While we don't focus on unusuals here at TF2S since their values are all over the map, we do appreciate their glory and splendor. Here is a site that allows you to search individually for different effects and shows you who has them. Also searchable are crafted # hats. Who has Team Captain #1? Just look it up! Another cool feature is that they have a hat rating system, that many TF2ers have voted for their favorites. Think the Madame Dixie is the best hat ever? See if your fellow players agree with you.
Link here. You will have to login through Steam to search the database, but don't worry its safe.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Trading with Steam: the birth of a movement?
As many of you are aware, the new Steam trading feature is out of beta and now officially live. It allows you to trade TF2 items with other Steam games or other items within Steam games (for now Portal 2 and Spiral Knights). Valve plans to add more games and inventories to this list and make this an ongoing feature for new games. Steam trading FAQ here.
Seeing the success of TF2 customization and item trading, this is one of those moments where everything is new and the possibilities are limitless. It could end with a fizzle as many seemingly great ideas do. Or it could be one of those must-have pieces that developers incorporate into their upcoming games. Some games will allow themselves to item trading such as role-playing games, while others like sports games may spawn their own new content as their trading currency. Perhaps an NFL game will have throwback jerseys, or a Premier League (that's soccer to all you scratching your heads) team will have fan chants...the possibilities are limitless.
Seeing the success of TF2 customization and item trading, this is one of those moments where everything is new and the possibilities are limitless. It could end with a fizzle as many seemingly great ideas do. Or it could be one of those must-have pieces that developers incorporate into their upcoming games. Some games will allow themselves to item trading such as role-playing games, while others like sports games may spawn their own new content as their trading currency. Perhaps an NFL game will have throwback jerseys, or a Premier League (that's soccer to all you scratching your heads) team will have fan chants...the possibilities are limitless.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Steam Gameplay Statistics
In follow-up to the Steam Hardware and Software survey, this is a page we like to look at that shows gameplay and player statistics for Steam games (link here). There are currently around 66,000 players in-game playing Team Fortress 2 right now. Pretty remarkable for a "vintage" game like TF2. It speaks to the game's longevity and Valve's continuous-improvement ideals. You rock TF2.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Key pricing stabilizing
Over the past month to two months the price of keys has been moving towards equilibrium. There are a few reasons but perhaps the best answer as to why is the underground resale price being around $2 per key. If you can buy a key legitimately and risk-free for $2.49 and use it right away (although trading requires the 2 day waiting period) then buying one on the black market (more risk) should cost less, just as it does.
Although that does not explain the seemingly "settled" price of around $2 per key. Our best estimate is that keys are tied to refined metal in a 2:1 ratio in people's heads now (as are buds/bills). The price has to be near the official price but why not $2.25 or closer? The market has decided that for now the risk of buying a black market key is about $0.50 per key, that's it. If there was no waiting period, the value of an illicit key would be less as it was when there was no waiting period (remember those $1.65 key days on source op?).
More recently, the variance in the refined:key ratio has been getting narrower as well. The buy for 2 refined or sale for 2.33 refined are not unheard of but most often keys trade for 2.11 or 2.22 refined now. That is an efficient market and the sign the influx of the F2P players have made their mark. Some people complained about the new players, I say bring them on. They have reinvigorated the TF2 item market. With so many buyers and sellers keys trade at a more pinpointed price.
Additional thoughts welcome.
Although that does not explain the seemingly "settled" price of around $2 per key. Our best estimate is that keys are tied to refined metal in a 2:1 ratio in people's heads now (as are buds/bills). The price has to be near the official price but why not $2.25 or closer? The market has decided that for now the risk of buying a black market key is about $0.50 per key, that's it. If there was no waiting period, the value of an illicit key would be less as it was when there was no waiting period (remember those $1.65 key days on source op?).
More recently, the variance in the refined:key ratio has been getting narrower as well. The buy for 2 refined or sale for 2.33 refined are not unheard of but most often keys trade for 2.11 or 2.22 refined now. That is an efficient market and the sign the influx of the F2P players have made their mark. Some people complained about the new players, I say bring them on. They have reinvigorated the TF2 item market. With so many buyers and sellers keys trade at a more pinpointed price.
Additional thoughts welcome.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Bills and Buds are keys to the game...
Here at TF2S we listen to the people. Trading a bills or buds for refined is possible and does happen, but by far the transaction that most often occurs is for keys. The people want keys. We give them keys.
There are 41 of you snarky people out there who want them listed as weapons too! Unbelievable!
Votes so far: 824
Poll closed
There are 41 of you snarky people out there who want them listed as weapons too! Unbelievable!
Yes, that's how they trade anyways. | 393 (47%) |
No, keep it in refined. | 288 (34%) |
Change it to # of weapons instead. | 41 (4%) |
I really don't care. | 102 (12%) |
Votes so far: 824
Poll closed
Monday, August 29, 2011
New poll
Speaks for itself. We all hate converting Bill/Buds to refined and noone trades them that way anyways (even though they can trade more than 8 items rather easily with the new Steam trading beta). And since we started putting Max/HOUWAR/Medals in terms of buds why not switch to keys? Your opinion counts. Let us know. Be well.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Our methodology.
On occasion there are inquiries about who the heck makes this little spreadsheet full of pretty colors. To satisfy curiosity without giving up too much about us we created this post. We are a handful of experienced TF2 players and traders. We have many thousands of hours of in-game play as well as trading (if we could only get that time back and use it to save the world, alas). We also rely on you to tell us if we err.
Our actual methodology is using as many different, credible sources of information that are available. With the changes in trade chats recently our job is even harder so we try to check, and re-check prices on as close to a daily basis as is possible. What is credible? Actual trades we do, actual agreements on prices we witness, specific offers on items, specific asking prices for items. These all give us a range of buying/selling and we try to reflect that market in the spreadsheet.
How do users know that we aren't manipulating prices? We take the integrity of the spreadsheet and our reputation seriously. We have many players who rely that we are giving them accurate pricing. The best way to answer is that if you are concerned then check a price out yourself. If you think we're off, tell us. We have no pride on the line. Sometimes the market changes and a price changes before we witness it.
Our actual methodology is using as many different, credible sources of information that are available. With the changes in trade chats recently our job is even harder so we try to check, and re-check prices on as close to a daily basis as is possible. What is credible? Actual trades we do, actual agreements on prices we witness, specific offers on items, specific asking prices for items. These all give us a range of buying/selling and we try to reflect that market in the spreadsheet.
How do users know that we aren't manipulating prices? We take the integrity of the spreadsheet and our reputation seriously. We have many players who rely that we are giving them accurate pricing. The best way to answer is that if you are concerned then check a price out yourself. If you think we're off, tell us. We have no pride on the line. Sometimes the market changes and a price changes before we witness it.
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