5 best villager trades in Minecraft version 1.16.3

The five best possible villager trades in Minecraft (Image via Cubey)
The five best possible villager trades in Minecraft (Image via Cubey)

Villagers were added to Minecraft over eight years ago, all the way back in 2012 with the expansive 1.1 update.

Villagers are, of course, to be found in villages, which spawn in specific biomes such as plains, snowy tundras, savannas, deserts, taigas, and snowy taigas.

Minecraft players are able to gain items from villagers via trading with them. In some cases, players can use villager trading mechanics to their advantage in order to obtain rare items for a cheap cost, making the exchange process highly lucrative for players lucky enough to get the best trades.

This article will explore the absolute best villager trades that players could hope to strike lucky for as of Minecraft version 1.16.3.

Note: This article reflects the author’s opinion and is subjective.


Top 5 trades to get from villagers in Minecraft version 1.16.3

#5 - 32 sticks exchanged for 1 emerald

32 sticks traded for 1 emerald
32 sticks traded for 1 emerald

A mere 32 sticks in exchange for an emerald is a really good and easy potential trade with the Fletcher villager. This is because wood is one of the easiest items to get in Minecraft, and of course, emeralds are one of the rarest and hardest to obtain.

All players must do to obtain sticks is break a tree. These sticks can then be used to amass a vast quantity of precious emeralds by repeatedly using this villager trade. These emeralds can then be used to trade with other villagers, as emeralds are, in fact, the native currency that villagers use.


#4 - 18 wool exchanged for 1 emerald

18 wool traded for 1 emerald
18 wool traded for 1 emerald

This trade is negotiated with the Shepherd villager. Wool is another very easy item to obtain; all players must do to obtain it is simply look around the world in search of sheep. Once the sheep have been located, they can be killed or sheered for wool.

With this great villager trade, players will be able to swap their inexpensive wool for extremely valuable emeralds. It should be noted that it is extremely easy to also make a simple sheep farm in Minecraft, thus providing players with an effortless and unlimited source of wool over time.


#3 - 24 paper exchanged for 1 emerald

24 paper traded for 1 emerald
24 paper traded for 1 emerald

This trade is specifically performed with the librarian villager and is yet another great trade Minecraft players can use to obtain a vast quantity of emeralds both quickly and easily.

Paper is a very cheap item within the game. An unlimited supply can be easily arranged via the usage of a cheap and simple sugar cane farm setup that requires very few resources to maintain.


#2 - 18-32 emeralds exchanged for 1 enchanted diamond pickaxe

Emeralds traded for an enchanted diamond pickaxe
Emeralds traded for an enchanted diamond pickaxe

This trade is performed with the toolsmith villager, and the price of the pickaxe offered in terms of emeralds will vary accordingly with the quality of its enchantments.

The most expensive and best enchanted diamond pickaxe will cost players up to 32 emeralds, which is a brilliant deal considering the hugely powerful enchantments possible on the pickaxe.

The most common enchantment players will receive from this trade is efficiency 1 or 2, often paired in combination with unbreaking 1 or 2.

What makes this trade even better is the fact that if players manage to cure a zombie villager, the price of this trade drops to merely 1 emerald.


#1 - 19-33 emeralds exchanged for enchanted diamond armor

Emeralds traded for enchanted diamond armor
Emeralds traded for enchanted diamond armor

This brilliant and highly profitable Minecraft villager trade is performed with the armorer villager and is similar mechanically to the trade #2 on this list, in which the price of the item will vary with the quality of the enchantments present.

A combination of both protection and unbreaking enchantments are the most common for the armorer villager to offer to players. However, much more powerful and rare armor enchantments can also be obtained through this trade, at a higher emerald cost, though, of course.

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