I haven't seen this explained in the forum or in the Wiki, and if this post belongs elsewhere please move it...
I have seen posts by people talking about sorting through 50 pages of trades. On a good day, I'm lucky to have 3 pages worth of trades, including fellowship trades. There are only 5 non-fellowship names I see on a regular basis, and 3 of them offer really awful 1-star trades (which I try to avoid, but sadly I do get desperate!). Only 1 of these names is one I recognize as a neighbor, and I've explored pretty far away from my town.
So how are the available trades made available? When we start moving towns, will I get an increase in the number of trades listed? Or do I not see many trades because players just don't trade? It's tough to believe that out of an entire world, only 5 players outside of my fellowship do any trading! I depend on trading to help me play, so this is very frustrating!