Elusive Rare Items by sivany |  |
So you're getting along fine on Neopets, you're not rich but you're comfortably
off and everything is going swimmingly. Then suddenly... BAMM! It happens. You
get one of those super expensive unbuyable items, the sort of item you've always
dreamt about and hoped for, but suddenly you're at a loss. You have the item,
but what do you do now? Well, this article is dedicated to helping you out,
so read on!
What Is An Unbuyable?
An unbuyable is an item worth over 100,000np. No item priced at over 100,000
can be bought from a user's shop, hence the name "unbuyable." Such items are
very rare! Also, unbuyable items can sometimes only have a low estimated value;
this shows why it is important to check the Shop Wizard rather than just going
off the estimated value!
Ways You Might Receive An Unbuyable Item
1. You buy it: This is unlikely, considering that they are unbuyable, but you
may get lucky and manage to buy something from the main shops for a much cheaper
price than it is actually worth, without realising it.
2. You get it at an auction: Again unlikely, but you might get lucky.
3. You trade it for something: This could happen, if someone really really wants
a particular item they may be willing to trade something worth far more than
the item they want to get.
4. You get it in a random event: This is more likely, although very rare items
are not often given out in random events.
5. You complete a quest: Usually, the rewards for things like the Snow Faerie
quests aren't that good, but you may get lucky!
6. You win it: This is the most likely; you could win the item in a game or
competition. I won my first rare item from the Wheel of Excitement. It was a
book called My Eyrie Friend and I will use this as a case study in this
article (although it is no longer worth as much).
How To Tell You Have An Unbuyable!
It isn't actually that easy, unless it is one of the better known items like
a Rod of Supernova. I bet you'd never heard of My Eyrie Friend until
I mentioned it, had you? I know I had never heard of it till I won it... I didn't
even know what it was! The easiest way to tell if something is unbuyable is
to look in the Shop Wizard. If you get no search results the first time, hit
the back button and try again. If you still get no search results, then check
to make sure you have spelt the item name correctly and that you have not accidentally
entered a maximum price. Now, try again a few times... if you still get nothing,
then congratulations! It is very likely that you have an unbuyable item. I get
some search results, but they are over 100,000 NP.
No problem, this just means that the particular user is extremely proud of
their rare item and wants to show it off. They have put the item in their shop
at a price where no one can purchase it, but everyone can see it. This is called
a gallery item. Another thing that could happen is you could get just one search
result at 99,000 NP, or whatever. Don't rush out and put your item in your shop
for that much, as you might be able to get more.
The Next Step
This is the part where most people freeze. I certainly did when I got My
Friend Eyrie, because you don't expect a book to be worth that much. However,
once you have calmed down from the shock, you should do several other things.
1. Now you know how much the item is worth I would recommend immediately putting
it into your shop. No, not to sell, but to keep it safe from things like the
Pant Devil. They can steal items and NP from the bank, your inventory and your
safety deposit box, but they won't touch your shop. Set the price to 0 NP to
make sure no one will buy the item.
2. Check the auctions: Items can be sold at any price in the auctions. Check
the Auction Genie to see how much people are putting the item up for, and how
much people are bidding.
3. Look at the Trading Post: Search for lots with your item in them. With such
an expensive item, it is likely that people will only be trading it by itself.
Look at their wish list to see how much they expect to get for the item. Now
you should have a much clearer idea of how much your item is worth, although
it could be even more confusing, especially if you only got a few results. When
I looked at the Trading Post someone was asking just 85,000 NP for their My
Friend Eyrie, whilst the second person was asking for 150,000 NP, and there
were no more lots to compare it too. The situation was similar in the auction;
just two people asking very different prices. Don't panic at this point and
ask for the lowest price. The fact that there are so few of these items on offer
means that 85k is probably too low... perhaps these people just want a quick
sale or trade.
What To Do
Next, decide what you want to do. In the ever-expanding world of Neopia, you
have several choices:
Shops
If you found that the item was consistently up for auction or trade at around
100,000 to 120,000 NP, and you want to get rid of the item easily, then you
could put it in your shop for between 90,000 and 100,000 NP (depending on its
worth), and wait till it has been bought. Remember, don't be tempted to lower
your price, as these items can take a long time to sell (not many people can
afford them!). Be patient, it will go eventually. The only time you should lower
the price is if you check the Shop Wizard again at a later date and find other
people selling the item for a lower price (although first make sure it is not
a ridiculously low price because the person hasn't bothered to check they have
an expensive item)
Auctions
If you wish to get more than 100,000 NP for your item, one option is to put
it up for auction. For such a rare item, it is probably better to set up quite
a long lasting auction, as with such a rare and expensive item people will probably
use the auction genie to search for lots rather than checking the most recent
auctions. Put your item up for just a little lower than any other lots in the
auction for the same item; this will ensure people choose to bid on your lot
first. One word of warning! Don't set the item for a low price, then set the
minimum increment so high that people will end up paying more than it's worth
with just one bid. Keep it reasonable; for items over 100,000 NP, about 1000
NP is a reasonable increment. Once the auction is set up, you can forget about
your item until the auction is over! If you find nobody bids on the item, you
can try again with the auction (perhaps no one wanted your particular item today,
but maybe someone will tomorrow) or you can try one of the other options.
Trading
This can be one of the best choices, providing it is done sensibly. As your
item is very expensive, put it up for trade in a lot BY ITSELF! I cannot stress
this enough! Very few people want to spend 500,000 NP on five unbuyable items
at the same time. Usually, people just want one thing in your lot, and they
will be put off of your trade because the items are not separate. Even putting
"Neomail for separate items" doesn't help very much, because people will bid
on the more convenient lots first (e.g. the ones with individual items) and
you will lose out.
When you put your item up for trade, it is always a good idea to actually
specify something on your wishlist. People are more willing to bid if they know
for certain they are bidding something you want, and that they are likely to
get the trade. If you followed the steps above, you will know roughly what your
item is worth by now, so you know how much you can reasonably ask for it. Always
ask a reasonable price; you can ask for NP's, items or even a mixture of both.
Think about whether you want items such as paint brushes, morphing potions,
battledome items etc. and then look to see how much these items are worth. If
they are worth less than your item, you could ask for more than one item, or
NP's as well the item. It is well worth doing research before you start your
trade, so that you don't under or overcharge, neither of which will make you
any money (people don't buy or trade overpriced items!) It may take a few days
for someone to make an offer on your lot, but providing it is priced reasonably,
you should eventually get an offer. It is up to you whether or not you think
it is reasonable, and if you want to accept it. If someone offers you cheap
rubbish though, don't be afraid to reject! You know what the item is worth,
and you deserve to get what you want for it (within reason!) so keep trying
until you find a suitable buyer.
What To Do Once You've Sold Your Item
Nothing! Sit back, relax and bask in the glory of being rich! : ) Congratulations!
Well, that's all from me. Hopefully, this article has helped some of you out
there who weren't sure how to handle the more expensive items in Neopia. If
you follow the advice in this article, you should be well on your way to getting
a lot of money for your unbuyable items. Now, the only problem is getting your
hands on one in the first place....
My user name is Sivany, please feel free to neomail me with any questions.
I would also like to add that the book "My Eyrie Friend" is no longer worth
as much as when I first acquired one but they are still worth a few thousand
so if you come across one there's still some money to be made! |
