Top 7 useless trades in Minecraft (2023)

In Minecraft, players may feel frustrated by the trades offered by villagers. It is common to question why they would expect valuable emeralds to be exchanged for seemingly useless items. Resources can be scarce in the game's early stages, and every emerald counts towards progress. Making informed decisions when trading with villagers is crucial to avoid wasting your precious resources on bad deals.

Hence we've compiled a list of Minecraft's top seven most useless trades, so you can better navigate the world of trading.

Disclaimer: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

Librarian and 4 other top useless trades in Minecraft

As players explore Minecraft's vast and exciting world, they will encounter many different types of villagers. These curious mobs offer a variety of goods and services, from food and weapons to enchantments and rare materials. But not all trades are created equal. Some are downright terrible, offering little value for your hard-earned emeralds. These are Minecraft's top 7 most useless trades, so players can avoid wasting precious resources on worthless items.

7) Leatherworker: 6 leathers for 1 emerald

Leatherworker villager (Image via Mojang)

At first glance, this may not appear to be unfavorable. However, it's essential to consider the availability and usefulness of the item being offered. In the case of leather, it's relatively easy to obtain in Minecraft.

Leathers can be obtained by killing cows, horses, llamas, or rabbits and finding them in chests in villages, dungeons, or strongholds. Yet, the uses for leather are somewhat limited. It can be used to create leather armor, the weakest type of armor in the game, item frames, or books. While leather armor may look cool, it is not practical and may not be worth trading your hard-earned emeralds for leather when you can quickly obtain it yourself.

6) Cleric: 1 emerald for 2 redstone dusts / 4 redstone dusts

Redstone is one of the most common and valuable resources in Minecraft. Players can use it to make circuits, contraptions, machines, etc. Redstone can be found almost anywhere in the lower levels of the world. Players can also get it from witches or trade with piglins. Paying an emerald for only 2 redstone dusts (4 redstone dusts in the bedrock edition) may not be wise in Minecraft. Breaking a single ore block with a fortune pickaxe of redstone will drop more redstone dust than this trade.

5) Armorer: 4/5 emeralds for 1 iron helmet

Protecting your head in Minecraft is crucial to surviving tough battles and avoiding damage from various sources. While iron helmets are relatively easy to craft with just 5 iron ingots, they may not be the best choice for protection. Instead of settling for an iron helmet, consider trading for a diamond helmet, which offers significantly more durability and safety. Instead of wasting your hard-earned emeralds on an iron helmet, consider crafting a more effective one or aiming for an upgrade. Prioritize your protection and choose a helmet that can withstand the toughest challenges.

4) Cartographer: 7 emeralds for 1 empty map

Cartographer villager (Image via Mojang)

In Minecraft, empty maps can be used to create maps of your surroundings. While they can be helpful for navigation, they may not be essential for all players. Players can also use them to generate locator maps or explorer maps, which can help find specific locations. However, it may not be worth spending 7 emeralds on an empty map when they can easily be crafted using eight pieces of paper and a compass. Empty maps can also be found in chests or obtained from cartographers or wandering traders. If you’re looking for a more exciting map, you might want to consider a treasure map or a woodland mansion map. These maps can lead you to rare and rewarding locations. Ultimately, it’s up to the player to decide if purchasing an empty map for 7 emeralds is worth it.

3) Farmer: 1 emerald for 6 pumpkin pies

While pumpkin pies can be a tasty and convenient food source, they are not exactly difficult to make. You only need pumpkins, sugar, and eggs, which can be easily obtained by farming or exploring. Plus, pumpkin pies don't provide as much hunger saturation as other food sources like steak or cooked porkchop. Pumpkin pies may not be the best to spend your emeralds in Minecraft. While they can be a quick food source, they're not difficult to make alone. Instead of wasting your emeralds, trading for items that are harder to obtain or offer more valuable benefits may be more beneficial.

2) Cleric: 32-40 rotten flesh for an emerald

Rotten flesh trade with Cleric (Image via Mojang)

Cleric villagers offer a trade where players can exchange 32-40 rotten flesh for one emerald. While this may seem like an excellent opportunity to eliminate a large and otherwise useless item, it may not be worth it in the long run. Holding onto large quantities of rotten flesh can take up valuable inventory space and pose a risk to your health if accidentally consumed. One emerald may not provide as much value as other trades offering powerful enchantments or rare items.

1) Librarian: 9 emeralds for a bookshelf

Bookshelves are valid for enchanting items in Minecraft, as they increase the enchantment table's power and allow for higher-level enchantments. However, they are also relatively easy to craft with just 6 planks of wood and 3 books. Meanwhile, 9 emeralds are a much rarer resource that can be used for much more valuable trades, such as obtaining diamond gear or enchanted books directly from librarians. Spending 9 emeralds on a single bookshelf is a poor use of resources and not very useful.

Here are some of the top 7 trades in Minecraft that are not worth your precious emeralds. This is our opinion, so you might still find some of these trades helpful. But if you want to trade wisely with villagers and save your emeralds, this list can help. Happy Mining!

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