One Seemingly Worthless Stardew Valley Upgrade Could Actually Bring You Bigger Profits
Stardew Valley, the cozy farming simulator, is full of tough choices. One of the most important choices for players at the beginning of a playthrough is usually what order they should upgrade their tools. While the pickaxe, watering can, and axe are usually at the top of that list, the tool that players shouldn’t ignore for upgrades is the trash can, as it can lead to helpful profits over time.
Upgrading a trash can might not seem important, especially as players spend most of their time in Pelican Town or on the farm, but using a better trash can is crucial in areas like the Mines, and later, the Skull Cavern. Being able to gain a partial profit on items can help subtly boost profits while fighting through the most difficult areas of the game when inventory space is limited and the clock is ticking.
Upgrading Your Trash Can Can Boost Stardew Valley Savings
Small Amounts Can Add Up Quickly
Like all tools in Stardew Valley, the trash can be upgraded by using better ores at Clint’s smithy. When first starting a new save file, most players are likely to only upgrade the tools they use daily on the most important farming chores, like planting, watering, and clearing space on the farm. These tasks obviously use the pickaxe, watering can, hoe, and axe the most and are the first candidates for an upgrade.
Upgrading every tool comes with special benefits, which does make it beneficial to upgrade the tools in a certain order. Upgrading the pickaxe and the axe simply allows players to break and chop in fewer hits, while upgrading the hoe and watering can increase the area effect of each tool. Upgrades to the trash can are deceptively simple, as each level provides a larger reclaim for trashed items. The copper upgrade provides 15%, while steel provides 30%, gold provides 45%, and iridium provides 60%.
Long Mining Trips Make Trashing Items A Necessity
Valuable Loot Can Still Get You 60 Percent Of Its Value
The first thing most new players will likely think is that they won’t trash any items, so there’s no point in upgrading the trash can. Simple inventory management and upgrading the backpack at Pierre’s General Store will make it less likely that any player doing chores on the farm or in Pelican Town will ever have to throw a valuable item away, since they can carry it over to sell at any point. The place the trash can shines is in The Mines and the Skull Cavern, since players won't have the time to ferry valuables to a shipping box if they want to make good progress and reach the bottom.
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To make the most of a mining trip, especially in the Skull Cavern, players will likely spend every waking moment fighting through levels of monsters while using their very best items to survive. That means there’s no time to manage an inventory and drop items off, and since the Skull Cavern is chock-full of enemies dropping valuable loot, there will simply be too many items for an upgraded backpack.
Upgrading the trash can solves this issue, as these excess items are no longer completely wasted, but instead turned into profit. Every trashed item is instantly turned into profit, especially if players upgrade all the way to iridium and are able to reclaim 60% of an item’s value. In the lower levels of the Skull Cavern, these small profits can add up significantly in the long run. While five iridium bars does seem like a steep price, the amount of gold made from mining expeditions in Stardew Valley can make the investment well worth it.
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
Stardew Valley is a charming indie farming scene that took the world by storm. After inheriting a run-down farm from their grandfather, the player moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life away from the city. Grow crops, raise animals, befriend the villagers, and discover the secrets the valley has to offer.
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
