How do you educate people on the economy?

[Supervise]

I have had multiple people add me trying to buy my items that know NOTHING about the TF2 economy. Is there a Steam tutorial I should link to people like that? I'm not sure if this person is just a shark, d-bag, or troll but here is an example.

 

Steam Profile: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198130794450/

 

Trade Offer: http://imgur.com/a/QU1UA

 

Conversation:

 

 

Never tell your password to anyone.

4:43 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: The Strange Spec KS Loch n Load is only worth around 12.66 ref and yours is gifted making it even cheaper
4:43 PM - Deus: the wep i ofer used to cost more, and even you want all my taunts, weapons...
4:43 PM - Deus: its too much
4:43 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: Well they added up to 53 ref
4:44 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: it wasn't too much
4:44 PM - Deus: i can add my festive black box
4:44 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: no lol
4:44 PM - Deus: but conga and ranxo relaxo?
4:44 PM - Deus: its like
4:44 PM - Deus: crazy
4:44 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: Lemme tell you something

4:44 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: I am selling my Strange Loose Cannon around 3 keys
4:44 PM - Deus: so my wep, with spec ks and strang
4:44 PM - Deus: doesnt cost anytihng
4:44 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: yeah
4:44 PM - Deus: i dont think so
4:45 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: It does. Items are priced differently.
4:45 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: Do you know how the economy works?
4:45 PM - Deus: yeah of course
4:45 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: No, I do not think you do.
4:45 PM - Deus: its creppy
4:45 PM - Deus: but i bought it
4:45 PM - Deus: it cost obusly the same

<rage>
4:45 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: NO IT DOES NOT
4:45 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: MY LOOSE CANNON IS WORTH 3 KEYS
4:45 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: YOUR LOOSE CANNON IS WORTH LESS THAN 12.33 REF

</rage>
4:46 PM - Deus: just because it has some letters in the description
4:46 PM - Deus: it doesnt cose anything?
4:46 PM - Deus: thon get angry
4:46 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf:  :conwayfacepalm:
4:46 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: you are so freaking dumb it would be pretty hard not to get angry
4:46 PM - Deus:  https://steamcommunity-a.akamaihd.net/economy/emoticon/steambored
4:47 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: For one the items work completely differently.
4:47 PM - Deus: well we are talking of cents, boy
4:47 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: No, we are talking dollars but that is not the point.
4:47 PM - Deus: if u can just live of this trades
4:47 PM - Deus: yolu have to live in a fucking shit
4:47 PM - Deus: nope, its not more than 2 dollars
4:47 PM - Deus: its cents
4:48 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: MY ITEM IS WORTH AROUND $8
4:48 PM - Deus: and i dont wanna talk with such a nobby traders
4:48 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: YOURS IS WORTH AROUND $2
4:48 PM - Deus: that are so rude
4:48 PM - Deus: just bye
4:48 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: You are an idiot
4:48 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: you don't know how items are priced
4:48 PM - Deus: lol
4:48 PM - Deus: such a rat kid geting angry7
4:48 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: Do you know what backpack.tf is? It is a website where the TF2 Trading Community prices items based on what they have sold for and what people want to pay.
4:48 PM - Deus: try ing to earn money of this
4:48 PM - Deus: u arenot playing with unusuals
4:48 PM - Deus: and keys
4:49 PM - Deus: its not more than 2 dollars
4:49 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: I have owned a few unusuals idiot
4:49 PM - Deus: and u get angry
4:49 PM - Deus: just continue living
4:49 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: my backpack is worth over 4 times as much as yours
4:49 PM - Deus: in that shit u call home
4:49 PM - Deus: poor boy
4:49 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: My family isn't wealthy that doesn't change anything.
4:50 PM - DrDavid101 | trade.tf: Why don't you get a life and quit insulting random children on the internet?

 

 

[neemo]

Problem with these people is that even if you link them to a trading tutorial, they usually won't listen. Like everyone else, he'll learn when he gets more experience in trading. Perhaps you should have linked him to scm which would have shown the prices of the items.

 

Also, that Strange Loch'n'Load is gifted by raysfire - the creator of rayshud!!!!!!!!!!

[∞Ramses]

Or you could reject the offer and remove him...?

[(ง ͠° ͟ل ͡°)ง]

trade.tf

[Supore]

Block & move on, trying to learn someone on the internet a lesson is like trying to teach a rock fetch.

[Auroz]

(none)

[Supervise]

Or you could reject the offer and remove him...?

 

I'm just a nice person I guess.

 

Problem with these people is that even if you link them to a trading tutorial, they usually won't listen. Like everyone else, he'll learn when he gets more experience in trading. Perhaps you should have linked him to scm which would have shown the prices of the items.

 

Also, that Strange Loch'n'Load is gifted by raysfire - the creator of rayshud!!!!!!!!!!

 

That is pretty cool.... Still not worth ~3 Keys

[Alberny]

Sometimes I give someone who has nothing a hat/strange for a little cheaper, they are usually happy and I like spreading joy, but sometimes i instantly regret it when he/she comes back after 30 mins asking if i could give him an unusual …

[Supervise]

trade.tf

?

I personally use the guide I wrote (in french tho) and share it with my unexperienced friends. Apparently it helped a lot of people.

I guess that is good... I'll look at it

[oli.t678]

This is pretty common, I've had a few encoutner with people who has a 100 ref inventory saying I dont know how the economic works because I don't accept their shitty offer of trading 1 key worth of item for my 32 key unusual.

[Taconinja]

?

 

Usually only people who are lowballing shitters or small children have that tag

[Supervise]

Usually only people who are lowballing shitters or small children have that tag

I'm not a lowballing shitter or a small child :3

 

I have it so I can buy keys.

[Taconinja]

I'm not a lowballing shitter or a small child :3

 

I have it so I can buy keys.

I'm just saying, that is the stigma around it

[Supervise]

I'm just saying, that is the stigma around it

What is the stigma around people that use bp.tf automatic, because I use that too..

[Scott Bakula]

[Scrublordington the III]

They have to learn by themselves

 

Eventually they will gain knowledge/experience and not do the same things again

[Gren]

50% of all trading encounters are with people so clueless, they'll accept a 1 year outdated and inflated price without question.  Another 35% of conversations are with idiots who think they're smarter than you who'll try to manipulate you into a shitty deal.  15% of conversations will be what I'd call of "acceptable quality".  The sooner you realize that that's just how it is and there's not much you can do about it (people will educate themselves if they want to), the happier you'll be. 

[Supervise]

50% of all trading encounters are with people so clueless, they'll accept a 1 year outdated and inflated price without question.  Another 35% of conversations are with idiots who think they're smarter than you who'll try to manipulate you into a shitty deal.  15% of conversations will be what I'd call of "acceptable quality".  The sooner you realize that that's just how it is and there's not much you can do about it (people will educate themselves if they want to), the happier you'll be. 

My trading encounters would be like 5% scammers (probably b/c I'm poor), 20% sharks, 25% clueless people, and 50% good people.

[Heated Bread]

How do you educate people about the economy?  You don't.  At least, that's not how I think you should approach the situation.  If you have the mindset of looking at it as a problem of how to teach someone, then you're potentially missing the bigger picture, and you're creating a situation where the person can turn hostile, making the whole thing a frustrating waste of your time and energy.

 

While some traders are legitimately ignorant, some will pretend to be ignorant just to screw you over or get you to reveal your own knowledge and potential weaknesses.  Whether they are truly ignorant or not, many will angrily argue with you out of frustration or embarrassment.  Others will see your attempts at explanation as a weakness.  They will think you are desperate for the trade, and will assume in some cases that you are simply lying to them.  Since many of these people are liars themselves, they tend to expect that you are a liar too.

 

I think it's best not to try to educate people in most cases, but to simply have patience and refuse trades you think are bad.  Always leave the door open, say as little as possible, and be indifferent.  With trade offers, you can do this much easier now than you used to be able to.  Now you can keep your interactions with traders down to a bare minimum.  Often you never have to say anything at all.

 

But that's just me.  Maybe that's not your style and it won't work for you.  I've pretty much given up on trading anyway, so take what I say with a grain of salt.  I used to trade heavily but hardly trade at all now, and usually only just to get the odd item for myself.