventory space

[MeatballHLM]

Key all the way, more stable.

[Heated Bread]

You can be more flexible/precise when dealing with keys, so that's what you should be starting off with.  You only need buds for when you start getting into higher value trades, in which case using straight keys becomes too impractical.  Ideally, you want to have both keys and buds for situations where a trade requires both.  Think of it as making sure that you always have the correct change, because that's exactly what it is.

 

Now when it comes to what I'd rather take in a trade, it somewhat depends on the current market trends and what my plans are.  Let's say I'm selling a 12 key unusual hat, a b.m.o.c. is currently 12 keys, christmas is approaching, the trend is going up for the b.m.o.c., and someone offers me one.  I'm probably going to take that, hold on to it for a bit, and sell it for a little more.  BUT!  The whole point of promos is that they can be traded for keys.  I therefore consider keys to be "more pure" than earbuds or a b.m.o.c. or some other promo.

 

At the same time, I'll reject keys in favor of buds if the trade value is too high.  When I recently sold an unusual for 9 buds pure, the guy initially offered me the equivalent in keys and I flat out turned him down (too many keys for one trade) and told him to go get the buds, which he eventually did.

 

So really what we're talking about is the practicality of what is effectively using different denominations of currency (even though buds and keys are not the same currency), exchange rates between those currencies, market trends arising from changes in those exchange rates over time, plans for what one might do with different currencies, and how all these things might affect your preferences for one over another.