A History of the TF2 Economy, From First Hats to War Paints
How Team Fortress 2 grew from a shooter with unlockable weapons into a full item economy: drops, crafting, trading, keys, the Steam Market and war paints.
Team Fortress 2 guides and market analysis
Explainers, pricing guides and trading advice for Team Fortress 2, with live data from TF2Skins.gg.
Australium Weapons Explained: Sources, Variants and Prices
Where TF2 Australium weapons come from, why they're always Strange, how killstreaks and Festivizers change prices, and what they cost on October 14, 2026.
Avoiding Scams in TF2 Trading: A Practical Checklist
The scams TF2 traders actually run into, from fake bots and API key hijacks to renamed hats and fake spells, and the habits that stop each one cold.
Collector's, Genuine and Vintage: TF2's Rarer Item Qualities
Where TF2's Collector's, Genuine and Vintage items came from, why none can be made in quantity today, and how to read their thin, often misleading prices.
Comparing TF2 Marketplaces: Steam, backpack.tf and More
Steam, backpack.tf, Marketplace.tf and the rest compared on fees, payouts and real prices, with key and item quotes from October 14, 2026 to show the gaps.
Craftable vs Non-Craftable TF2 Items: Why the Tag Moves Price
What 'Not Usable in Crafting' means on a TF2 item, where non-craftable copies come from, and why the same hat can trade at very different prices.
Festive vs Festivized Weapons: Telling TF2's Lights Apart
Festive and Festivized TF2 weapons both wear Christmas lights, but one is a rare crate original and the other is a cheap tool away. How to tell them apart.
Mann Co. Supply Crate Keys: How TF2's Real Currency Works
Why the Mann Co. Supply Crate Key became TF2's unit of account, how the $2.49 store price caps it, and what a key costs across markets on October 14, 2026.
Refined, Reclaimed and Scrap: The Basics of the TF2 Economy
How TF2's metal currency works: smelting ratios, why prices read 1.33 or 2.66 ref, where keys take over, and the trading habits built on scrap and refined.
Strange Items and Strange Parts: What TF2's Counters Are Worth
How TF2's Strange quality tracks kills and ranks, which Strange Parts traders pay for, and where Strangifiers and filters fit, with October 2026 prices.
TF2 Crates and Cases in 2026: What Is Still Worth Opening
The real cost of a TF2 unbox, community-tested case odds, which retired cases are worth more sealed, and an honest look at opening for value in 2026.
TF2 Killstreak Kits: Basic, Specialized and Professional
What each TF2 killstreak tier adds, how Fabricators turn robot parts into kits, and why a Professional kit can cost more than the finished weapon.
TF2 Paints and Cosmetic Customization: Costs and Resale Value
A practical guide to TF2 paint cans, team colors, name and description tags and Halloween spells: what each costs, what it adds, and what it doesn't.
TF2 Unusual Hats: How Effects and Tiers Set the Price
How TF2 Unusual effects are grouped into series and tiers, why Steam's price for an Unusual hat often misleads, and how to check one before you buy.
TF2 War Paints and Decorated Weapons: Grades, Wear and Value
How TF2 War Paints and Decorated weapons work, from grades and wear to Strange stat clocks and trade-ups, with real price ladders from October 14, 2026.