Response to The Paintbrush Pricing Game

by kfandlk

I am submitting an article in response to "The Paintbrush Pricing Game" by babybella. I was not sure whether to laugh or cry when I read that article. Do fellow Neopians actually realize how rare it is to find a paintbrush? Yes, paintbrushes are a one time use item, like food. They are very hard to obtain, and there is no shop that sells them. For the record, paintbrushes are '0 NP' to show that they are priceless, in other words, too valuable. Not because they should only be 1 NP or so. It also has nothing to do with finding them. Codestones are also found throughout the game, and are priced at 500 NP.

I am severely aggravated by the thought of having discount cards being used in ALL stores. That's ludicrous, especially for paintbrushes! Paintbrushes are in no way a necessity, but a luxury. People that are lucky enough to find them are entitled to make a profit, yes, even a huge profit off of them. I understand people wanted their pet to look good, my pets are also painted, but that is something you do when you have Neopoints. By having discount cards for all shops, even private ones, that only hurts the shop keepers. If I bought a ring for 100 NP and sold it in my shop for 150, and someone had a discount card that was now universal to all stores, they would buy my ring for 128 NP (if they had the diamond 15% discount card). How does that help me? I have just lost 22 Neopoints because of this universal discount card.

Do you realize what that will cause? Hmmm? A DRASTIC INCREASE OF PRICING!

You're complaining now? Go ahead, make shop owners lose money, they will just regain it by over charging even more. I think people should earn NP if they want their pets to look good, or have expensive Battledome items. I have Neopoints, but like everyone, I started with 500 NP, created a pet (Layleen) and there I began. I didn't know my way around, so I didn't worry about NP and who had more. I bought what I could when I could. The first faerie I got (my pet found) I released because I thought it was cruel it was captured. Should I have sold it? Who's to say? I've seen the price wars and the story is the same: stop overpricing. Shop owners price items by what the customers tell us, through their purchasing habits. If an item doesn't sell, the price is lowered. Very simple. As far as I can tell, shop owners DO price items by their worth, by their worth to the customer that is.

Also, I do not have a shop, in a matter of speaking. I continue making my NP from the games and by finding items that I put on the trading post. I guess it is kind of like retirement. I don't like having to check, and re-check the wizard in the hopes of selling my wares cheaper than my competition. I still make do. I play Kacheek Seek and Kiko Match, and Poogle Solitaire. I am not smarter than Codebreakers, and not patient enough for other games. Also, there is a game called treasure hunt, which gives you map pieces for 15-30 minutes of your time. You can play this many times a day. You can either sell these pieces, trade them, or complete the map yourself (the prize is around 10,000 NP and 3 rare items and your pets gain a level). For a free game, it is well worth the investment of time. If there are pieces you need, trade them on the post. In theory, you could complete a map each day.

So please, there are ways to obtain NP. If you want a PetPet, buy a snowball or aquatic pet. If you want a paintbrush, buy a Christmas one or a different unpopular one (invisible, sketch). If you want your pets to gain levels, finish the space map every day or so. Do not complain that there is no way to earn NP fairly. Do not cry, "If my pet finds a faerie I have to sell it because I'm so poor, and I can't give my pet abilities." Same thing with Codestones. I have given you other means to earn NP. So use them.