¡バレンタインデーおめでとう!
¡𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝒱𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒'𝓈 𝒟𝒶𝓎!
𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑒𝓃𝒿𝑜𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹, 𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒.

⠀ .⢠⣴⣶⣶⣷⣶⣴⡤⣄⡀
⠀⠀⠀⢀⣼⡿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣽⣽⡟⣮⢷⡄
⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣟⣿⣿⣿⡟⣿⢻⢧⡿⣺⡇
⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣽⣿⠟⡳⣳⢯⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🤍
⠀⢀⣾⡿⣿⡕⣭⣶⣿⢹⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⡗⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⡀
⠀⢸⡟⣾⣿⡼⣿⣿⣼⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡼⠀⣾⡟
⣠⠞⣣⢿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣹⣟⣿⠋⠉⠉⠉⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣾⠿⠋
⠜⣴⣿⢿⢟⣵⣟⣿⣧⡻⣿⣀⣀⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⣼⡟⠁
⠀⠸⣿⣿⡺⣿⣹⣿⣿⣿⣮⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⢠⣿⡇
⠀⠀⣸⣿⣿⢹⣿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣷⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⡇
⠀⠔⣿⢟⣽⣿⣿⢧⣿⣿⣿⣫⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
------.❦ 𝓗𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓪𝔂 ❦.------

yea recently I’ve started not searching as much due to the very reasons you just mentioned. Thank you though, I will keep that in mind.

I'd suggest you look at local thrift stores or yard sales for a used PtDE copy. While you won't be able to verify in some cases, whether or not the code's been used before on Steam, it's still way better than paying $150-200 or more for a copy off of eBay or etc.
A used copy in those scenarios may run you $15-40 bucks. As long as the previous owner(s) never migrated to Steam and used their license key on here, you'll be able to activate it.
Just keep in mind there's no real reason, other than to put it in your showcase, to own the game on Steam. Online has been shut down and online play via the DSCM mod is basically dead.

mgr goat