This hybrid method balances power and profit and is especially popular among mid-level traders looking to POE2 Currency scale efficiently.
Risk of Hoarding: When Greed Goes Wrong
Hoarding valuable gear comes with risks. Meta shifts, skill nerfs, or new item discoveries can rapidly devalue what was once a golden item. Many players learned this the hard way during the Slam Chronomancer nerf, which cut the value of +Physical Damage gear by 40% overnight.
Holding onto gear too long out of fear of “missing out” on power often results in missed trading windows. The opportunity cost of not selling while demand is high can be significant—especially in short-cycle leagues.
Savvy players set clear boundaries: if an item hasn’t provided a tangible progression boost within a set timeframe (say, two days), they sell it and reinvest in more flexible upgrades.
The Psychology of Gear Attachment
There’s also a psychological dimension to gear choices. Players grow attached to rare drops, especially if they earned them through a tough boss fight or risky delve. This attachment often clouds trading judgment, leading to missed opportunities.
Understanding this emotional connection—and learning to separate it from economic reasoning—is key to successful trading. The best traders treat items like stock brokers treat shares: assets to be moved when the time is right, not trophies to hoard.
Crafting and Corruption: Turning Trade Gear Into Value
Another way players navigate the trade vs. equip dilemma is through crafting. If a piece of gear is “almost perfect,” many players will take the risk of improving it through bench crafting, essence usage, or Vaal corruption.
While risky, this method can turn a 30 Chaos item into a 300 Chaos masterpiece—or destroy it entirely. The decision to craft, like trading, comes down to cheap POE 2 Exalted Orbs risk tolerance and timing.
