 The Shopkeepers
by aleu1986
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In every Neopian land, there are shops, and where there are shops, you`ll find shopkeepers. This article is not about the busy, hardworking Neopets that manage the thriving businesses from Moltara to Neopia Central, however, it`s dedicated to those who watch over the user`s shops and galleries. There are many to choose from, you can have a shopkeeper that resembles your own Neopets, petpets or a famous Neopian character. For your gallery, it makes sense to choose one that fits the theme of your collection, while a shopkeeper may match your Neopian interests, season or even mood of the day. With a wide selection ranging from the cute to the bizarre, I`ve taken it upon myself to narrow it down to my personal favourites. There are shopkeepers to fit any occasion or taste, and on this list you`ll find what I consider to be the prettiest, coolest and most iconic shop/gallery keepers.Zafara - Faerie Hello How is it possible not to love this shopkeeper? He`s pretty, sparkly and awesome. Every time someone visits your gallery or shop, this little Zafara will be there to give them a cheerful welcome. Moehog – Jester There are two other jester shopkeepers, but this one is the cutest. It also scores points for originality! Seriously, how many female jesters have you ever seen? This Moehog girl can tell jokes, juggle and entertain royalty as good as any other. And she`ll certainly be happy to watch over your shop or gallery. Bori - Faerie on Flower Faerie Bori were adorable before the conversion, and this shopkeeper reminds me a lot of how they used to look like. It can suit many different gallery themes, such as faeries, flowers or blue items and it`s a very cute and charming shopkeeper that is sure to bring a smile to your customers face all year round. Ixi - Musical Pipes This is a shopkeeper I rarely see people use, but I personally think it`s great. It`s perfect for a nature themed gallery, or to use in your shop during the spring and summer seasons. I can imagine this orange Ixi playing the musical pipes while a herd of other little Ixi dance in a sunlit glade in Meridell. Snowager – Rawr Perfect for the winter season or your messy, disorganized gallery. (We all know the Snowager hoards pretty much everything). If you share my frustration at not owning the awesome Snowager avatar yet, you can at least use this. It`s an okay substitute until you finally obtain the real thing, plus it looks cool against a white background as it looks like the Snowager comes bursting right out of the page. Ixi – Desert With Border Desert is one of my favourite paint brush colours, although Ixi is not amongst my favourite Desert Neopets. That said, this is a really striking and original shopkeeper. Perfect for Lost Desert themed galleries, or for the shop owners that want something eye catching, either in their shop itself or on their userlookup. I like the frame bearing the Lost Deserts signature colours, and the Ixi`s pose is perfect. Chia - Chocolate Flee! This is one of my all-time favourite shopkeepers. It`s amusing while also being original and a tad dramatic – but most of all I like it because it shows TNT`s sense of humour. Most Neopians know that Chias don`t like Lupes very much. Let`s just say they have their reasons. A Baby Lupe chasing a Chocolate Chia is funny and cute, an adult Lupe chasing a red Chia? Not so much. Fyora – With Staff All hail the Faerie Queen Fyora! When she`s not managing the shop in the Hidden Tower, I`m sure she wouldn`t mind taking care of your little establishment for a while. Putting "You could NEVER afford any of these!" as the shopkeeper greeting may be a bit off-putting to customers though. "Thanks for your custom," is a better choice. Uni – White Wizard There are a few other wizard-themed shopkeepers, but their art is pretty old and outdated. The White Wizard Uni is one I often use to guard my shop. I like his simple blue pointy hat, his piercing blue eyes and his beard. The grey feathers on his wings are a nice detail, and his wings are larger than those of the common Uni. Faerie – Library Writing The Library Faerie is one of my favourite Faeries in Neopia, but I feel she isn`t appreciated enough. I`m glad she has an avatar, but she needs more items and wearables. If you`re a fan of this brainy faerie like I am, use this shopkeeper. The Library Faerie hopefully isn`t too busy setting up the next Faerie Crossword to pay attention to customers and visitors. Ona – Pirate ARR and Mutant Muahaha Ona is one of my favourite petpets. They`re incredibly cute (above examples excluded) but I wanted to highlight the Pirate and Mutant Ona shopkeepers despite there being a basic blue one available as well. The Pirate Ona is one of the best and most creatively designed Pirate petpets. How can something so cute also look so tough? I love the detail of the skull in place of the regular star, and how the bones resemble whiskers. I also like how the Onas wings aren`t visible in this pose. Regarding the Mutant Ona, I especially love the moon in place of the star, and the twisted horns. Plus he`s got fangs! If you find either of these guys guarding a shop or gallery, don`t even think about stealing! Royalgirl Kyrii Tea Time It`s time for tea! The Royal Kyriis were released not too long before the conversion happened, so their UC versions are highly popular due to them being simply amazing. If you never managed to paint your Kyrii, or can`t stand the thought of trading, this shopkeeper is for you. She`s elegant, beautiful and friendly. She`s calmly watching over your shop or collection while sipping her tea and politely exchanging pleasantries with your visitors. Wocky – Million Neopoints Across Shenkuu, little white Wocky figurines are a common sight in every shop window. They beckon to customers, and Shenkuuvian shop owners believe they bring luck and good fortune to their business. If your gallery has a Shenkuuvian theme, or Shenkuu is your favourite Neopian world, why not let this Wocky guard your stuff? Hopefully he`ll bring you lots of good fortune. Blumaroo – Lutari Island If you were to try to paint your Neopet with the Lutari Island Paintbrush, sadly nothing would happen, as it`s not an active colour. Looking at the designs for the Lutari Island shopkeepers makes me wish it was. I like the colourful paint and the costumes with their feathery details. I know we already have Mystery Island, but I`d love it if Lutari Island became open to the Neopian public at some point too. The Lutari Island Blumaroo makes me so curious as to which secrets the island holds. Kau - Starry With Moons There are many Neopets users who like items related to the moon and stars, and I`m one of them. I`ve always thought Starry and Eventide Neopets are beautiful, and I like most items that feature moons and stars, so naturally this is one of my favourite shopkeepers. It`s peaceful and dreamy, I would love to join that little Kau in a meadow for some stargazing. If you collect moon/starry items, this is a natural choice for your gallery keeper. Meridell – Ixi Peasant What is this peasant so disgruntled about? Well, have you visited Meridell recently? I know things are peaceful there now, but that doesn`t mean being a simple peasant (or a shopkeeper) is easy. This Ixi is a refreshing break from all the cute, smiling shopkeepers that seemingly don`t have a care in the world. She`ll take your NP, but you won`t get more than an item in return. No smiles or happy waves – and haggling is out of the question. Soup Faerie – Giving Soup Show your appreciation for the Soup Faerie with this shopkeeper! She`s kind, sweet and generous to all the poor, hungry Neopets. She does an amazing job every day, and the Soup Faerie is a great choice for your food themed gallery or shop. Cybunny – Robot Leap There are only a couple of Robot Neopets I like, and the Cybunny is my favourite. I think it`s strange to think of a Neopet as a machine, but I like this shopkeeper due to the Robot Cybunnys warm colours, and the natural pose. It leaps about like any Cybunny would. This is a good choice if your gallery is dedicated to the Virtupets Space Station, or has a Moltaran theme. Faeries - Illusen with Buzzer Illusen is my favourite faerie, and my favourite Neopian character overall. There are luckily several Illusen shopkeepers to choose from. (A grand total of eight, against Jhudora`s measly three! I bet she`s so jealous!) Have Illusen take care of your shop, or let her admire the huge collection of items you`ve collected in her honour. Uni – Red Knight I`ve always been a Meridell fan, and the Royal Boy Uni is one of my favourite Royals overall. They were made to look even more dashing after the conversion. This shopkeeper is actually the old circle pose of the Royal Boy Uni. He`s a stern and brave knight of Meridell who will guard your shop or gallery with pride. Rest assured your items are safe under his watchful gaze. Before I list my last pick, here are some honourable mentions: Zafara - Strawberry Is that Strawberry Zafara eating a strawberry? You`d think that`s frowned upon in most societies. Hissi – Grey Dung I`m not even going to attempt to figure out what is going on here. TNT has a weird sense of humour sometimes. Kau – Brown Jumping It`s a Kauboy! *giggles* And finally, my favourite shopkeeper of all, the greatest there is in Neopia: Mr. Coconut Shouting GOOD NIGHT!
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