Enter the Snowflake's lair... Circulation: 143,481,830 Issue: 301 | 20th day of Swimming, Y9
Home | Archives Articles | Editorial | Short Stories | Comics | New Series | Continued Series
 

The Secret of Scratchcards


by i3audelaire

--------

So, you're here to learn about the secret of Scratchcards, huh? Well, that makes sense then, because that's why the title is what it is.

So anyways, there are a few things about Scratchcards that every Neopian should know. I've been around on Neopets for over three years now, on former accounts and such, and I've been scratching five cards a day for about 2 of them, which equals out to... well, a lot of them. So, I know the tips, tricks and general ways to win.

First of all, the most important part is having fun, right? So I would choose a Kiosk that looks fun. My personal favorite is the Lost Desert Kiosk because you can actually scratch the cards. Now, that's the best part, right, the suspense? I think so.

Now, we need to know a little bit about the Kiosks, right? The Lost Desert Kiosk is located in the Lost Desert, of course, in Sakhmet City, right next to the ever popular Fruit Machine. The Ice Caves Scratchcard Kiosk is located in the Ice Caves, which were made popular by "Hannah and the Ice Caves". The Deserted Fairground Kiosk is also located in its title location, The Deserted Fairgrounds, right outside the Haunted Woods. The Scratchcards at The Lost Desert Kiosk sell for the cheapest, at 500NP per card. The Ice Caves are in a close second with 600NP, and Sidney at the Fairground Kiosk sells for the outrageous 1,200NP. So, I would go with Lost Desert. The Lost Desert Kiosk closes at 2PM NST for lunch, so if that's prime time for you, I'd suggest heading to the Ice Caves. However, when the Ice Cave Kiosk goes down for lunch, you can always stop by the Snowager and see if he's asleep. Luckily, all of the Kiosks are surrounded by fun, family friendly things to do, so, if your Precious_Baby_Lupeykins is a little too little to be exposed to Scratchcarding, he can always find something more fun to do while still being close by.

Second of all, after you get yourself to a Kiosk, you need to BUY the card. Now this has a little bit of the Winning Factor in it. It's "Lucky Dip" so, what you get could determine what you win. Most people would say that the more rare the card, the better chance of winning. I only somewhat agree. I wouldn't go out and spend my life savings on the most rare of the Rare cards because I would win... It doesn't always work that way. You're not guaranteed to win just because you have a rare card, but you may have better chance at that JACKPOT!

Thirdly, you have to scratch the card. Now, to do this, you need simple wrist movements, up and down, side to side, diagonal... doesn't matter, just scratch. Now, one of the biggest things about scratching is picking the circles to scratch. There aren't any certain ones to scratch; there's no pattern to winning. You basically just have to pick and scratch. I usually go with my gut instinct on which ones to pick. You can only pick six out of the nine, of course, so remember to choose wisely!

Now that you scratched, you've discovered whether or not you've won! I hope you won! Now, either click the link to claim your prize, or to discard the card. That's the easiest thing.

Alright, so that was my guide to SCRATCHING a Scratchcard, but other factors are Buying and Selling Scratchcards. Of course you can buy one at a Kiosk, but you may only buy one per four hours, and sometimes you just gotta play! So, off you go to the trades, or better yet, the SHOP WIZARD! So, off you go to punch in the noble words "Scratchcard". Now, you're probably going to sit here for a little while until you find something reasonable. The thing to look for is newer people who like to sell for under the Kiosk price. You're probably not going to see this too often, so when you do, BUY! Sometimes, people will sell for a little bit over the price say, 50NP or so, and this is alright, too, because there's nothing like helping out small business. Remember, no matter how many you buy, you can only scratch up to five cards a day!

On a side note, there are many cards to choose from when buying. Among the types of Scratchcards, there are; Faeries Fortune Scratchcard, Coltzan's Cash Scratchcard, Sutek's Riches Scratchcard, Scorched Treasure Scratchcard, Terror Trove Scratchcard, Geb Gajillionaire Scratchcard, Race to Riches Scratchcard, Crypt of Chance Scratchcard, Icetravaganza Scratchcard, Peak O Plenty Scratchcard, Undead Jackpot of Doom Scratchcard, Sandtravaganza Scratchcard, Pustravaganza Scratchcard, Rotting Riches Scratchcard, Mutating Millions Scratchcard, and the Festering Fortune Scratchcard. One of the most important things to remember is to watch out for fake Scratchcards. You will know a fake Scratchcard by the word FAKE in front of the title of the card. Don't be afraid to shop around, you don't have to buy the first card that comes up. Sometimes the best deals are the last one you find.

Selling a Scratchcard is the same as buying; try to keep it low, and you may get customers who come back often to buy from you! If you get a Super Rare Scratchcard, you should think of putting on the Trades, where you might make more money on it. Here again, I will remind you to watch out for fake cards, but for a different reason; FAKE CARDS SELL HIGH. You'll be pretty lucky if you can get your hands on one of these, but don't count on it... most Neopians don't even see one in their entire lifetime.

Remember something that we Neopians often forget, Scratchcards aren't all about money and that BIG JACKPOT; you can win other prizes. Petpets, furniture, snowballs, and food are among some of the other things you can win by playing. And also remember that Scratchcarding is just that; Playing. So remember to have fun and don't get carried away.

So, in conclusion;

When Buying Scratchcards, Buy Low.

When Selling Cards, Sell Low.

When Scratching Cards, WIN BIG!

 
Search the Neopian Times




Great stories!


---------

Who Are You More Like: Isca or Caylis?
When you're trying to decide whether to buy a 'Fluffy Isca Rug' or a 'Caylis Wind Up Toy', this will help you.

by alma_jean

---------

Lost Integrity
I guess it's a good thing that you can't switch teams this year...

by _demon_master

---------

The Reckoning
"Meep! Meep meep meep! Meep meep! MEEEEEEP!" These stirring words roused the Meepits, as the Gangees flinched back...

by __beren__

---------

Trapped!
'We're locked in," someone wailed, and they all fell to pounding on the door, scratching and screaming, "LET US OUT!!!"

by kione_moondust



Submit your stories, articles, and comics using the new submission form.