please do something to improve gift and trade

Yes, I 100% agree with the idea of being able to hover over a deco item and see it's worth

 

One thing I have found with G&T is that on the rare occasion I actually make a trade, it isn't always direct. Say there is a trade listing where I can receive X in exchange for sending Y. But I don't have Y. There is, however, a listing where I receive Y in exchange for sending Z. So I make the trade where I deliver my Z and receive Y, and then use this Y to trade for X.

The trouble is, in order for this to happen, I need to follow these steps:
1. Find and open listing A offering X for Y (on, say, page 30)
2. Close listing A and scroll through pages 1-60 (for example) looking for listing B in which I can receive Y in exchange for an item I already have.
3. Perform the exchange stipulated in listing B.
4. Scroll back to listing A on page 30.

This all assumes that there are just two trades involved. But I may need to perform another trade - trading item A to get item Z, which I can then use to get item Y, which I can then use to get item X.

If, on the other hand, we could save listings, this would avoid having to do all the scrolling. Say I saw listing A and felt I had a chance at pulling some strings to get the required items, I could simply "star" listing A and add it to a shortlist. Then, when I find the item I need, I can go into my shortlist and be taken straight to listing A, without having to find it again.

Edit: Interesting. I didn't post this suggestion here. Apparently a mod has moved it. I find that strange because it is a completely different, unrelated suggestion to the original one in this post. I kept it separate for a reason. Hopefully it isn't subsequently ignored.

 

Like elimeno, I gift my neighbors all sorts of things, all the time...and I am especially generous with lower level neighbors. So with regards to G&T, I browse the offers, and I sometimes make offers that seem lopsided. I do this on purpose. I doubt I am being taken advantage of because the offers are for things that older, experienced farmers don't want, won't use, etc. This most recently ended G&T I made trades of red and pink chicken egg coops. I have egg trees. I'll NEVER EVER use them. But, to a new farmer, they can be a real boon. I didn't trade for apple trees, but I did trade for things that they might have won on the party wheel and not have a need for, but I could use (or donate to San Gigantica Express - something I would be loathe to do with a red or pink workshop upgrade).

Also, nowadays, during G&T I find myself making multiple trades to actually get the item I want/need. Just as squigglegiggle has mentioned above me. I don't necessarily have a problem with this...but it can be hard to find and figure out. Not exactly sure that BP can do anything about that, though.

Since I do still have the one baby farm that I'm playing daily, I can tell you that G&T is still a valuable event for the beginning player. That said, the things that beginning/newer players need and cannot get through G&T are the givers for cloud rows - the flower collection, birdhouse collection, mythic collection. They aren't giftable or tradeable. I know that sometimes BP has had sales of them and I suspect that's why they aren't included in G&T...but darn, it would be nice for a beginning farmer to get those CRs up and running. Another thing that seems to not be giftable are charged givers. You can gift/trade a discharged giver, though.

As for Howie Donuts...every now and then BP has a sale. So there is that for any farmer needing one (or more). Yes, I realize that there are many farmers who never spend any money on their farms. But, I also think that if a farmer is going to be that frugal, then those farmers, no matter how long they have been playing, understand that it is unlikely that they will get those items from a seriously lopsided trade during a G&T event. And as for new players not knowing what Howie Donut is or does - hah! All you have to do is look at the tree of wisdom and/or come here and peruse these forums. Come on, not everyone is inept at figuring things out, just certain DumBunnies.