Trading

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Trading is an in-game system first introduced in the Mann-Conomy Update that allows players to swap weapons, hats and misc items with others in order to obtain items they desire.

File:Trade screen.jpg

The trading screen, with an example trade in progress.

File:Trade success.jpg

A successful trade.

Mechanics

To reach the trading screen from the main menu, select the Manage Items button, and then the Trading icon.

A player may select a fellow user from their friends list, from the current game server or by entering their Steam Community ID. A trading request will be sent to that player, providing they are online and are currently playing Team Fortress 2. Should the reciever choose to accept the trade, the game screen will be replaced with the trading screen. Should the player deny the trade or not accept within the 30 second time limit, the trade will be cancelled.

Up to four items of any kind can be traded from one player to another. Items may be selected and dragged from the user's backpack on the left side of the screen to the upper four trading boxes on the right side of the screen. The lower four trading boxes display the other user's trade offer. Both users can communicate and determine the trade using the provided private chat box visible under your backpack. Because there are only four trade slots useable in a single trade, it is strongly advised not to accept trade offers of over four items, because either user could disconnect from the trade before it is fully completed, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

After reviewing the items offered in the trade, both users must click the "Ready to Trade" checkbox. If the offer is changed, the players will be required to click "Ready to Trade" again. Once both users are ready to trade, they must then click "Trade Now" to complete the trade.

Items purchased from the Mann Co. Store are untradeable and therefore cannot be passed between players. Promotional items, such as Bill's Hat and the Lugermorph for example, can be traded.

Upon a player's first trade, he or she will receive a random item along with the items traded.

A player wishing to block all trade requests can do so using the game options.

Trading Tips

Due to the wide range given to trading, players may be subject to scam attempts and or offer disagreements. They are advised to consider the following advice.

• Items should never be purchased using money from another player. One should only purchase items from the Mann Co. Store in order to ensure safe transactions and prevent account details being used maliciously by others. It is also against the Steam User Agreement and doing so can get you banned.
• Do not let other players open a Mann Co. Supply Crate in return for your items. Once the crate has been successfully traded, there is nothing to prevent the receiver opening the crate and then keeping the contents despite the agreements made. The series number of the crate should also be taken into account in order to prevent unbalanced trades.
• Similar to the above, do not let other players paint items as part of an agreement. Users may simply take the item(s) and then sever all contact.
• Do not agree to trade more than four items. The user may disengage the trade after the first initial items are transferred. In addition, if the items are being exchanged for their metal value, ask for them to be converted into metal beforehand.
• Players attempting to scam others may offer an item labelled as a Community weapon, Vintage, Unusual or otherwise, when in actual fact they have simply renamed a regular item. Fake named weapons can be easily identified by the name colouring (Community weapons have green named, Vintage have blue names, and Unusual have purple names), or by the quotation marks that always surround a renamed item. Furthermore, understand that Community weapons cannot be traded whatsoever.
• Remain impartial during a trade. Players may attempt to appear pleading or irritable in order to convince others to part with more items.
• Always check if there is a Blueprint for the item you want before trading. Creating it yourself might be cheaper.
• Be wary of offers that are too good to be true, since a legitimate offer should be an item exchange of approximately equal value.
• Always check the items again if the offer has been changed, or you think the offer has been changed. Some players will swap an item at the last second in the hope of it going unnoticed.
• Use your common sense.
• The trading section of the TF2 Steam User Forums is a good place to communicate with players who wish to trade their items.
• Trading items in-game could get you kicked from the server if you aren't also contributing to the game.

Untradable items

Due to the possibility of selling items outside of the Mann Co. Store for real money, some items are not tradeable.

• Items bought from the Mann Co. Store are not tradeable.
• Gifts bought from the Mann Co. Store are not tradeable.
• Gentle Manne's Service Medal
• Golden Wrench
• Ghastly Gibus
• Bronze Dueling Badge
• Silver Dueling Badge
• Gold Dueling Badge
• Platinum Dueling Badge
• Cheater's Lament
• Grizzled Veteran
• Mercenary
• Polycount Pin
• Primeval Warrior
• Soldier of Fortune
• Mann Co. Supply Crate Key
• Some Alien Swarm Parasites
• Community weapons
• Items unlocked through Achievements after the Mann-Conomy update are not tradeable.

Notes

• In the October 12, 2010 Patch, Ellis' Cap and the Frying Pan were made tradeable. However, the items are marked as purchased, and therefore remain untradeable.