Explain · Like I'm five version
Trading in Catan in terms of a car boot sale
Trading in Catan is just like trying to swap your old toys at a busy car boot sale.
When you play the game, you need bits of wood and brick to build your houses. You look at your pile of sheep and think they are not very useful right now. You shout across the table to your friends, just like someone at a park on a Sunday morning, asking if anyone wants to trade their nice red bricks for your soft, fluffy sheep.
It is very important to get a good deal so you can win the game. If you have too many sheep and not enough stone, you might feel a bit silly. You try to convince the other players that your sheep are the best in the whole world, even if you are just trying to get rid of them to make space for a new road. Sometimes they say yes, but often they just shake their heads and ask for more.
Eventually, someone will agree to give you what you want for a price you both like. You feel very happy because your village can finally grow bigger and better. You might even trade your wheat for a pile of ore, which is exactly how people swap old books or board games for shiny coins before the rain starts and everyone packs up their cars to go home for a nice cup of tea.
Where the analogy breaks downIn Catan you cannot accidentally sell your own family car to a stranger.