Trading Is One of the Best Ways to Gear Up – Here Is How It Works

With gear drops feeling rare in Dawn of the Hunt, here is how to buy and sell items through the official trade system.

Neviriah

Updated: Apr 17, 2025, 09:30 AMPosted: Apr 17, 2025, 09:30 AM

If you just hit endgame in Path of Exile 2 and are wondering how in the world you are supposed to get better gear, you are not alone. A lot of players are hitting a wall because they are unsure how trading works, or that it even exists. And with loot drops feeling rare in Dawn of the Hunt, trading has become more important than ever.

Are you trying to buy upgrades or just trying to sell your own loot? Here is a quick and simple breakdown of how to trade gear in PoE2.

How to Buy Items

Go to the official Path of Exile 2 Trade Site.
Make sure you select the current league (or Standard if you do not play league).
Filter for the gear you want (weapon type, stats, resistances, etc).
Make sure you are logged into the game.
Click the “Direct Whisper” button to send a message.
This will directly send a message, automatically, via your character in-game.

Make sure you are in a town or hideout when you message, and be ready to join their hideout for the trade!

How to Sell Items

You will need a Premium Stash Tab to sell (available from the shop).
Set the tab to Public, then price your items.
Anything you list will show up on the trade site for other players to find.

If you do not want to spend money, you can still trade manually by using trade chat, but it is much slower and less reliable.

What Currencies Are Used?

Path of Exile uses a barter-style currency system, not gold.

Divine Orbs, Exalted Orbs, and Greater Runes are commonly used for high-end trades.
You will usually trade gear for other crafting items, not a single universal currency.

Exalted Orb - Path of Exile 2 - Trading Currency

Some Quick Tips for Better Trading:

Compare prices across listings so you do not overpay.
Stick to upgrades that help your damage first, because clear speed matters.

Trading can feel overwhelming at first, but once you know where to look and how to whisper sellers, it becomes a huge part of gearing up (unless you play SSF, of course). And yes, most players get their best items through trading, not drops!