Hello!

I am sure that you, as traders, are disgusted by the high price of keys. The price is especially alarming as keys are used a unit of currency. The value of higher-tier items should not depend on the price of keys. They should, instead, be determined in a fixed currency so as that the "floor" is not pulled out from under the feet of traders. I have no issue with the price of keys, as long as they aren't a primary currency. Refined metal is nice and stable as it is always worth 3 reclaimed metal, 9 scrap metal, or 18 weapons. Keys can go up and down, so items priced in keys don't always have the same value. An example of this are Earbuds. Earbuds used to be almost 28 keys in late 2012. Now, as of April 2013, Earbuds are about 23 keys. That's to show how and why we need higher tier metal that has an unchanging value rather than keys. People only use keys for the convience of transferring larger sums of metal more easily, but is it worth it with today's prices? Also, if higher tier metal existed, think of how much easier it would be to have large sums of metal without taking up a ton of backpack space and trade window space. It isn't worth trading high amounts of keys at today's prices. We don't think so, and I hope you don't either.

The solution:

Higher tier metal! Imagine the day where you could craft 3 ref into some sort of next level metal! That would be wonderful, as this new higher value metal would have a static value, and would be as convient to store as keys. You wouldn't have to worry about its value changing, and they would be quick to offer in trade windows. My proposed system is below:

Tier 4:
Bronze metal: 3 Refined Metal. About a key. Used for trading higher-level stranges, nice hats, and low-tier unusuals.

Tier 5:
Silver metal: 3 Bronze metal, or 9 refined metal. About 3 keys. Used for low-tier unusuals.

Tier 6:
Gold metal: 3 Silver metal, or 27 refined metal. About 9 keys, or about a Bill's. Used for low-mid tier unusual trades.

Tier 7:
Platinum metal: 3 gold metal, or 81 refined metal. About 27 keys, similar to a pair of Earbuds. Used all mid-high tier trading.

You might say that metal is too easy to get and that is the flaw in this plan. We know, but it still doesn't mean we can't have higher metal. If higher metal came out, suddenly a lot of people would want metal and key prices would lower for just long enough to make the price go back to what it was over a year ago.

What you can do to help:
If you are selling something:
Price it in metal instead of keys

If you are buying something:
Offer in metal, no matter how much it may be

In general:
Invite others to this group
Refuse to buy keys for any reason other than unboxing
Petition Valve to add higher tier metal