Whenever I get a trade offer that most would consider very low value, I always wonder what that person may have been trying to accomplish. That has led me to consider my next tip to be the golden rule of trading. Follow this, and most of the time you will not have any problem getting people to accept your offers.

“If someone offered this trade to me, would I accept it?”

Basically, if you wouldnt accept your own offer if you had that card, its probably not going to be something the other person will accept either. Its something to consider next time you are considering an offer on that brand new insert that was just released.

That doesnt mean it will be 100% fool proof, because circumstances will always change based on the owner. Here are some other things to consider before offering:

• Favorite player
• Favorite team
• Composition of their main collection
• Gamer or collector

Its going to be close to impossible to get me to trade away my Joe Mauer cards unless you absolutely blow me away. That’s part of the game’s allure. Same thing with me trading away cards that facilitate a higher points total – even if I have multiples.

Trading is an art form, and it is possible to be very good at it or very bad at it. I dont consider myself a Jedi Master by any means, and sometimes I break my own rules. However, I also know that its incredibly fun to interact with the community, and its very easy to damage your reputation if you consistently break the unwritten rules.