Tales from my NeoDeck: Adventures in Card Collecting

          Everyone has to start somewhere, and the easiest place to start is with the cheapest cards. No need to run out and try and grab those million NP cards right away - if you look around Neopia, you can find plenty of cards at reasonable prices, even down to just 1NP! A few cards I would recommend to beginners looking to get started would be Flutter, Gorunda the Wise, and Samuel No Eyes. Not that there’s anything wrong with those cards - they have plenty of interesting stories behind them! But if you’re a little short on NP or want to start a collection that won’t break the bank, see if you can get your hands on those cards in particular.

          If you’re on the hunt for new cards, it doesn’t take a Space Station rocket scientist to figure out the first place to look: the Collectable Card shop! It’s exactly what it says on the tin. A friendly blue Buzz shopkeeper is there to assist you with whatever you need, whether it’s telling you what new cards are in stock or explaining the lore behind some of the fancy cards on display. If you need advice on starting your NeoDeck, this is who to ask. And don’t forget that you can haggle to try and get a better deal! Just try not to lowball too much, or you may get kicked out!

          The next places to look if you’re trying to expand your collection are Neopian shops and the Trading Post. Neopians from all over have shops to sell their wares, and many of them include old collectable cards that they don’t want anymore. You can’t haggle with them, but if you get lucky (or ask the Shop Wizard at the right time), you might be able to score a bargain! The Trading Post is the next stop if you’re looking for an extra rare card. For the people who are really willing to go the extra mile for that next card, you can find cards worth millions of NP here.

          Now that I’ve covered where to get the cards you’re seeking, I’d like to take a moment to tell you about some of my favourite cards and how I came to acquire them. I’ve managed to amass a pretty sizable collection, and I have some wild, fantastical stories about how a few of them came into my possession, if you’re willing to believe them. So if you wouldn’t mind, entertain me for a moment while I share some tales of my greatest accomplishments.

          One of the first rare cards that came into my collection was the Pant Devil, and I can remember that day clearly. I had just bought a few new cards at the card shop - nothing fancy, just a few that I was missing. Then, all of a sudden, the Pant Devil swooped in and stole them right out of my hands! He tried to get away, but fortunately, I had my wits about me. I grabbed an apple that was in my bag and chucked it at the Pant Devil, daring him to meet me in the Battledome to fight over my cards. He agreed to the challenge, on the condition that if he won, not only would he take my cards, but he would take all of my valuable weapons as well. I also made him agree that if I won, I would get not only my cards back, but his collectable card as well. It was a difficult fight and came a lot closer than I would’ve liked, but at the end, I emerged victorious. After the Pant Devil handed over the cards, I went home and learned that I had quite a valuable card on my hands! I had never owned a card worth more than a million NP before, but I wasn’t going to let this card go for the world.

          Another favourite card of mine is the card for Kauvara, who runs the Magic Shop in Neopia Central. My journey to get her card started with me picking up a few potions for myself at her store. As I was paying, we struck up a conversation, and I happened to mention that I was a card collector. Kauvara smiled at me and said that she actually had a card made of her, but she hadn’t seen the card shop restock it in a while. I asked her if she had any copies, and she told me she had only one, but that she would be willing to hand it over if I ran a few errands for her. I easily agreed, but boy, I didn’t know what work was coming for me! Not only did she have me stop at a few places in Neopia Central, but she even had me running to Terror Mountain and Maraqua! It took the whole day, and just when I walked into her shop to accept that I wasn’t getting the card and call it quits, she gave me a warm smile and handed it over, telling me that I was truly worthy to have it in my deck. Satisfied, I went straight home and collapsed in my bed, sound asleep for eight hours. Despite how exhausted I was, it was more than worth it, and I get plenty of envious looks from my friends when they ask me how I got the card!

          As of right now, I’m proud of my card collection. Other than the ones mentioned above, I have many other cards that I’m happy to have, like the Swamp Ghoul, Tax Beast, and Space Krawk, amongst others! However, there is one card that I’m still on the hunt for. The card of all cards, my biggest dream, the goal I’ve been chasing for years: Dr. Frank Sloth. If you know me, you know that I have a soft spot for everything Virtupets and the Space Station, and I don’t exactly keep my respect for Sloth hidden, even when people judge me for it. It would mean the absolute world to me to have his card in my deck. Sadly, it is quite expensive, and even if you do have the NP to get it, many card sellers are reluctant to hand it over due to the stigma of the card’s subject. It’s taken me quite some time to find someone who has access to the card and is willing to hand it over, and even as I write this article, I’m still on a mission to get them to sell it to me. My tasks are top secret, so I cannot reveal them at this time, but I know for a fact that when I’m finally able to obtain the card and put it into my collection, it’ll all be worth it.

          Well, that’s everything I have to say about the wonderful world of collectable cards! I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and I also hope you learned a thing or two about starting your own card collection. Good luck and happy collecting!