General Forum

I'm curious how some of you go about selecting trades and prioritizing which doubles you list (assuming there are those out there like me with far too many doubles to keep ordered in a way that would function for trading if I listed them all)?

I've flipped between trying to find people with cards from specific sets, to just people with a bunch of matches, to people who want the most cards I have tons of doubles of (and then listing the cards they need so I can turn them over quickly).  Looking to get some new ideas here from others how they do it.

I personally like the larger trades as in the long run it saves money or shipping so that's what I look for first, but really if it's something I need or want I would be happy to make the trade as long as it's worth it on shipping.

 As far as what I list in my FST area and keeping them in order, if it's not needed for a set then it gets listed in the FST area with the exception of cards that I feel might do well as trade bait as local card shows.  As far as keeping them organized, I use four row boxes and then label the outside of each box by brand / likeness, etc.  For example, I have one four row box that is nothing but A&G, GQ and T206, minis and I believe I have Archives in there too.  I fill in the rest of it with Goudy and such.  Each set and brand are blocked together, and each year is set with the oldest year first to current year and all cards go in number order.  I also have two other four row boxes with Topps Flagship and separate those by years...each is labeled accordingly.  Then there are three two row boxes, one of them is "Misc" and that's all the subset cards and odd balls that don't go well with the four row items.  Then the other two are made up of Topps Chrome and the last is Football, basketball, hockey and some junk era items that I don't really trade all that often. It works for me but might not work for everyone. Hope that helps. 

First of all, I have listed every individual card I have for trade but only one whether I have 1 or 100 of the same card. This is for baseball only; the other sports and non-sports, I have multiples listed if I so have them. When I pull a card for trade, if I have another of the same card, I add it for trade at the time I pull the first card.

For the most part, I let the trades come to me but when I am looking to propose a trade, I look for someone who has cards from sets that are close or near completion. If I only need the one card to complete a set, I go through all the members who have one to trade and see if I can build a PWE trade with them. For sets that I need a few cards, I try to find a member who has all the cards I need for trade. The most recent one is the 1996 Donruss set where I need 4 cards. Hopefully the member locates the 4th card as he initially has not found it. I am patient.

This has worked for me fairly well in targeting certain sets. Other times, if there are a lot of matches on both sides, I will ask if the other member is interested in a large trade and if so, to go ahead an propose something. Costs of postage is curbing this method somewhat.

For the most part if I have a card I don't want then it's on my FST list. I keep everything in 4 row boxes which are chronological and then number ordered by set although sometimes i get something new and it sits in a second box to be sorted until I can add it to the FST boxes. The boxes are also separated by sport. I usually look at recent matches and look at people that list stuff I want and try to make trades from there. Every now and again I hit up the trade match thing and see if anyone has a bunch of stuff I need. I find that I instigate probably 90-95% of the trades I do. Sometimes I'm bored and just sit down and sent a bunch out.

I have as much as I can listed on my trade listing as possible.  I didn't want to worry about remembering to re-add something if I had multiple copies.  I also use the duplicate information to decide if I want to try to include or trade those cards more than other cards.

As far as who to pick to trade, I don't get offers all that often.  It is probably because I don't have that robust of a want listing.  So I usually have to pitch an offer if I want to do trading.  For me, I look to find those that are completing trades.  There is a link on the bottom for Completed Transactions.  I usually can find a decent amount of trades with those members as they are the most recent in being active.  

Another one that I really like doing is the One and Done thread.  I subscribe to that forum thread so as a new entry is added, I get a notification.  This way, I hopefully can be first to help those individuals.  Usually, I can add more to these members and possibly deals can be accomplished for larger needs.

The next place that I look to is the Pay it Forward thread.  Again, I subscribe to it to get the notifications.  Usually those members posting there are active traders. 

Not every place works, it does take a little bit of time and effort, but I have found these couple places to yield many great trades with many great members.  

I hope this helps!! 
Brian

I have all my trade cards in binders it goes like this

book 1. 1980- 1989

book 2 1990-1999

book 3 2000-2004

book 4. 2005

book 5 2006 

and so on. Even within that i have them listed in alphabetical order by card brands. For example bowman would be up first then bowman chrome then bowman draft and draft chrome   Now if i have 7 pages or more of the set i also list them by alphabetical order by last name

helps me locate the cards much easier

when adding up to 10 cards i just go to that 1 card and mark 10 copies for trade.  I think I somewhere around 20-30 1987 topps Jose Canseco cards and that is howci listed all of them at 1 time if it is just 2 or 3. I just add to trade list 2 or 3 times

I will jump on any matches I see with a message thanks to recent matches report.  Almost always message the other member vs a trade offer.  Normally they have only one or two cards for me, and I have a lot for them.  They get to pick. At this time only getting back 10% replies.  I did a posting on how I look at cards when i'm buying them on other sites.

I'm in a little different setting then most here.  Why? the old my wants vs what is out there.

1.  I have over 22,000 cards on my want list.   All my wants I add and try to keep them updated.

2.  Under 200 cards of the 22,000 are listed here FS/FT.   

3.   Only 30 cards with active member with a two-way trade.   

4.   Only 20 cards if you remove members that are only selling (fair price but more then I want to give) and other with the cards listed wrong. 

5.  The last count around 30 cards that I have no matches for them.    Again just a few replies and they only will trade for stuff on their list which I understand as that is the way with me.

As far as what I put up FS/FT.    I started with:

1.  The better cards:    Auto, Mem, SNed, inserts, odd ball.

2.  The better players:   HOFers, what some members were looking for that had cards for me.

3.  When someone asked about a player/set.  Easier to add all the cards and let the system match them up plus I should have them all in one area.

4.  Cards that were number differently.   Traded, updated

5.   Stuff I thought was nice looking as I 'm not into other sports.

6.  No real need to add a lot of commons when there are very few cards for me.  

My FS/FT cards are not sorted the best as I have a little of this and that.     More than once I have found a card that should not have been in that spot.  But I try!!!

Pretty much any card I don’t want, or from a set I’m not building goes in my FT/S list.  Finding matches is a different story.  1st choice is running the trade match report weekly, next is trolling the forums and looking up a bunch of members to see if we might match, last resort is posting what I’m currently hyper focused on and see what comes my way.  I really enjoy trading and rarely if ever straight out decline a proposal.  I try to work some iteration of the proposed trade that will work for both of us.  
Aaron

I am still trying to sort all my cards, as well as the bulk sets I have acquired. I make sure all of my cards on my sale/trade list are in the same place and separate from the cards I have not gone through. I have some boxes for the sets and binders of the inserts.

When I am looking to make trades, I will choose one of my primary wants (either 1961 Topps or Ozzie Smith cards) and do searches for them.

Occasionally if I come across a high-dollar card that I want to trade, I will concentrate specifically on the people that have that card on their want list and see if we can work something out.

Letting trades come to you takes a bit a patience, but it can be very fun!

Just my two-cents!

Stan

I have most of my doubles listed as FS/FT, there are some stragglers I haven’t gotten around to yet. If I have one I would rather someone else be able to enjoy the cards as much as myself.

When looking for trades I like to switch it up from sets I am trying to complete and players I collect. To me it keeps it interesting and not as frustrating not being able to find that one card.

I also might be willing to trade certain cards from my PC if I can get cards I really want or need.