Why are the price of TF2 Keys rising in Refined?

[RicktheSmugLord]

Seriously, the price of keys are constantly rising (And Falling slightly) But than rapidly rise again.
It's too much refined to actually trade with anyone now, you would possibly spend weeks just to get a simple key when doing trading non-stop.
This has made Trading alot more unecesarily time consuming which is a reason I quit trading in the first place, it's just too much to waste.

[Dewa]

more ref = lower the currency value

lower the value of ref = value of keys rise

we can't do anything to stop this, unless ofc, we reduce the amount of ref out there

[SCP-173]

More players joining the game means more weapons drop.

More weapons dropping means more metal.

More metal means more refined, but since the price of keys is the same as ever ($2.49 USD), the price of metal decreases to compensate for the 3-1 ratio of metal.

Thus, that's why keys are always worth the same in Steam money, but increases in refined.

[Pakaku]

Metal has no real purpose, so as more is made, the overall value declines.

[Pootis17]

Originally posted by Pakaku:

Metal has no real purpose, so as more is made, the overall value declines.

Actually Ref has purpose to craft hats for 3 Ref

[Potor10]

Originally posted by Frooby666:

Originally posted by Pakaku:

Metal has no real purpose, so as more is made, the overall value declines.

Actually Ref has purpose to craft hats for 3 Ref

Yes but craft hats are priced by ref, which is falling, and in turn these hats will fall in price as well because they can be used to craft other hats (which are now worth less overall due to the lowered value of ref).
So craft hats are falling as well and they are now 1.22 instead of 1.33.

This is a standard economic trend of inflation, too much ref, too little keys. Supply and demand is severely inbalanced. One of the few things that can fix this is to make a scarcity in ref, but this is impossible because item drops exist. So give up on the prices dropping for now

Edit: Think of the the USD, that is mostly stable and 1$ will almost always be 1$. This is the same for keys as keys cost 2.5$ on the mann co. store. However, ref is always going to be free. So like a government who is nonstop printing cash, the ref will continually devalue. Search up zimbabwe hyper inflation for a better understanding of what will happen in the future.

[Pakaku]

Originally posted by Frooby666:

Originally posted by Pakaku:

Metal has no real purpose, so as more is made, the overall value declines.

Actually Ref has purpose to craft hats for 3 Ref

Why would anyone craft hats when most of them can be traded for 44% of the craft recipe cost? Even if you wanted to craft hats, you would save 0.33 ref by crafting two hats together.

Gambling your metal away isn't a good enough use for it, otherwise ref wouldn't have dropped so hard in value.

[Kimmy]

Ref don't have official price like keys

[RicktheSmugLord]

Originally posted by Koko:

Ref don't have official price like keys

"Rising in Refined"
Aka, The price of a key is rising while using the Metal Currency.

[MarkBV]

I know this is an old post but I just googled why key prices are increasing and found this. My question is, why are they increasing? I still don't understand some parts about it. Yes I understand the whole thing of more metal = less value for keys. But just several months ago, I remember keys costed about 55 ref each. Why the sudden spike? Will it decline? What's going on?

[RicktheSmugLord]

Originally posted by MarkBV:

I know this is an old post but I just googled why key prices are increasing and found this. My question is, why are they increasing? I still don't understand some parts about it. Yes I understand the whole thing of more metal = less value for keys. But just several months ago, I remember keys costed about 55 ref each. Why the sudden spike? Will it decline? What's going on?

Holy moly, such a surprising Necroing of an old post.

Though on the Question, I theorize that it might be people making multiple bot accounts to idle farm for items, then turn those into refind and auto-buying keys in the process. And since people can setup dozens if not hundreds of bot accounts to farm for Not just items and scrap it, but Profitable Trading bots and Card Farmers, Trading has become trivial and bare. Let's not forget the additional REGION JUMPING to Argentine, buying games for cheap and farming cards at an easy profit.

I'm not advocating these things, I'm just providing insight and theories btw. Though these have become more surface level nowadays.

[Scover]

tf2 inflation be like:

[Hamburg]

Originally posted by Scover:

tf2 inflation be like:

lol but the price of pyro cosmetics are rising heavily
google tf2 pyro inflation and see for yourself

[Rando the Crit Clown]

Originally posted by MarkBV:

I know this is an old post but I just googled why key prices are increasing and found this. My question is, why are they increasing? I still don't understand some parts about it. Yes I understand the whole thing of more metal = less value for keys. But just several months ago, I remember keys costed about 55 ref each. Why the sudden spike? Will it decline? What's going on?

Make your own thread instead of bumping super old threads if you want people to answer your question.

[RicktheSmugLord]

Originally posted by Rando the Crit Clown:

Originally posted by MarkBV:

I know this is an old post but I just googled why key prices are increasing and found this. My question is, why are they increasing? I still don't understand some parts about it. Yes I understand the whole thing of more metal = less value for keys. But just several months ago, I remember keys costed about 55 ref each. Why the sudden spike? Will it decline? What's going on?

Make your own thread instead of bumping super old threads if you want people to answer your question.

Hey hey, there's no harm in it. It's a surprising nostalgia thing to see something of mine from way back then. Doesn't hurt to continue something long forgotten.

[I_am_steve]

Originally posted by Dewa | PTFO:

more ref = lower the currency value

lower the value of ref = value of keys rise

we can't do anything to stop this, unless ofc, we reduce the amount of ref out there

Everyone delete your ref