What the heck is up with trading?

[XxFlamepoolxX]

This is just a ramble to get my thoughts out and not in any way about anyone specific.

So I have been around since 2012 and took a break in 2014. Came back in 2018 on a new account and a lot has changed.

Trades, for example, have become very difficult. Nobody seems to want to communicate. Nobody wants to edit trades. So many people cancel trades with me even though I specifically asked them to add onto it if they weren’t satisfied. They either do that, or just let the trade rot and keep me waiting which is so rude. Why is it more appealing to cancel a trade without a message or ignore the other person instead of working something out so you both get something you want?
Rarity doesn’t even seem to matter because you can have two pets of the same year and rarity, and demand makes one of them worth quadruple that. Don’t get me wrong, we had demand then too, but I don’t remember it being this out of hand.

Maybe I’m wearing nostalgia glasses, but I don’t remember CS trading being so cutthroat like it is today.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with my view, or do you think something else? Feel free to have a discussion in the comments

[Flox]

I certainly have found it difficult to trade with people. I've never really been particularly active until the last year or so though. I mostly just adopted pets whenever i remembered so i am not sure about past trading culture but from what I have experienced I can say it is extremely frustrating.

I also would prefer to have an editable trade to work out a satisfactory trade to both parties but so many people absolutely refuse to do them and I personally dont understand why. I've also had cases where i've tried to do a litter swap and people will reject it because they are not missing anything from that litter but i dont get why they are against helping someone else who is missing something get that missing pet. You're still gaining a pet of equal value from the same litter, what is the hold up exactly? I dont get it.

[Freckle]

same, especially after the retirement of the list, I dont really know what my pets are actually worth anymore

[Love.]

I am sad with trading with other users, i am on this game since 2009. But for the past 3 years, i can t get older pets, or the popular ones, unless I overtrade, like A LOT, just an example, offering an older rare, for a monthly uncommon, just because its hard to trade.
I am an older user, and i miss the list a lot! It was easier to trade with the list. Now, with the new sistem, one pet worths 1 non, 2 and a half Non, 5 Nons. like: what sistem is this? An advent list worthing i don t know how many Nons. Totally disagree its so incovenient. I already try to quit this game for so many times, it become very boring, i just play and expect for december 18, because if you try to get older pets or the new Urs, its better wait for december or overpay for it!
For example i try to get an CEG and hollyfox dog for like, 4,5 years LOL.
NOW I am trying to get a simple 2009 very rare dog (the strawberry one) and its like IMPOSSIBLE. I already send more then 10 trades, overpaying for it just to get canceled.

[angst]

I find this to be super true with rarer pets, I'm glad we're talking about it! R/VR/OMGSR and ex-list trades have felt extremely difficult for me, with everything required overpay; I constantly feel as if people are just trying to climb the latter by subtly scamming others for pets of more worth. Obviously not everyone is like this! But it's felt very, very hard. Ironically, it sometimes feels hardest with the players who have the MOST.

THEN, however, I updated my trade thread to "Simple WL for WL?" and have gotten some amazing, easy trades. I've loved trading this way - usually it's all pretty fair, and I am more than happy to trade pets I'm not interested in even for other pets I'm not that interested in if it helps someone else reach their goals! I think that's the fun of it! I've been doing a ton of great C, UC and below trading that I've really appreciated.

I also will say that users have and always will be so, so generous on this site with regards to gifting. I cannot believe the kindness I've been shown and gifts I've received for no other reason than... existing?

It's hard, this site is built to mimic a lot of offline struggles with a market economy that is becoming ever-transactional and lifeless, but I love the hope and gratitude I feel towards many users of this site.

[caster.]

I know I personally cancel trades instead of editing and for *me* personally it's an anxiety thing. I'm bad with rarities and don't quite know how to make things fair for both parties so I just don't lolol 😅

[ButterflyChaser]

I second the gifting being common. I am very thankful for the pets I get.
I find that if I put a lot of uncommon to common pets in my wishlist, people are willing to give those away more.

As far as editing trades, I don't really know the worth, so I kind of hold off unless it is a pet I really want. Group trades are always harder for me to accept than one to one pet trades because I have to check every single one of the pets desired to make sure I am not trading away the only pet I have. Sometimes I do bother and check every one, and sometimes I wait until I either forget the trade or do have the time and motivation to look through every pet.

In general though I value true date over rereleases, but there are a few rare times I may swap to help another player. I generally trade store pets for other store pets, again unless it is a pet I really want.

Pretty much always the case I desire pets I don't have over pets I already have. Some exceptions may be litter swaps where the values are the same.

[Herald of the Arcane]

Talking about demand... I can understand that for older pets. But lions demand is wild. Don't know what to offer anymore for the 2021 ones, no one is seemingly willing to accept pets of the same year or even of the year prior and equal rarity for them.

[Raven13Skye]

I started in 2011 and feel the exact same way. I rarely send out trades anymore unless it's 1 on 1 swaps because I have no clue what I'm doing lol. Demand changes so fast too so even if you try to keep up with it it could be different when you finally send a trade.

[Serial designation N]

I feel like suggestion trades are kinda ruined for newer accounts. I joined in 2021,but I’m still getting “ninja trade” suggestions where someone waits for me to edit hoping that it’s super unfair to me. It kinda makes any vague suggestion look like a scam attempt and it can be quite a pain to try to edit something and have it cancelled because it wasn’t unfair to your side. Any time I receive a “what for this” it’s always for something valuable and I instantly assume it’s a ninja attempt. I probably shouldn’t ,but when you get so many trading partners who only send a trade because of someone having a newer join date, it can put a damper on any blank suggestions. The amount of these trades during Dec 18 can be unbearable,but these kinds of suggestions never really stop coming for newer accounts. I feel like that’s a big reason many suggestions aren’t being edited(mostly if they are blank).

Can’t think of a reason why fleshed out/clear suggestions don’t get edited unless it’s a lack of interest in the offer being presented.