Play the Game

• The easiest way to acquire item in "Team Fortress 2" is simply to play often. There are nine classes and each class has dozens of unique, wearable or usable items. The way the drop system works is at certain intervals, you are given an item drop. It's possible to die before you are able to pick it up, so if you see something, get it fast.
  
  

Craft Items

• Crafting adds a "collection" element to "Team Fortress 2." You will find basic weapons for the class you are playing regularly and you have the option to smelt them into new materials. A basic example is two basic low-level weapons smelted become "scrap metal." Three "scrap metal" can be combined to create "refined metal." Three basic low-level weapons become a class token. Four "refined metal" plus one "class token" will create a low-level hat. There are dozens of crafting "blueprints" letting you create various items for each class.
  
  

Purchase Items

• When you log into "Team Fortress 2," you have the option to visit the item shop. In the item shop you can purchase numerous items using real money. This is the fastest way to boost your item count but it can become expensive as items range in price from 99 cents to $4.99.
  
  

Trade Items

• You can trade items to people on your Steam friend's list. You can join trading groups using the Steam community tab to have access to more people willing to trade. Common items to trade are hats and weapons.
  
  

Play Other Steam Games

• "Poker Night at the Inventory" is a game available on Steam where you play poker using Team Fortress 2 characters. Some games will let you play for items you can't get anywhere else. These items are ideal for trading in "Team Fortress 2" so you can quickly acquire other items you may be missing in the main game.