Teach me a profitable trading guide

[NeoXenoZ]

Hello, new to this place but I am looking to know how to get into profitable and efficient trading, as of now I only have around 15.66 ref in my backpack. I've now understand the economics of TF2 and It's item types so you may skip that out.

[Scott Bakula]

Step 1: Buy Low

Step 2: Sell High

Step 3: Repeat

 

In all seriousness though, there is already a guide on the forums:

 

Now, you can build up from what you have, but as you can only get low-tier items (and not very many of them at that) with your current backpack, profits will be very small and harder/slower to come by, as you'll be in direct competition with most bots. You won't see large profits until you can leave the refined-based markets and enter the key-based ones. That's why the most common advice for new traders is to start with an initial capital investment (8-10 keys minimum, 12-16 recommended, 18-20 optimal), so they can skip the base toil and jump straight into low-tier unusual trading. Now, scrap to unusual is still possible in today's economy, but it's rarely worth it as the return is pitiful for your time invested.

[3.50]

Getting the best results from trading is very simple.  It only takes a few steps.  I've traded up from nothing to in the top ~350 backpacks, so you can definitely trust me.

 

Step 1:  Have a clear plan, and commit to following it.  This usually means trading item x for pure, then slightly less pure for a different copy of item x; rinse and repeat.  Don't deviate from the plan on impulse.  Don't trade for items you don't know how to handle just because they're worth more.  Unless you want to, in which case, definitely do it.  The specifics don't matter, as long as you research the items you'll be dealing with beforehand.  Don't put all your eggs in one basket, unless you really like that basket. 

Step 2:  Gather as much capital as possible to start with.  Twice the investment = twice the returns.  Invest some irl money if you're serious about trading (and able to do so).

Step 3:  Take all the capital you have gathered, and instead of trading with it, put it into your bank account and forget all about hats. 

 

Best possible results from this method, guaranteed.

 

[SmokE]

3 hours ago, NeoXenoZ said:

Hello, new to this place but I am looking to know how to get into profitable and efficient trading, as of now I only have around 15.66 ref in my backpack. I've now understand the economics of TF2 and It's item types so you may skip that out.

 

2 hours ago, Scott Bakula said:

Step 1: Buy Low

Step 2: Sell High

Step 3: Repeat

 

In all seriousness though, there is already a guide on the forums:

 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1353725346
 

An updated version of this guide with more info on new scams and other stuff. In the steam guides.

[NeoXenoZ]

7 hours ago, Scott Bakula said:

Step 1: Buy Low

Step 2: Sell High

Step 3: Repeat

 

In all seriousness though, there is already a guide on the forums:

 

Now, you can build up from what you have, but as you can only get low-tier items (and not very many of them at that) with your current backpack, profits will be very small and harder/slower to come by, as you'll be in direct competition with most bots. You won't see large profits until you can leave the refined-based markets and enter the key-based ones. That's why the most common advice for new traders is to start with an initial capital investment (8-10 keys minimum, 12-16 recommended, 18-20 optimal), so they can skip the base toil and jump straight into low-tier unusual trading. Now, scrap to unusual is still possible in today's economy, but it's rarely worth it as the return is pitiful for your time invested.

 

I see, but are there specific items in refined based item trading that are popular to buy at so I can boost my way in to get keys?

 

I was also reading at this guide as well https://tradeplz.com/tf2-trading-guide/

[Gyro]

scrap bank weapons : )))

[NeoXenoZ]

52 minutes ago, Korsakoff said:

scrap bank weapons : )))

 

Virtually impossible

[Haxor Gaming]

Buy keys on marketplace.tf then start trading. I would recommend around 15+ keys so you don't get stuck with cancer unusuals. Quickbuy unusuals that have good effects and be patient while selling them to make profit and to find the right buyer.

[Gyro]

2 hours ago, NeoXenoZ said:

 

Virtually impossible

it's a joke captain obvious 

[Scott Bakula]

7 hours ago, NeoXenoZ said:

I see, but are there specific items in refined based item trading that are popular to buy at so I can boost my way in to get keys?

 

Tools, taunts, and stranges primarily. But to reemphasize my point about how much tedium and toil trading up to keys is going to be: A successful flip of a popular refined-based item will generally net between a scrap and a reclaimed profit. This means that you must do between 82-246 flips for a single key. You must then repeat this process 7 more times to be at the bare minimum for entering the key-based market. And even this will also be hampered by your initial starting capital, because as it stands, you can only afford to purchase a single item for flipping, making those already razor-thin profits slow in coming in.

[ksolis01]

1 hour ago, Scott Bakula said:

 

Tools, taunts, and stranges primarily. But to reemphasize my point about how much tedium and toil trading up to keys is going to be: A successful flip of a popular refined-based item will generally net between a scrap and a reclaimed profit. This means that you must do between 82-246 flips for a single key. You must then repeat this process 7 more times to be at the bare minimum for entering the key-based market. And even this will also be hampered by your initial starting capital, because as it stands, you can only afford to purchase a single item for flipping, making those already razor-thin profits slow in coming in.

People that collect cans and bottles on the street make more per hour.

[Loaferman]

6 hours ago, Haxor Gaming said:

Buy keys on marketplace.tf then start trading. I would recommend around 15+ keys so you don't get stuck with cancer unusuals. Quickbuy unusuals that have good effects and be patient while selling them to make profit and to find the right buyer.

From my experience it is best to start with 20 keys because that is when you can quickbuy at most 2 unusuals which is also when the profit you make starts to scale most efficiently. Obviously there is no right or wrong amount to start off with but this is when my trade ups start to see fruition.

[kaytradamus]

All of the above, or work hard and youll be able to buy yourself pretty much anything.

[NeoXenoZ]

Okay, but I also have a question on trading bots. Are they profitable at using? Are they the best for hat banking? Because you guys said it dominates low tier hat trading then how can I make a bot for myself? Let me know all programming lessons

[S.D.M.G.]

whne i used to tarde ill buy a lot of low value items in bulk like lets say you buy 16 hats for your 15.66, most hats would sell for 1.33 ref whit bots the lowest they can sell to a bot its 1 ref but you still making profit

 

when you get to the mark of 5 keys and still buy items in bulk but not low value ones ask for a little and keep this in mind a LITTLE discount like a 5 to a 10%