I can't get started in trading

[Papa Cthulhu]

recently i have been trying to get into trading by doing the generic things people do when they start but no one ever wants to trade so im not really getting anywhere.

[Scott Bakula]

Right now your biggest problem is that you're not at the key level of trading, just refined. In that level, most items are just worth so little that people just use bots unless dealing with niche items, which still generally don't have enough demand to be sustainable by themselves.

 

The best thing to do to get started into trading is to buy a bunch of keys (8-12 minimum, 16-20 recommended) and to jump directly into low-tier unusual/aussie trading. Granted, you can your your way up to that point by toiling away in the refined trade, but when you get to that point, you'll just've wished you'd dropped the 20 bucks or so to have skipped all that.

 

If you really, really, don't want to spend money though, make use of the current sales then. Sell any tf2 winter crates and winter sale trading cards on the SCM, and by sale's end, you'll probably have accumulated enough funds to get at least a key.

 

Now, if you do get some keys and are looking for your first flip, just stay away from Unusual taunts for now. Their value has been plummeting because of all the unusualfiers being unboxed. The unusualfiers themselves are safer and more stable, but you still don't want them sitting in your inventory for too long.

[3.50]

One thing I did very successfully at those levels of trading, and might recommend for you:

 

Find someone selling a painted cosmetic for the unpainted price, buy it and then sell for a couple ref more, depending on the paint. 

 

I guarantee it'll work better than trying to buy 3 weapons with a scrap.

[HoovyBoard]

Experience is a big factor as well. The more time you spend trading, the better you get at determining what's a good deal or not .

[Apeiron]

You are so late mate. Trade is dead after bots. No ones even bothering to bargain or even talk. They are just go to bots.

Learn how to setup a bot. I think there is a potential in cryptocurrency bot area.

Buying selling keys or other stuff with cryptocurrencies like Ethereum might be promising.

But still TF2 is not going anywhere.

[hugh]

On 27/12/2017 at 4:20 AM, Apeiron said:

You are so late mate. Trade is dead after bots. No ones even bothering to bargain or even talk. They are just go to bots.

Learn how to setup a bot. I think there is a potential in cryptocurrency bot area.

Buying selling keys or other stuff with cryptocurrencies like Ethereum might be promising.

But still TF2 is not going anywhere.

 

I know I'm part of the problem here but the potential benefit to negotiate a discount with a human forthe difference of a few scrap to ref which carry a real world value less than a Macca's soft serve  is not worth simply being able to buy exactly what you want right there and then with minimal effort

[Gren]

Unpopular advice, and you probably don't want to hear this, but there's only one reason why I'd recommend someone to get into TF2 trading at this point:

 

If you really love this game and actually enjoy owning items because you'll get to use them in-game, then absolutely, get into trading.  If profit is the only thing that matters to you, I wouldn't get into TF2 trading.

 

1. The ref market (meaning all low value items) is now completely dominated by bots, and the only way you're going to compete is by setting up a bot yourself.  However, as there are already so many bots out there, you'll hardly offer something unique.  Also, you'll be profiting literally a few cents every trade.  So you could be averaging one trade per hour and at the end of the day you might have made 20 cents.  So in one entire month you'll make something like $6 - $10....you can make more than that by working for one hour at McDOnald's. 

 

2. The unusual market is a shadow of its' former self, there are so many hats now with so many effects, and fewer buyers than ever.  So first, you need to know what you're doing and not invest in something that looks like a quicksell, but actually isn't.  In other words you need experience here.  Second, the unusual market is now more profit based than it ever was before.  Quickbuying has become the norm, and the only way you're going to sell someething for full price in pure or good overpay if it's to someone who actually enjoys playing the game and wants the item for keeps.  Those people are still around, but people don't change their loadouts all that often, so these kind of buys are not consistent. 

 

3. There is still one way in which you can make considerable profit, but it's also the most risky.  So for example, the new Christmas war paints.  They don't have prices, so you might find something for 20 keys (like a factory new strange warpaint) that could actually get 30.  This would be a good buy obviously, but you need to have experience and develop a feel for what range items are worth and even then it's risky and you could make a wrong move and lose instead of gain.  

 

I'd hate to appeal to 'the good ol' days' but it's true: they're over.  It used to be so much easier making profit, because items were worth much more (stranges, bills, buds, etc.) and people actually wanted expensive hats and you'd get multiple offers on hats every day.  Those days are gone and they're not coming back.  Sorry to say, but you missed the boat by a few years. 

[NobleCrescent32]

On 12/26/2017 at 11:20 AM, Apeiron said:

You are so late mate. Trade is dead after bots. No ones even bothering to bargain or even talk. They are just go to bots.

Learn how to setup a bot. I think there is a potential in cryptocurrency bot area.

Buying selling keys or other stuff with cryptocurrencies like Ethereum might be promising.

But still TF2 is not going anywhere.

Im sorry if i come across as arrogant. But what on earth does cryptocurrency have to do with tf2 bot trading

[Scott Bakula]

37 minutes ago, NobleCrescent32 said:

Im sorry if i come across as arrogant. But what on earth does cryptocurrency have to do with tf2 bot trading

 

It's a bot that buys and sells keys, but instead of using refined or USD, uses a cryptocurrency, allowing people to get keys with bitcoin and the like. It does require heavy market monitoring though, as most of the currencies are very volatile, which can result in large amounts of profit or loss, depending on how the wave is ridden.

[NobleCrescent32]

11 hours ago, Scott Bakula said:

 

It's a bot that buys and sells keys, but instead of using refined or USD, uses a cryptocurrency, allowing people to get keys with bitcoin and the like. It does require heavy market monitoring though, as most of the currencies are very volatile, which can result in large amounts of profit or loss, depending on how the wave is ridden.

A bit weird they would consider using that. I mean just look at how much bitcoin fluctuates.