Welcome to the NC Mall!
Hello there! Maybe you are new to the NC mall, or just new to trading. Maybe the boards still just confuse the blumaroos out of you! Either way, this is the guide for you!
Why is this guide here?
Well, I wish it didn't have to be. But the fact is, there are many NC mall traders who will take advantage of your nice items just because you are new to trading, and might not know your way around values yet. This is, unfortunately, pretty common. But don't lose heart! The NC mall boards, where you will find trades, is one of the most friendly and helpful boards, in my opinion! They will always be happy to assist you in questions of value! Now, let's read on!
How do I get Neocash?
If you live in the US or Canada, or now the UK as well, you can get neocash cards. In the US and Canada there are various stores that sell them, and in the UK you can now buy them at Sainsbury's. If you do not live in one of these countries, neocash is available via Paypal, but you have to have parental permission or be old enough to have your own account.
Vocabulary to Know
Is everyone speaking a foreign language? O_O No, they're not! It's just the NC mall vocab. Understanding it is the first tip to getting into the swing of things! Here are some common item abbreviations for trading lingo and commonly sought items.
Commonly used trading terms
UFT: Up for trade: meaning that the person in question is trading these items.
Seeking: This means that the person in question is looking for this item.
RE: This means that the item is retired, which means it can no longer be bought in the mall.
LE: This means that an item is or was limited edition, meaning that it either was/is the bonus item from a mystery capsule. The LE item is random, and sometimes takes many capsules to obtain.
Challenge/Ticket Item This means that the item was obtainable only through participating in some kind of event on the site, usually requiring a ticket to take part in. Examples are the Altador Cup Challenge, Games Master Challenge, and Atlas of the Ancients Plot.
Buyable: This means that the item is currently purchasable in the NC mall. It does not mean that it is a neopoint item, which cannot be traded for NC items.
Multiples: This term usually means that someone is looking to trade one of their rarer items for multiple 'lesser' items. You will often see people trading something for 'multiple buyables'.
EB: Refers to the Elite Boutique, an elite section of the mall open only to accounts that are 49 months old. It contains a variety of non-tradable items.
Duplicates: This term refers to the large amount of cheap buyable items that users obtain, mostly by opening mystery capsules. Common ones include beauty marks, hair bows, and head scarves.
Cap Value: You will see this a lot on the boards, especially when a very popular mystery capsule is released. People will start to value their items in "number of caps", and will determine fair trades accordingly. For example, a Spooky Spyder Top Hat might be worth 4-5 capsules at the time of the trade, and it might trade for a Glowing Handheld Candle worth 2-3 capsules, and an extra capsule to make up the difference. (NOTE: The values given here as examples change periodically: don't base trades off of them!)
Common Item Abbreviations
Some items are really popular, so you'll see some of these abbreviations a lot.
Caps refers to mystery capsules, which when opened award the user a number of items from the mall. Depending on the capsule, some of these can be older retired items. Also, capsules offer a limited edition item, which comes out of capsules randomly and sometimes very rarely.
SP: Means Superpack, which is a package that can be bought in the NC mall containing a set of related items. Most of the items can be bought separately, but one or two are only awarded through purchase of the pack. These are referred to as Superpack LEs.
BG: Refers to Background, a type of item.
FP: Refers to face paint, also a kind of item.
ToT: This refers to the Trick or Treat Doorstep Background, which is very sought after. When followed by the word 'bag', it refers to the Designer Trick or Treat Bag.
AoTR: This refers to the Attack of the Revenge Background. This background is also extremely rare and hard to come by.
Ging(y/ies): Refers to Gingerbread Wings, which were released as the LE item of the Holiday Mystery Capsule in 2007. Very sought after, and quite rare.
Apple: This refers to the Appetising Caramel Apple, the highly sought after LE of the Halloween Mystery Capsule in 2007.
Thade: refers to the Eliv Thade Make-Up Kit, which is considered by some to be one of the most 'valuable' item of the mall. It has since been re-released as a bonus in mystery capsules, so it's value has deflated slightly.
Gulp: Refers to Gulp... Underwater Reef Background, which is another sought after background. :)
Fluffy: Refers to Here Lies Fluffy, a relatively rare old Halloween item that becomes increasingly popular near the holiday.
ICC: Refers to Ice Cream Cone String Lights, an old LE from the Summer Mystery Capsule.
NQ: Refers to the Neoquest Wizard Costume Pack items. This included the robe, hat, slacks, and the LE wand. The wand is extremely valuable, and had not been re-released.
PLS: Paper Lantern Staff. A bonus item from the Shenkuu Lantern Mystery Capsule, this beautiful handheld lantern staff is very sought after.
NY in (MI, FL, SK): 2009/2010 New Years Backgrounds from the Bright New Years Capsule. NY is for New Years, MI stands for Mystery Island, FL stands for Faerieland, and SK for Shenkuu! These (especially Faerieland and Shenkuu) are also very rare.
JJPB: JubJub Power Bounce, a game in which tokens are bought in the NC mall, and in which various prizes can be won. Tickets come in 1, 5, and 10 packs.
Nutty: Could refer to any items in the Nutcracker Super Pack. The most sought after are generally the face paint and sword, but the other items are quite popular too.
What is item value?
So what is all this talk about items being very 'rare'? Basically, items become rarer the longer they have been retired. Something that is buyable in the mall right now would not be considered rare, but something that stopped being sold in the mall a while ago would be. What people consider rare usually changes by season, too. For instance, around Halloween, Halloween items are really popular, and people want to trade them for more.
What do you mean by more?
Well, items can be traded for multiple items as well. For instance, an item like the Caramel Apple usually trades for at least five nice retired items. This is perfectly fine, and in keeping with the rules.
What are the rules?
You can read them, along with all the FAQs, by clicking on the Help next to your shopping cart in the NC Mall.
How can I tell if my item is rare?
Good question! How do you know whether you have a rare item on your hands? Well, here's some steps to follow.
1. First make sure it is an NC item, and not a NP item. You can tell this by looking at where it is in your inventory: Is it in the NC section? The NC section will appear below your NP items, and most of the NC items have a shaded background.
2. If you have an NC item, go to the NC Mall and use the search box to search for the item name.
• If the item does not appear, the item you have is most likely LE or retired. Congratulations!
• If the item appears in the mall with your search, the item is buyable, and probably not very sought after as far as trading goes. That doesn't mean nobody wants it, though!
• If the item appears, but has a 
star like that next to the name, that means that it will retire soon, even if it is not retired now! Click on the item image to find out exactly when it will retire.
3. Ask the boards! Just go to the NC Mall Boards and ask them what the approximate value of the item is. They will be happy to help! You might have to wait for a minute, but people will eventually come. At this point, you will probably start getting some offers on your item, through posts or through neomail. Be careful not to accept too soon! Read the section on safe trading to find out how to trade fairly.
Where to find trades
Traders can easily be found on the NC Mall Boards. You will be able to see what people are trading, and what they are seeking! You can also make a board seeking items yourself. The best way to trade items is to have a list of what you are seeking, and a list of what you are trading! Here is an example: Click to see my tradelist and wishlist as an example. Remember that trades might not appear right away, but if you have some patience, you could get your dream items!
Safe Trading
Even though the NC boards are full of wonderful people, some people still exist that will attempt to trick you out of your nice items by offering items of a way lesser value. First, let's take a look at some things to watch out for.
Neomailed Offers.
Don't get me wrong! these can be perfectly legitimate. Some people prefer neomail offers so that they get a quicker response to their offers! However, some malicious traders will use neomail as a way to ensure that nobody else sees what they are offering you. If you are new to trading, this can be one of the easiest ways to lose a good item.
Downplay of Value
Some traders will tell you that an item you asked about is 'not very rare', or something like that, and then offer on it. Be careful! As in neomail trades, the offer could be completely fine, but it could also be a cleverly disguised trick.
Two Inexperienced Traders
Be VERY careful when the other trader says that they are inexperienced as well! This may be true, but either way, make sure you GET MORE OPINIONS. Some traders will say that they are new and don't know values very well, just like you, even if this is not the case. If they do this, they are generally attempting to give you the bad end of the deal without 'knowing', so that if confronted about it later, they claim that they didn't know it was a really unfair trade. Remember that this person may legitimately not know! In that case, they will not mind you asking other people if the trade is fair!
No Outside Involvement?
A huge trading no-no is to trade with someone who tells you not to ask the boards the value of an item. They may tell you that they are very experienced, and they know that it is a fair trade. Do not listen to them! Always ask the boards.
Now, let's look at what you can DO to avoid a bad trade!
Ask the boards!
This is your number one way to get a fair trade! Make a topic on the NC Mall boards simply asking: 'Fair Trade?' in the topic title, and then state what you would be trading for what in the message portion. just wait for a bit, and people will come to help you! If they say it isn't a fair trade, be sure to listen to them!
Note: There is a board called the NCFTC (Neocash Fair Trade Consortium). They usually have a board up at all times! Kindly ask them their opinion on the value of the item you want to trade, as well as that of the other traders'. They'll help you out! Remember to say thank you! You can find their page
if you click here. Their boards have this general format: NCFTC #(#): We give value advice! || (Title Here)
Know what you want!
Even if the boards say it is a fair trade, make sure that you are trading for something that you actually want! If you don't want it, don't trade for it!
How to Trade
Here are some very simple steps.
Before you advertise items up for trade, or agree to a trade:
1. Check to make sure that you have boxes to send the item(s).
A gift box looks like this:
This is called a Basic Gift Box, and you MUST have one to trade. The only way you can obtain a gift box is by redeeming an NC card. Unfortunately, you can not get these boxes through Paypal, or by trading. Check the NC Mall to find your local NC card seller! You can only send one item per box, so make sure you actually have enough boxes!
2. Make sure you both know exactly what items you are trading.
Some item names may sound similar, especially if you are using abbreviations. Always double check!
3. Ask where they want they items sent.
Some people are looking for items for their side accounts. They may ask you to send the item to a different account than the one you are currently talking to.
4. Get the item out of your closet or safety deposit box.
Just put the item into your inventory. If the item is currently being worn by a pet, take it off in the customization program, then save, then go to your closet and remove it. ALSO make sure that your giftbox is in your inventory.
5. When you are both ready to trade:
Click on your giftbox, which should be in your inventory now. Then select the item you are trading from the dropdown menu. Type
exactly who you want to send the item to! Copying and pasting the username is your best option. Always double and triple check! Then, fill out all the other information it requires, and send your box!
Proper trading etiquette says that you should NOT accept the box from the other trader until you have SENT your item. It is okay to OPEN the box and check that it is indeed the correct item, but do not accept the item until you have sent your half of the trade.
6. Enjoy your item, thank your trader!
If the trade goes wrong
First, take a deep breath. Then, follow these steps according to what has happened:
If you receive the wrong item:
If you have not yet accepted their item or sent your item:
Calmly hit the return option on the item, and neomail the trader to explain what happened. Just make sure you do not accept the item!
If you have already sent your item and receive the wrong item:
This is why I always like to check what I have been sent before I send my own item. If you send the item and they send theirs, your only hope is to try and neomail them fast enough to get them to cancel the trade, but it is unlikely. If they accept the item, explain the problem to them. Do not get angry; check your neomail or the boards and make sure that you knew what you were trading for. If they sent you the wrong item, ask them what happened. If you made a mistake, unfortunately there is nothing that can be done. If they either won't answer, or you suspect that they tricked you, send a report to TNT. Remember that it could just be a misunderstanding. Best of luck!
If they don't send you the item:
This can always be scary! Calm down, everything will be okay.
If you do not have a neomail from TNT saying that they have accepted the item:
Just wait. If they accept the item, you will get a neomail. If you have no neomail and no item and yet you sent your item a while ago, send the trader a neomail. It's possible that they forgot to get the item out of their sdb or closet, and it could be taking a while. If they do not neomail you back within five minutes, send them another neomail. Remember to be polite! Things happen in real life too; there could have been a problem. And, if the item is not accepted within two days, it will be returned to you.
If they accept the item:
If the trader accepts the item and still doesn't send yours, send them a neomail. Out of fairness, traders usually wait to accept the item until they have sent theirs. It IS perfectly possible that this trader has every intention of sending you the item. However, if they do not send you the item within five minutes, send them a neomail. If they do not respond, or refuse to send you your half of the trade, simply report them to TNT. TNT is VERY good about returning neocash items to their rightful owners.
If you have no access to Neocash
If, for whatever reason, you have no access to neocash, remember not to beg! There is a board on the NC Mall Boards that is full of very nice people without access to NC, just like you! Just hang around and talk, and be sure to make a wishlist. Just once more for emphasis: do not beg! Begging doesn't just have to be outright asking for items to be considered begging. Making a board about how, 'Gee, I sure wish I had this background!' does not incline others to gift you! Just be patient, and be considerate.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you have a better feel for the world of neocash trading now! Thank you for reading, and be sure to check out these other great guides!
Also, thank you to Jenn (dkeeperr1983) for your input!
