General Forum

It's tough and certainly frustrating. 

I'm going through a mental strength training program right now and the main component they teach our brains is to "Expect the Expected". I'm going to try to use this approach next year when I resume trading, because my approach was wrong. I was approaching every trade expecting it to go well. I verified that they were active, made sure the trade was fair, etc, but then things go wrong...

• The person never responds
• They respond weeks later with a decline and no message
• They respond with a message but it's passive-aggressive or combative
• They counter asking for a wildly out of balance trade

Knowing that this can happen when interacting with any human being on the face of the earth, I'm going to try to slowly teach my brain to expect that trade offers may go this way, that difficulties will arise, and to embrace that my brain will find that frustrating when it happens. If I can separate from that, it will allow me to enjoy even further all the other wonderful trades and interactions I have with the rest of the awesome folks on this platform (many of whom are in this thread!).

Here's to trying to get better!

While I completely agree, it is frustrating to have your trade declined, without explanation, that's not my #1 trading complaint.  Mine is offering a trade and never having the person even respond.  
I completely understand this is a hobby and everyone has, or should have, a life besides pieces of cardboard.  My frustration is offering (in my opinion) a reasonable trade and never getting a response even when you see they log into the site regularly.  A parallel issue is sending a message asking a person if they're interested in trading because, while they still have trading turned on, they haven't made any trades in a few months and again hearing crickets.  
As others have mentioned, this is a great site with a lot of wonderful people. If you doubt that I'd encourage you to review the PIF thread.  
Finally, I'm sorry but there are a couple of members here that, if they proposed a trade to me I might decline and respond with "you suck".

I quit trading for all the reasons others have listed in this thread; plus a few that I will keep to myself.

When I did return it was with the attitude you outlined below. I try to walk that line...but dang, other people make it tough.

DyeHardFan....are you a military veteran by any chance?

I'm not, just an IT guy!

Just wondering cause similar training is offered for some to some veterans.

I suppose IT guys get their share of stressors thrown at them too.

I probably shouldn't do this and I'm sure I'll catch flak because of it but:  my #1 pet peeve about this site, or more accurately about some of the members is declining a trade proposal with no counter, no comment, no message, no reason given for declining. It has happened to me now several times over the past couple months. And I'm not talking about people who just don't trade...if I see they don't trade, I don't make a proposal to them...no problem, I understand what they are here for. These proposals are to people who have traded, have logged on within the past few days, and are fairly active in trading. C'mon guys, we're all friends on here with a definite common purpose...card collecting. If you decline, tell me why. If you're in a hurry, it doesn't take that much longer to type in your reason. I can take it if you just don't like me, just say "you suck", ok, no problem. "I don't think that's a fair trade", "I decided I don't want to trade away those cards anymore or I don't want those cards anymore" "I've got a lot going on right now, I'm declining all trades for a while" whatever. If I decline an offer (very rare) I explain why to the other member. It just seems like common courtesy to me.

OK, sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

I have seen the frusration coming through in a lot of posts this last couple of months, from both newbies and guys who been here a long time.   Do not know if it is the COVID, the shutdowns or just plain burn out.

IMO    everything we are complaiining about has happen before and will happen again.  It feels good just to get it out some times.  Maybe I will blow off some steam later but as now I'm feel no need to do that.