Posted by Xavier

I hope you are using a system similar to Valve's, since their method is incredibly successful.



As I play Team Fortress 2, the epitome of trading-virtual-hats-games, I can say Eurocenter would have no problem at all with needing to convince people to buy packs for trading.

Background information about Team Fortress 2 hat trading system:

Hats are made via crafting 3 "refined metal" together. Most hats are only worth about 1.66-2.55 "refined metal", as that is all the community is willing to pay for. Supply and Demand. A key is worth about 3.66 "refined metal" (again, this price shifts due to supply and demand amongst the community).

When people wish to get hats in Team Fortress 2, the easiest way is to buy virtual currency from Steam. This currency is a key, which costs $2.49. With this currency they then find a player who will trade a hat for the keys.

Players in this game rarely do 1 on 1 hat trading. Usually, the player trades their hats for a certain amount of currency (keys, bought in the Steam Store for $2.49), then use the currency to buy whichever hat they wish.

This is why Eurocenter would not need to charge fees for trading: They make money because players buy currency to buy hats from other players.

tl;dr People don't want to trade a hat for another hat. They want to trade their hat for currency, then trade the currency for the hat they want.