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Capsule Addicts Anonymous


by destinationxunknown

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Do you find yourself constantly buying Mystery Capsules from the NC Mall with your NeoCash? Can't stop buying them? Can't resist the thrill, the fun, the randomness, the unexpected? If you've answered yes to any of the above, you can consider yourself addicted with Mystery Capsules! Don't worry, I'm here to help you cure this impulsive buying of multiple Mystery Capsules with an easy step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Admit you are addicted!

There is no sense in trying to cure your addiction with Mystery Capsules if you cannot admit you are overly addicted with them. Say out loud, "I am addicted with Mystery Capsules." Say it a few times if you need to! The more you come to realize this, the easier the next few steps will be. There's nothing wrong with a love for Mystery Capsules, but let's try to not let the buying get out of hand.

Step 2: Save your NeoCash for items you want.

Sometimes we find ourselves opening Mystery Capsules in hopes of getting items we're actually hoping for. As an example, someone would open Faerie Doll Mystery Capsules hoping for a Floating Jhuidah Faerie Doll rather than purchasing one at the same price. Why is this? We're hoping that we can, by chance, get a two-for-one or if we're lucky enough, the limited edition Floating Battle Faerie Doll. Next time, just go straight for the item you're opening capsules for!

Step 3: Research your Mystery Capsules

It's always best to see how many Mystery Capsules other people had to open in order to get the limited editions they were after. Be sure to ask around the NC Mall Board to see the average percent of chance to get a limited edition from a specific capsule. This way you will know about how many you will have to open in order to get a limited edition. If you see that the average is 20 capsules, you may not want to bother. Or if you have access to NeoCash Cards and therefore access to Gift Boxes, you can reconsider opening Mystery Capsules and trade NC items you already have for that limited edition instead!

Step 4: Research the limited editions within.

There's no sense in opening tons of Mystery Capsules hoping for a limited edition item that you think would look just grand on your neopet, only to later find that it doesn't look the way you imagined. How can you see what a limited edition looks like on a certain species or color? Again, the ever-helpful NC Mall Board is there to assist you! Many of the people who chat there are very willing to help other NC Mall shoppers. I'm sure if you were to ask around about how a certain item looks on a certain species or color, there's bound to be someone who can help you there.

Step 5: Buy soon-to-retire Mystery Capsules over buyable ones.

We can always buy the buyable Mystery Capsules, meaning the ones that will seemingly always be available in the NC Mall. Instead of spending your NeoCash on Mystery Capsules that will be there tomorrow and the day after, save your NeoCash for Mystery Capsules that have a star next to their name. When there is a star next to an NC item, it signifies that the item will no longer be sold past a certain date. To see this date, click on the item to read its description. It's better to buy Mystery Capsules that you know won't be there tomorrow, because you surely wouldn't want to miss out!

Step 6: Try trading NC items you HAVE for NC items you WANT.

At times, people are trading those elusive capsules and limited editions therein for different NeoCash items that you might have! Where can you look to trade your NeoCash items? On the NC Mall Board of course! Remember that trading is only possible with Gift Boxes.

Gift Boxes only come from redeeming NeoCash Cards. They were also randomly awarded in the retired gift-themed Mystery Capsules. At this time, PayPal does not currently have access to Gift Boxes. (Please also remember Gift Wrap is for decorative purposes only and cannot be used by themselves to send items to other users.)

Step 7: Resist the urge!

I know it sounds simpler than it actually is, but we must try our best to resist our urge to buy Mystery Capsules in bulk. I find that sometimes people go overboard on some! I can relate to this; I've bought an incredible amount in such a short amount of time! How can you resist the urge? I would either not visit the NC Mall unless I have heard of a new item I would love to purchase, or at least not visit the Specialty or Mystery Capsule section of the Mall. Another good exercise would be to add some Mystery Capsules to your shopping cart, view your cart, and REMOVE them ALL from your cart. You'll feel so much better knowing you were able to remove them!

Step 8: Analyze your shopping cart.

If there are already Mystery Capsules in your shopping cart, remove them at once! After doing so, you can see what else you were actually buying, if anything at all. From there, you can go back to the Mystery Capsule section of the Mall to decide what you really want and not what you think would be "just for fun." Again, I'd suggest to only buy soon-to-retire Mystery Capsules and save the buyable ones for a time when you can afford one, not tons! Try limiting yourself to only a certain amount. I don't mean a certain amount in a day either! I mean a certain amount in a month. I also don't mean 100 a month! Try starting with half of what you normally buy in a month and go down from there.

Step 9: Seek help and/or advice from your friends.

Sometimes the people who know you best are in the company you keep. Who better to ask for an opinion on a purchase than someone who you are close to and can depend on to steer you down the right path? I always look to my friends for some encouragement when I'm feeling like I can't handle something. Trust me, you can do this! :)

Step 10: Link another avid Mystery Capsule buyer here!

It's always nice to help a lovely fellow Neopian with an addiction you two have or hopefully "had" in common. Spreading the word will help not only you, but other crazy Mystery Capsule buyers out there.

I hope these 10 steps are leading you on your way to recovery. Mystery Capsules are for fun, but the fun stops when you're spending all of the inheritance from your grandmother on them! Think sensibly, and buy conservatively. I wish you all the best in your NC Mall shopping endeavors!

 
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