If you've been avoiding, or never sell mats because the trade chat looks like something you wouldn't enjoy, i strongly suggest you give it a chance. You may just enjoy it. For a long time i didn't bother with buying/selling mats, until i really needed money for energy. After diving in, i realized it was a blast.

Don't worry too much about not knowing the value of things. You'll get an idea from seeing people wanting to buy and wanting to sell. Also, you can always just ask yourself, would i rather have a Bushy Tail in my inventory, or 300 crowns? Sometimes you'll find u'd rather have that 4 star mat than what's being offered, sometimes you'll find, 'i'd much rather have 1k crowns than those 10 pieces of driftwood'.

Long story short, don't just assume you won't like it, give it a chance. You may just find it to be fun.