Dear Readers

by BunnyJen

I would like to contribute my opinion to the "Rich Vs The Poor" debate that seems to be the rage all over Neopia. I started playing in the Spring of 2000, and I was poor when I started. We all are poor at the beginning, and we all have the chance to get rich. I'm not what I'd call "super rich" with millions of dollars, but my account is sitting healthily at 65,000 NP right now. No, I don't have any money in the bank, and most of my items are locked away in my safety deposit box. Things are good for my pets, but I digress....

People seem to think that it's outrageous to overcharge for items. Well, wake up Neopians!! It happens everyday, be it in Britain, America or even little ol' New Zealand. There are companies that make items, such as say...a sweater. They probably make it for USD $5 and sell it to a store for USD $10, and they in turn sell it to you for USD $35. And you buy it; you might even buy it on sale, but, you buy it. And you wear it. Yes Neopians...this is life. And this is Economics.

I once was enraged with the high rate of inflation, until I stopped bleeding rocks dry and decided to do something about it. I took a small investment and took a chance with the stock market. I lost more than I made, and I was sad. So I started to find items in stores cheaply and raise their price by 2 NP. Let's just say, I paved the way for my pets to eat again. Do I feel wrong for raising the price? Yes, at first. I felt bad that my customers had to suffer. I own a shop and have lots of loyal customers. But my shop is only a size 7. (Just now up from a size 5.) I don't want glimmer and glitz. I want to give my customers honest and fair rates, because I know what it's like to be poor, and what it's like to ask for handouts here in Neopia.

But then I got some smarts and began learning how to predict the trends in Neopia. It's something I do in real life for real companies. And it works here to. You just have to learn when the time is to jump in and when it's time to run away. (Same for the stock market.)

But whether or not you play to make money or play for fun, it's time to stand up and take control of your own account. Stop letting being "poor" rob you of a good time. There will always be The Rich and there will always be The Poor. Some people are especially rich, others are especially poor. Stop worrying about prices and just have fun. Buy what you want for the prices YOU want. Go to the Shop Wizard and buy things for the prices YOU want. Don't feel compelled to pay higher prices. There are no name brands here, and no one judges you based on how much you have in your account.

If you want to make money, make money. If you want to play, play. Just have fun.