A Beginner’s Guide to Safe and Smart Trading

Hey there.

Welcome to Steam Trades! We’re glad to have you here. (:

In this thread, you’ll find guides as well as useful links to help you on your trading journey.

If this at all feels overwhelming, please let me know in the comments. That’s definitely not the goal of this guide. Your feedback is highly appreciated!

1. Avoiding scammers

First and foremost, you need to be extremely cautious about impersonators and scammers. I cannot stress this enough! There are a lot of them lurking around in these parts, and they always prey on newcomers. Always—and I mean always—check the Steam profile and SteamID and match them with the person you’re trading with on Steam Trades.

One of the most common scams is that a scammer will impersonate a well-known trader here on Steam Trades. Let me paint you a scenario. You’ve just signed up, you look up a game, and you come across chmerchor’s thread. You comment there, and an hour later, you get a response from the real chmerchor. A scammer will quickly copy chmerchor’s profile (including his profile picture and bio) and add you out of the blue, hoping you won’t notice. And since you have little to no reputation, they will ask you to send your games first. After that, they’ll block you and disappear.

1.1. How to protect yourself

The gist of it is, if someone adds you on Steam, you open their profile, you grab either the entire URL, their username (e.g., steamcommunity.com/id/nex-gen), or their Steam ID (e.g., steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199060709903), and you search it in the Steam Trades database. This will look up the Steam Trades profile for that user, and you can be sure the person who added you is the same one you were talking to here on the website. If they have numerous negative reviews, that’s a pretty strong indication that they are a scammer.

Follow these three simple steps to make sure you’re dealing with the right person and not an impersonator:

1. Go to their profile and copy their Steam profile link, which should look something like this:

   https://steamcommunity.com/id/Sonkilary2343
   https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198137069787

2. Head over to Steam Trades and paste their Steam profile link into the Search reputation field and click the magnifier glass.
3. Look at the Steam Trades account that shows up. Make sure the reputation matches with the person you’ve agreed to trade with. If the reputation doesn’t match or if they have negative reviews, that’s a major red flag.

See this screenshot.

Here’s one: 76561198201038666. Go on ahead, copy the URL and look it up on Steam Trades. You’ll be redirected to this profile with over 200 negatives reviews.

1.2. Known scammers

Here’s a list of most known scammers. I highly recommend blocking them on Steam so they don’t even have the chance to send you a friend request. Taking this small precaution can save you a lot of trouble down the road!

1. 76561197962581702: Steam | Steam Trades
2. 76561197962850197: Steam | Steam Trades
3. 76561197965988764: Steam | Steam Trades
4. 76561198085452591: Steam | Steam Trades
5. 76561198105910105: Steam | Steam Trades
6. 76561198132269088: Steam | Steam Trades
7. 76561198137069787: Steam | Steam Trades
8. 76561198137384826: Steam | Steam Trades
9. 76561198180545835: Steam | Steam Trades
10. 76561198184648225: Steam | Steam Trades
11. 76561198189716811: Steam | Steam Trades
12. 76561198156332886: Steam | Steam Trades
13. 76561198201038666: Steam | Steam Trades
14. 76561198297420786: Steam | Steam Trades
15. 76561198374183642: Steam | Steam Trades
16. 76561199000206809: Steam | Steam Trades
17. 76561199055910549: Steam | Steam Trades
18. 76561199119901950: Steam | Steam Trades
19. 76561198178581711: Steam | Steam Trades
20. 76561199097817308: Steam | Steam Trades
21. 76561198105403471: Steam | Steam Trades
22. 76561198079069842: Steam | Steam Trades
23. 76561198131533745: Steam | Steam Trades
24. 76561198032167963: Steam | Steam Trades
25. 76561198071989184: Steam | Steam Trades
26. 76561199802079698: Steam | Steam Trades
27. 76561199658981619: Steam | Steam Trades
28. 76561199472474324: Steam | Steam Trades
29. 76561199434540457: Steam | Steam Trades
30. 76561198188151087: Steam | Steam Trades
31. 76561198883370865: Steam | Steam Trades
32. 76561198368466532: Steam | Steam Trades
33. 76561198053541588: Steam | Steam Trades
34. 76561198234190872: Steam | Steam Trades
35. 76561198395350427: Steam | Steam Trades
36. 76561199545734065: Steam | Steam Trades
37. 76561198265834653: Steam | Steam Trades
38. 76561198990792533: Steam | Steam Trades
39. 76561199124889211: Steam | Steam Trades
40. 76561198209198687: Steam | Steam Trades
41. 76561199560563848: Steam | Steam Trades
42. 76561198097746065: Steam | Steam Trades
43. 76561199150492060: Steam | Steam Trades
44. 76561199565134518: Steam | Steam Trades
45. 76561199098743124: Steam | Steam Trades
46. 76561199213825430: Steam | Steam Trades
47. 76561198209198687: Steam | Steam Trades
48. 76561198141874578: Steam | Steam Trades
49. 76561198359487417: Steam | Steam Trades
50. 76561198263682163: Steam | Steam Trades
51. 76561198174298990: Steam | Steam Trades
52. 76561198086295734: Steam | Steam Trades
53. 76561198363627662: Steam | Steam Trades
54. 76561198208958097: Steam | Steam Trades

Know a scammer who’s not listed? Let us know!

2. Creating a thread

Creating a thread is a great way to put your offers out there so people can easily find them and also send you offers. It’s pretty straightforward to set up and maintain too—unless you have hundreds of games to list, in which case, yeah, it might take a bit more effort haha. A well-organized thread helps others see what you have and what you’re looking for at a glance, making trading much easier and more efficient for everyone involved.

Once you feel like you’re ready, create a new thread.

See screenshot #1.

See screenshot #2.

These four boxes might seem a bit confusing at first, but don’t worry. I’ll break down what each one is for.

1. Title: This is what draws attention to your thread, and most traders follow a simple format. Use [H] to list the games or items you have and [W] for the games or items you’re looking for. Here’s an example: [H] Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight [W] Wishlisted games, offers.
2. Have: In this section, list everything you currently have available for trade—games, DLC, in-game items, or anything else. Be as specific as possible so people know exactly what you’re offering. Better yet, you can include links to each game’s store page to make it easier for others to check them out. (Head over to the formatting guide to learn how to create hyperlinks.)
3. Want: Use this section to specify what you’re looking for. This could include specific games, general wishlisted titles, items, or even “open to offers” if you’re feeling flexible.
4. Description: This is your space to add any additional details, like your trading rules, links to your wishlist, or any preferences for how you’d like trades to be handled (e.g., game trades only, going first if they’re new, et cetera).

Once you’ve got everything filled out, hit Submit to publish your thread and make it visible to other traders. Keeping it updated is easy as long as you edit it regularly to reflect what’s available and what you’re after.

Note: Having have and want lists is essential because it helps other users find your thread. For instance, if you only list your games in the description section, your thread won’t appear in the results when someone searches for a game you’re offering.

This is a great segue to our next topic—the search tool.

3. Searching offers

This is a fantastic feature that makes finding trade matches so much easier, and more fun! You just type what you have and what you want into the boxes, and it helps narrow down potential trade offers for you. Let’s say you have Persona 5 Strikers and you’re seeking High on Life. If you put Persona 5 Strikers in the “I have” box, it’ll show threads where people are looking for that game. Add High on Life in the “I want” box, and it’ll narrow it even further, showing only threads from people who both want Persona 5 Strikers and have High on Life to offer.

See this screenshot.

That said, the search does depend on correct spelling. So, if someone misspelled a game and you search for the correct title, their thread won’t pop up. To avoid that, make sure your list is as accurate as possible, and it’s also a good idea to include a small “keywords” section at the bottom of your thread. That way, you can cover spelling errors or alternate titles and increase your chances of showing up in searches. Here is how I do it.

4. Bumping threads

Bumping a thread is a great way to keep it visible and get noticed. When you bump your thread, it moves to the top of the listings, making it one of the first posts people see. This increased visibility means more views, better engagement, and a better chance of connecting with other users who might be interested in what you’re offering. It’s a simple way to keep your thread from getting buried in a community as active as Steam Trades.

But how? And how often can you do that? It’s super easy! You can bump your thread every one hour—exactly sixty minutes after the last bump. Go to your thread, click or tap the Open button, and choose Bump.

See this screenshot.

Use the integrated bump feature when you need to bump your trade, and do not post and remove comments in an attempt to increase visibility.

One thing to note is that each comment your thread gets also acts as an automatic bump, but try to avoid bumping your thread by adding comments yourself. (This is actually in the rules.) Keep it clean and simple!

5. Pricing games

When pricing your games for fair trades, using price aggregation tools can help you avoid undervaluing or overvaluing your games. Here’s a quick breakdown, but before we get started, I want to highlight this awesome guide that offers a deeper dive into how value is perceived.

5.1. Use GG.deals

GG.deals—or the less popular Allkeyshop—allows you to easily find game prices across multiple stores. Let’s briefly go over how you can use it.

Go to the website and search for the game you want to value. You’ll see two very distinct price ranges:

• Official stores: Prices from official platforms like Steam, Fanatical, or Green Man Gaming, where keys come straight from the publishers. Sure, the prices might be a bit higher, but it’s the safest route, and you’re also directly supporting the developers.
• Key shops: Prices from gray market resellers like Eneba or G2A. These keys are typically “resold” and usually far cheaper, but not without caveats. There’s no real guarantee that the keys will work. Some could be revoked, region-locked, or already activated. On top of that, buying from key shops means developers don’t get a dime, which can hurt smaller studios, particularly indie devs who rely on direct sales to continue making games. And last but not least, resellers sometimes obtain keys through questionable means, like fraud or exploiting giveaways, which can cause even more headaches.

See this screenshot.

Note: In trading communities, key shop prices are generally used as the baseline. For example, Persona 4 Golden (at the time of writing this guide) sits at around $5.25 in key shops, despite being $11.49 at official stores.

Important: Some traders are all about big profits and will look for deals where they can flip a game at double (or more) its value. This means not every offer will feel fair, and you might get higher-than-expected asks. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether the deal works for you. Don’t be afraid to negotiate or walk away if something doesn’t meet your expectations. Just keep in mind, not every trader is looking for a balanced trade, and it’s totally okay to decline if an offer doesn’t serve your best interests.

5.2. Understand bundles and supply and demand

Fair pricing goes beyond the current lowest price, though. Here are some important factors you need to consider:

• Recent bundles: Games recently included in bundles lose value fast! Websites like Barter and IsThereAnyDeal can help you track when games were last bundled. Humble Choice games, for example, experience a steep price drop the moment they’re revealed (on the first Tuesday of each month). Why? Market saturation. Everyone who gets the bundle floods the market with keys.
• Supply and demand (H:W ratio): Games with high supply (many people have it) and low demand (few want it) trade for less—obviously. By contrast, popular wishlisted games or games that have never been bundled typically retain higher value.
• Average sale price: Tools like SteamDB show average sale prices if you’re unsure about frequent discounts.

5.3. Alternative currencies

While not everyone’s favorite, many traders use alternative currencies to price or trade games. Some of the most common are:

• TF2 keys: A Team Fortress 2 key, officially known as Mann Co. Supply Crate Key, is a vastly popular currency on Steam with a (fluctuating) real-world value of about $2 each. People sometimes offer TF2 keys as a means to purchase games or items. For example, if someone wants a $10 game from you, they may offer five TF2 keys in return.

  • Pro tip: Avoid buying TF2 keys from the Steam Marketplace because
    1. keys cost more (~$2.20 right now); and
    2. items bought in the market (keys included) come with a seven-day trading cooldown, meaning you can’t trade them for a week.
       Instead, you can buy keys from trusted traders using PayPal or cryptocurrency. You’ll often pay around $1.60 per key—cheaper and cooldown-free.

• Gems: Used mostly for buying or selling cheaper games or items.

• TODs: Tour of Duty tickets are probably not as popular as the previous two, but they’re often used in smaller trades. One ticket, typically priced around $1, is widely considered half (0.5) of a TF2 key.
  For example, “2.5 TF2” means 2 TF2 keys + 1 TOD ticket.

Looking to purchase TF2 keys? Check out these vendors.

Last updated April 12, 2025

Disclaimer: The vendors listed are for informational purposes only. I don’t endorse any of these services, as I haven’t used them myself, so please do your own research and due diligence before proceeding.

6. Checking for region locks

Checking for game region locks is fairly easy. Here’s how I do it. The main tool I use is Barter.vg, which is an excellent database for Steam games and their associated bundles. It not only helps with trading and barter (hence the name), but also with checking region locks—in a way. Here’s the process in three simple steps. And don’t worry if this seems a bit unfamiliar or overwhelming at first. That’s totally normal! I’m a visual learner myself, so I’ll walk you through it with step-by-step screenshots to make it easier to understand.

1. Search on Barter: First, go to the website and search for the game in question. Once you’re on the game’s page, look under the bundles section to see all the bundles that game has been included in.
2. Find the correct bundle: Identify which bundle the key came from. You’ll see an icon next to the bundle name. That will take you to the corresponding Steam Gifts thread, where region locks will be listed by the amazing sensualshakti, with help from other users.
3. Confirm region locks: Depending on the country you or someone else received the key, there may be region locks attached. If there are, you will find a sub ID or package for the key, in which any and all restrictions are specified.

A package is a collection of one or more applications and depots that can be sold via Steam or can be granted to users based on the activation of a Steam key. This can be thought of as an SKU or a license.
‎
After a user purchases or activates a package, the contents of that package dictate which applications or depot contents the user has permission to download and launch.

—via SteamDB

Sound complicated? A little, yeah! Let me show you an example. Let’s take a recently bundled game like Little Nightmares, and let’s say our key came from the Dark Pictures and Little Nightmares: A Halloween Horror Collection. What do we do first?

• We go to Barter and search for the game. Well, here it is.
• Then, we navigate to the bundles section, find the bundle, and click or tap the Steam Gifts icon next to it.

See screenshot #1.

That will take us to this thread, where we see the only country Little Nightmares—from that particular bundle—cannot be redeemed in is Venezuela. (But why, though? :D)

See screenshot #2.

Now see that sub ID? This is the exact package everyone who bought the bundle receive a key for.

 https://steamdb.info/sub/87193

Let’s look at another, more complicated example—System Shock, from the Sci-Fi Shooters bundle. This would be the thread. Depending on where you subscribe to Humble Bundle from, you’ll receive a different key. Let’s say you’re from a Latin American country, known on Steam as part of the LATAM region. For this game, from this bundle, you would receive a key that is locked to LATAM only.

See screenshot #3.

All those regions listed, RU/CIS (Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States), LATAM, SEA (Southeast Asia), and CN (China) and those few other countries—what if you’re not from any of them? Well, in that case, you fall under the everyone else category. So if you live in the United States or France, for example, you would receive a key for sub/779253. Check it out.

Now, you can be absolutely sure where a certain key will and will not work. Better yet, you can include a link to that sub ID in your thread to warn people about the restrictions.

6.1. Why this method is accurate

• Both Barter and Steam Gifts are community-driven, meaning users post their own experiences with region locks from specific bundles.
• SteamDB gives you the exact sub ID for a game, showing you the specific countries the key is compatible with.
• This method is more reliable than, say, gift warnings shown by platform like Humble Bundle, as those can sometimes be inaccurate.

To sum up, use Barter to find the bundle your game came from, head to the Steam Gifts thread, and use SteamDB for further confirmation of the regions supported. You’ll know exactly where the key can be activated and thus be able to avoid surprises.

7. Useful links

• Familiarize yourself with the Steam Trades rules and guidelines.
• Learn markdown formatting to make your comments and threads look clean, organized, and easy to read.
• Check out r/SteamGameSwap’s wiki for guides, tips, and best practices.
• Utilize Hjaelp’s list comparison tool to easily compare a list of games against someone else’s Steam library.
• If you’re on Discord, consider joining these communities:
  • Barter

8. Notable contributions

Here are some suggestions and ideas from other people that helped shape this guide. I highly recommend checking out the individual comments for more details on each topic.

1. Dyned and BlackHeretic: the importance of valuing games correctly and fairly
2. Hazel: price differences between Steam keys and other platforms (like GOG); currency variations (e.g., US dollar vs. euro); pricing games in TF2 keys
3. rooh and Hazel: trading etiquette and dos and don’ts
4. TheBalisong: improving your search strategy
5. Faelynaris: using list comparison tools; a template for storing and tracking game keys and trades

Lastly, I’m always happy to help. If you’re new and have any questions or need a hand with something, feel free to add me on Steam. I’m just a message away, so don’t be shy!

P.S. I’ll update this over time. If you have any suggestions, do let me know.

View attached image.