2 Macs, 1 ethernet cable, can't access contents of other's desktop folder

Two MacBook pros. I need to transfer the desktop folder contents from one laptop to the other.

Ethernet cable connecting the two computers, I can Finder>Go "connect to server" successfully, all file sharing preferences are on, I can see the desktop folder but cannot read the contents. I've exhausted the google searching. I even checked the clocks to see if there was a discrepancy, there was of three minutes, fixed it, did not help. I've exhausted my Google.