Trade question: Going Market Prices?

[Oni]

Just curious, I was gone for a long time from TF2 but I played quite a bit in the past. I was trying to figure out how people determine the worth of something. Do you guys to hang out on trade servers or are there some good trade sites out there I should be checking out?

I have a ton of vintage stuff that I want to get rid of and I don't know what anything is worth.


I guess I could just scrap alot of it but I wouldn't mind getting a few more stranges if I could trade it for metal.

[Larry]

have any odd leveled v Force of Natures? I'm collecting them.

[Will T.]

Prices in the so-called "trade market" are pretty much entirely arbitrary. Sad, but true. :\ There is no logic beyond a vague structure regarding rarity of items (certain promos from before the current Genuine-quality system go for outrageous prices, for instance).

If you're looking to trade some stuff, my recommendations would be:

-Trade within the Ville if you can. Folks around here care much more about helping each other find what they want/need than making a personal profit. You might just find someone seeking what you have, and you might get something nice in return.
-If you want to try an outside site, try TF2 Warehouse. You can trade your extra stuff in for "credit," which can then be used to acquire items that other people have turned in. It might seem a little odd or sketchy at first, but I and several others here have used it, and it works. Prices are mostly fair too. There are a few newly-introduced quirks going around though, so watch out for those.

[Jesus_Faction]

have any odd leveled v Force of Natures? I'm collecting them.

i have a lvl 59 FAN but i wont let it go too cheap

[Boss Llama]

Copying over a chart from another post I made, here are the rough conversions of things that work as currency in the market:

2 weapons <> 1 scrap
3 scrap <> 1 reclaimed
3 reclaimed <> 1 refined
2.33 refined <> 1 key
5 keys <> 1 Bill's Hat (10-12 ref)
2 Bill's Hats <> 1 Buds (20-24 ref)
4 Buds <> 1 Max Head (80-96 ref - also fluctuates from 3.5 to 4 buds)

Though I listed the refined metal equivalencies on the top 3 things, don't expect to be able to buy them with ref. If you want to move up, use your ref to buy keys, and the keys to buy in to the higher market.

When it comes down to it, a vintage weapon is usually worth around 2 standard weapons/1 scrap, but it can be difficult to find buyers, as only collectors care about the difference. There are plenty of collectors, but finding one who doesn't already have most of the stuff they need can be a challenge. The website tf2wh is probably where you can get the most reliable resturn on them.

Most standard hats these days have a bid/ask of 1/1.33 ref, though some will be worth more or cost more based on being recent additions, or especially desireable. Most misc slot items run 2.33 to 4 ref, though the right ones can be double that. Some are significantly less.

If you have promos lying around from years past, some of them are worth a bit. Other than the Bill's, Buds, and Max Heads listed previously, you can also get good return on a V. Lugermorph (worth a Bill's), V. Big Kill (worth a buds), or from more recent times, a G. Maul (worth a buds).

Unusual Hats are priced in buds, ranging from 1.5 (1 buds, 1 bills) up to around 20. After the 20 point, things pretty much exchange for cash and nothing else, with the highest price I'm aware of being something near $2500 for a Burning Flames Samur-eye. A buds is roughly equivalent to $18-$20.

[Flash]

I reference this website:

TF2 Community Items & Hats Pricing Guide
http://tf2spreadsheet.blogspot.com/

[Oni]

@Larry
Sorry, I do have one but it's one of the few vintage items I don't have a duplicate of...

@Alizee Fan
Thanks for all of the information, I thought prices would fluctuate more but guess not.

@Will T
I'll look into that TF2 warehouse, seems shady but if people have used it successfully...it's worth a look. Thanks

[Nezer]

Buds are more then two bills, they are 14 keys, or two painted (white black) bills and 2 keys.

You will be extreemly lucky to be able to purchase a buds with two bills.

However when trading for unusualls 1.5 still means a buds and a bills, don't ask me how that works...

[Boss Llama]

Is the paint thing back in fashion? That idiocy comes and goes, as people somehow get it in their fool heads that having an object with its color changed is worth as much as having the object, and a spare can of desireable paint. Considering the paint is valuable so you can use it on things you wear, and few people wear their Bill's, it a total fallacy. Last I heard that fad had been driven out - sorry to hear it's coming back.

As for buds costing more than 2 bills - I've never had trouble converting directly. Anybody asking for more is pretty much in rip-off mode.

[Nezer]

Next time I'm in the market for a buds I'll ask you where to go then. I tired for like two weeks to get a buds with my two painted bills.

[Boss Llama]

As I said, I haven't had problems before. The market fluctuates, and if that fad is back, best just to wait a month rather than overpay. I bought my current buds for 2 bills, one unpainted, the other painted salmon. Of those two bills, one cost 5 keys, the other cost 4 keys and a refined. Market timing rocks!