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Species Spotlight - Mystics and Gurus
by carradyne

We all know that some neopet species are just more popular than others when it comes to customizing. Kacheeks, for example, seem to crop up everywhere you go at the NC chat! But today, the spotlight falls on a couple somewhat less common species around here: Elephantes and Zafaras.

Models from both species will show off a variety of looks under the common theme of Mystics and Gurus. Whether it's neocash, neopoint, or paint brush, all wearables are fair game, though species clothes will take some precedence where applicable in order to better emphasize and appreciate the uniqueness of these underdogs.

In the end, the moral of the story is simple - with some creativity and perhaps a dose of help from their unique species arsenal, any neopet out there can stun the audience with their style!

Elephante Fortune Teller species outfit
The default species outfit for this theme.

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Design One

Elephante Fortune Teller Cards, Elephante Fortune Teller Vest, Embers Boots, Gypsy Boy Trousers, Lost Desert Elephante Choker, Royal Boy Elephante Turban, Royal Girl Elephante Earrings, Royal Girl Elephante Gold Bracelets

A possible variation on this look is to swap the royalgirl earrings and bracelets for pirate elephante earrings and the billowy sleeves of the elephante fortune teller shirt. The turban is also interchangeable with the dueling decks purple head bandanna.

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Design Two

Elephante Flapper Necklace, Elephante Fortune Teller Belt, Feather Elephante Headdress, Goparokko Staff, Gypsy Boy Trousers, Gypsy Boy Vest, Gypsy Henna Tattoo, Mystery Island Elephante Earrings

In this island-style outfit, purple highlights in the Feather Elephante Headdress tie in with the purple shades of the gypsy boy vest/trousers to create a unified look. The belt serves as a medicine pouch of sorts, and the necklace becomes a string of rustic wooden beads, a unique twist from the usual glitz and glamor of the Elephante Flapper outfit. Mystery Island Elephante Earrings and the staff round out the wooden accessories of this look, and for once the ubiquitous gypsy henna tattoo functions effectively too. Your friendly local medicine man is now more stylish than ever!

It was difficult to find some type of bracelets without partially covering the henna tattoo. The wrists look rather bare now, but the alternative is to remove the tattoo entirely and add something like dueling decks mynci wrist wrap. The feet were left bare in this case, but the right pair of sandals may also work here.

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The lost desert zafara collar is zoned as necklace despite its name and tucks under the black robe, providing a splash of color at the throat. Its colors are cleverly matched by the Gypsy Zafara Dress's hemline peeking out under the robe. The Lost Desert Zafara Tail Bracer is the only piece of hind cover jewelry available to zafaras and luckily its colors match well here too. Gold-colored pirate zafara earrings and a neutral-toned fighting staff finish off this ensemble. Now here is a wise woman who can knock some sense into dense young heads!

When layering the Halloween Robe with the Gypsy Zafara Dress, the ruffles at the neck partly extend out on the right side, though this is fairly unnoticeable especially if a handheld covers it up. Alternative non-spooky gloves and shoes include Fingerless Caroler Gloves or Zafara Agent Gloves plus any neutral-colored shoes. Leaving the hands bare is not advised, since the zafara's left fist is an awkward square shape when bare.

In this look:

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Design Two

Elegant Princess Amira Cape, Mystery Island Zafara Earring, Ocean Warrior Helmet, Shining Sun Staff, Tower Princess Necklace, Winged Altadorian Sandals, Zafara Altador Heroine Bracelet, Zafara Altador Heroine Dress

The necklace winks blue and pink from just under the cape clasp and adds some liveliness to the animated version of this look, whereas the mystery island zafara earring and zafara altador heroine bracelet both play rather subtle roles. Pale-colored winged altadorian sandals cover the visible portion of the feet. Just add a shining sun staff to complete her dignity and the lovely priestess is ready to bestow her blessings upon you!

A variety of other handhelds are possible here, including ancient golden sceptre or shining star staff. Unfortunately the dark red color of the desert tail bracer makes it unsuitable here, so the tail is left bare. But the biggest issue with the outfit is of course the scarcity of amira capes in Neopia. The cape is expected to be formally released again in the future, and for now, we can only admire it from afar.

Design Three

Design Four

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Are you a good glitch, or a bad glitch?
by xfts

Just the thought leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Glitches. Typically they are not-so-good. I mean, they still haven't gotten those Chocolate Wings (NC) angled right. Well, I'm here to tell you there are good glitches out there, too, and we're going to shed some light on some of those overshadowed little lovelies.

A popular example is the Golden Key Necklace (NC). Ruff-necked pet owners have found solace in putting dresses, jackets, and accessories on their pets without their fur getting in the way while their pet wears this necklace. Remember when TNT decided to fix that glitch? Chaos.

And more! The Ixi Bandit Feathered Headband (NP) will convert the face of a Tyrannian Ixi (enormous horns and underbite) into that of a normal Ixi! The body of a Ty, the face of a Basic! Yurble owners, that Fantastic Braided Wig (NC) is zoned as an Earring item on Yurbles, meaning you can wear the wig along with other hat items (bows, tiaras, you name it)! Usul lovers everywhere remember once a year that the Spring Circlet (NC) can be worn with wigs on their Usuls! A fairly new addition is the Shimmering Ring of Generosity (NC) for Kacheeks, zoned as Earrings but can be worn with Wigs!

There are many more of these glitches to be found and taken advantage of if you spend time dressing up your different pets. Make those inevitable glitches work for you!

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Vivacious Vikings
by sailorchristian

I chose a sad pose and tried to make it work for this. The reason I used a Grarrl is because of this awesome Grarrl NP pet clothes it has here. So we have a sad grarrl mourning his/her fallen companion.

Your basic Kougra viking customization I think, also used this one because of the awesome NP clothes.
This one I was running a little low on ideas but I tried to convey the Berserker Rage that you sometimes see on the really crazy vikings.

And of course this lovely maiden :D

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Looks by pand_1421

Under the Sea

In the Clouds

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What is a Great NC Investment?
by beingniceisfree

The Neopets Team(TNT) really shook up Neopia when they announced the Neocash Mall concept. It is likely that many books coud be written and many debates had over the ways that Neopia was affected by customization, from the pet redraws to spending real money on a previously 100% free site. Some players were quick to embrace the changes but many others were resistant, at least at first. As TNT ended the sale of some of the first NC Mall wearables, players discovered a whole new market in trading those items. NC item trading can be exciting and fun but there can be the occasional disappointment, as well. Especially since real money is involved, care and consideration should be taken when trading NC items.

Players involved in NC trading have all witnessed the increase in the 'value' of certain items such as; Bathazar's Bag of Bottled Faeries, Super Sale items from 2008 and New Years backgrounds from 2010, among others. No one can predict what items will follow suit but there are some factors to consider when acquiring NC items for 'investment' purposes. The following examines some of those factors:

The Neocash economy, much like the Neopoint economy and any other 'free market', is based on 'supply and demand'. In such economies, if the supply of an item is exceeded by the demand for the item, then the value rises, likewise, if the supply exceeds the demand for an item, the value drops.

Rarity and availability greatly affect the 'value' of NC items and is a key factor to consider. Items that are not subject to re-release(RR), to date, are; items given out as bonuses, game prizes, super pack only items and items put on 'Super Sale' in the NC Mall. The 'supply' of these items is limited and over time, the supply will likely decrease. The longer an item is available in the Mall, prior to going on Super Sale, the longer it will take for that item's value to increase because it was available for so long. The length of time that a prize will be given out for Game Challenges can also help determine the value of the item.

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Another factor that cannot be overlooked is what I call the 'cute/pretty factor'. Though not all wildly popular and valuable items are super cute, many are. If looking at an item makes you think, 'aww', then it probably passes the cute/pretty test. If the majority of board titles reflect particular items being sought or if you notice certain items are on nearly every wishlist(WL) you see, then chances are that that item might be a good investment. Kacheeks are one of the more popular species to customize so if an item looks great on a kacheek, then there is a good chance that the item could be considered a good investment, especially if it meets the criteria for 'rarity'. Nutcracker Face Paint and the AC Wig are two examples that come to mind.

NC items as investments is as risky as Neopian stocks, there are no guarantees. If you consider rarity, availability, likelihood of re-release and the desirability of an item and especially if you are able to trade for or acquire the item in the early stages of its retirement or in the latter stages of its availability in the Mall, you may see a nice return on your investment. Just remember, no one can predict what an item will be worth in the future – sometimes it's difficult enough to determine an item's value in the present.

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Looks Around Neopia
by iridescent321

Jazan himself couldn't make it but I was able to get a look-a-like in his place. (Just don't ask him to do any impressions, they're just awful!) First off we have the Lost Desert celebrating the return of their handsome hero.

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Customization : Does it Work for UC Pets?
by rythiel

Customizing a pet can be great fun! There are all sorts of items available in the NC mall your pet can wear such as wigs, dresses, pants, garlands, trinkets, and more! Unfortunately in the opinions of some people, this fun can often be cut short if the pet you're trying to dress up happens to be an UC pet. Although UC pets are unique, are they still worth the hassle to customize?

You might be thinking to yourself..what is an UC pet? An UC pet, or also known as an unconverted pet, is a Neopet of old-style art. They can no longer be obtained by any means unless you trade for one. To learn more about UC pets, visit http://www.neopets.com/~Cineaste.

Personally, I love customizing UC pets! I have 4 Neopets, all of which are old-style art. Though customizing them can be very limited and sometimes difficult, it is still do-able! Converted pets can not wear clothes, wigs, face paint, or hold items but here is a list of things they can wear:

- Showers
- Garlands & Sting Lights
- Foregrounds
- Thought bubbles
- Trinkets that are not hand held
- and at least but not least, Backgrounds!

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Don't forget, most of the best looking and most popular NC items are able to be worn by pets of old style art! Some nice examples would be Blooming Garden, New years backgrounds, and even Shooting Novas!

So the question remains.. is it worth it do go through the trouble of getting an UC pet to customize? How about you take a look at an example of one of Neopia's finely customized UC pets, and I'll let you decide!

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Breaking Down MMEs
by paedenbutter

This is a picture of Jordey_ the Halloween Kacheek morphing the first stage of the Magical Morphing Expirement more commonly referred to as MME7. After you purchase an MME from the NC mall, and it retires so you can no longer buy it (explaining stuff for those new to NC) it will begin to morph. As a general rule: the more it cost, the more stages it will morph through. In this case the stage is called MME7-S2 the "S2" signifies that this is now Stage Two. This specific item, MME7-S2: Rising Water Foreground, has actually been re-zoned twice.

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A little Q & A before we get too far...

Q: If I trade my MME before it is done morphing, do I get to keep all the previous stages?
A: NO. Trading before it is finished morphing transfers all rights of the MME to the other user. This includes past stages, future stages, and any chance of a bonus it may have given you (we'll get to bonuses later).

Q: Is it better to trade the MME before, or after it's finished morphing?
A: Well, that really depends. At this point I get to ask you questions like: Will you want any of the stages you've seen so far later? Do you hate trading during rushes when everyone wants the same thing? Do you want to keep your chance at the bonus item (again, talking about later)? Do you ever plan to collect MME stages? Do you dislike saving boxes, and would rather trade off all the stages individually? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you may want to consider waiting to trade off those MMEs.

Q: What's the deal with all this ID sillyness?
A: Different IDs will have some stages that vary from other IDs. People who want all the items possible, will buy one of every ID.

Q: How do you know what ID you have, or which one you're going to buy?
A:It involves viewing code, or if you have fire fox as your browser you can see what it is in the bottom left hand corner when the items in your Safety Deposit Box. Honestly, I just find out how many there are and throw that many into my shopping cart and I always seem to walk out with one of each, so I'm not the best at explaining...

http://www.neopets.com/~ecandbtwilight has a very helpful guide to finding out your MME IDs!

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Looks by 123s5

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Shopping on a Budget
by dragonflamerist

There are often cases when one doesn't want to spend too much of their real money on pixels, but still want to give their pet an amazing customization. I, myself, am dealing with that problem. Luckily, there are ways to deal with this. Some ways are you can use NP items, trade NC items, or use one or two $10 NC cards.

There are some NP items that are very nice to wear. Although, there are some NP items that can be very expensive such as the Red Belt. But, fortunately, there are a couple of items that are cheap and can go well with your look. A good example are the Wellington Boots. They are cheap and simple- looking, which is good for someone on a budget. As we can see to the left, Fiery Mittens, Torn Fire Gym Socks, and the Fire Painted Background can look very cool on a Fire pet.

There are also many backgrounds out there that look quite nice and are also luckily cheap (the big difference between NC backgrounds and NP being that most NC backgrounds move).

One $10 NC card yields 1,000 NC. Believe it or not, 1,000 NC can go a long way. With the NC, you can search the mall, see and buy the items you want. Or, if the desired item is not in the mall, you can trade with another user. My #1 tip for using NC: DO NOT immediately spend it! If there is an item that is not in the mall that you want, chances are someone else has that item UFT. Many people like capsules, Jubjub Power Bounce tokens, and NC customs, so you should go to the NC boards, make a board saying you have a 1,000 NC custom, and the item(s) people offer may go with your look.

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Jujitsu is going for a "Top Chop" look. The clothes and background are NP items and the Chopping Block is NC. I want him to have the Top Chop Background, but I don't have it as of now. I am using the Shenkuu House with River View Background as a replacement until I find someone who is willing to trade. Jujitsu will be an orange Kougra when I finish zapping for the stats.

There are also ways to obtain NC items without buying too many cards. New Game Challenges have a "Challenge Lulu" section where her score is relatively easy to beat. The Challenge tickets are only 200 NC and you get a pretty cool item. (Note: many Lulu items you get are in high demand such as the "Pink Mountain and Cloud Background" and "Spellseeker Fireworks", so you can use this technique to trade for higher items or if it goes with your look, kudos to you. n_n Neopets is now adding Lulu/NC opportunities to plenty of site events, including Key Quest, Daily Dare, the Games Master Challenge, and even plots. So it is not too hard to get cool wearables on a budget. :)

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Phewww, you've been doing lots of reading, and totally deserve a reward! It's time to play a little game of...

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Looks by lil_tee52

Picnic Looks by 2cool4u1234571