Galleries: Are They Really Necessary?

It seems as if the goal of every Neopian is to get rich, and use their wealth to buy items such as paintbrushes and codestones to enhance their pet's looks and abilities. I admit I am one of those people, but there is a big difference than working one's tail off in order to obtain cash through playing several games and contests, and abusing the privileges of Neopian wealth. Case in point: the many galleries now frequenting the marketplace. Many of these galleries contain rare items, such as the aforementioned paintbrushes, codestones, and other valuables such as map pieces, and others follow a specific theme, such as a type of pet or an item and its related products. This may seem quite innocent to the well-off Neopian, but let's look at it through a poor person's eyes and see the difference: to a gallery that stocks only rare items, a poor Neopian might think, "Gee, I wish I was that rich. What makes them able to afford such fancy things and not me? If these items are so valuable, why are they just sitting around and not being used or bought, and another person could make good use of them?" Makes you feel a little different, doesn't it? It gets even worse when a Neopian of the lower classes sees everyday items that they can afford at frivolous prices, such as a Can of Neocola at 8,000 NP (yes, such ridiculous prices do indeed exist) this time the reaction to this absurdity might be, "Hey, I can afford these items from other shops, but what's the purpose of selling cheap food for thousands when you can lower the price or at least put it on the Money Tree? Other people rely on those items for their Neopets' survival, you know." It's a sad day when the rich take for granted the value of cheap items used to keep the poor's pets out of starvation.

Another problem these galleries may cause is the slowing of the flow of Neopian commerce. The economy depends on the buying and selling of goods, and when less items are sold, it gradually gets less active. One may think that the sales from their own private shop have nothing to do with the economy as a whole, but it does indeed matter to the Neopian commerce. Also, The Neopian shopkeepers and distinguished persons who sell and give away these items, for example, Fyora who sells items out of her Hidden Tower and the kindly Tombola man who willingly doles out faeries and codestones to the lucky citizens with winning tickets, would be most displeased to learn what they have so generously given the Neopian people is not being used at all, just sitting in a storefront.

A person with a large and expansive gallery containing scores of rare items might say, "Hey, that's not fair! I worked really hard to get these items, and my Neofriends helped me a lot with this!" as a negative response to what I just said, here's some food for thought: If you really worked so hard to get these items, why not try USING them? It may be a tiny bit selfish, but nowhere near as arrogant as displaying them in front of the less fortunate. Or don't be selfish and donate them to the Money Tree. Although I've never really seen much on there aside from small donations, Tombola prizes and cheap food, if you donate a rare item there the whole lower Neopian class would thank you for your generosity, since many of those items the lower class sees only in their dreams. That's a much better feeling than feeling greedy, isn't it?

For those who do agree with my article, fortunately, there is a way to combat the spreading influence of galleries: boycotting them–as in refusing to donate to one's gallery–and to not sell any items above 100,000 NP in your own shop. As far as my knowledge goes, my shop is the only one I've seen that uses this policy, but I would strongly encourage other Neopians to take up this (up until now) overlooked cause. If you join me in my mission to stop the flooding of Neopia with galleries, you will be helping the Neopian lower class live better lives and helping to share the wealth of the land. Now, I admit that I am pretty well-off right now, having about 80K NP, but not so long ago I was struggling under the 10,000 NP mark and seeing what a waste it was to see those items just sitting there gathering dust, and that is when I took up the cause.

I know this article could be potentially very controversial, but I advise all readers to take this with a grain of salt, since this is only my personal opinion. If you want to continue running your gallery, I'm certainly not going to stop anyone personally, so please don't send me any nasty Neomails, thank you. I'd like to start a revolution, but certainly not a war! But all I have to say is, when I finally earn enough NP to buy my Ixi a Mystery Island Paint Brush, I hope there will be a store that is willing to sell me one. Thank you for your time.