 Wait, What? Another Restocking Guide for Newbies?
by mushymerf
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Restocking guides are usually subject to a common problem: with Neopian economy constantly fluctuating (i.e. items getting retired, the recent release of the Almost Abandoned Attic, new avatar items being released, and so forth), it is often difficult to figure out which items are profitable to restock. Of course, by figuring out I mean knowing well in advance what your eyes should be fixed upon refreshing, so that you -hopefully- get the item before it's gone. Trust me, Morphing Potions are usually sold out in the blink of an eye.(On the other hand, having restocking guides quickly outdated gives us a great pretext to write about the same topic over and over again!)
This time, however, I thought it would be best to start from the very beginning and focus on new users. Once you become familiar with the restocking process (aka "staring at the screen while pressing F5", followed by the I just went to the bathroom can't believe I missed it" concept) and stare at experienced restockers' screenies, your next objective becomes making profit. Actually, you probably want to make as most profit as possible in the least amount of time. Sadly, Draik Eggs won't come overnight -especially if you are on a newbie account- so sit down, grab some caffeine and be patient. The truth is, earning Neopoints always require investing time and effort.
First, you should be aware of the most important changes that have been made to the restocking system:
Restocking times are random. Yes, there is no way to predict when items will stock at any shop. Basically, you have to press F5 repeatedly. Be careful, though, abusing F5 can get you banned from buying in shops for as long as two days, so click wisely!
Account age. The longer you have been registered at Neopets, the greater number of perks you have. In restocking terms, this means that you can only see items up to a certain rarity if you are a relatively-new user. Having said that, there are a limited number of items that you can make profit of if you are three months or under.
So, where and what should you restock? I consider the following recommendations up-to-date, but, for further reference, please keep in mind what I said about the effect Neopian economy has on restocking guides. 1. 0-9 days: r79 and under.
A. Neopian Pharmacy
Even if this shop takes longer to restock due to a massive amount of item already in stock, it is, on the other hand, the one that sells the items fastest at shops. These are restocked in bulk, meaning that you can usually buy two to three per restock if you are quick enough. Of course, you should make sure that these are priced the lowest on Shop Wizard.
--Herbal Scrambled Eggs (r54): ~7-8k profit --Medicinal Soap (r60): ~4k profit --Cactopus Cream (r77): ~65-70k profit B. Neopian Fresh Foods One avatar item that, due to its rarity, restocks often. Sadly they do not restock in bulk like the others, so you have to pay more attention and have a sharp eye to spot it once the shop restocks. --Bag of Peanuts (r79): ~300k profit C. Magical Bookshop There's only one item that I'd suggest buying at this shop, and luckily it's an avatar item (aka incredibly ETS). However, it's seasonal, meaning it will surely go down in price once the avatar is released again (August). This shop restocks fairly often due to the massive amount of books that quickly fly off its shelves, so the good news is that you have a decent chance of coming across this item. Oh, and it restocks in bulk, too. --Gourmet Cooking For Your Pet (r50): ~100-150k profit 2. 10-16 days: r84 and under. & 16 days - 1 month: r89 and under.
*This is kind of obvious, but the following items go in addition to the previous ones, not replacing them. The more the merrier, right? A. Neopian Pharmacy
Two new items. Unlike Medicinal Soaps or Eggs, these do not stock in bulk; however, their estimated profit is equally interesting.
--Honey Blossom Extract (r83): ~6k profit --Grumble Be Gone Tablets (r85): ~30-35k profit **16+ days --Neck Brace (r88): ~40-45k profit **16+ days. A. Kayla's Potion Shop One of my favorites. They restock often and are fairly easy to spot, since the shop itself is not very crowded. --Bubbling Fungus (r81): ~150k profit --Bomberry Elixir (r84): ~9-10k profit --Cooling Balm of the Warrior (r80): ~7-8k profit --Essence of Drackonack (r85): ~48k profit ** 16+ days. B. Spooky Food
Avatar item. Like the Pharmacy, however, this shop is prone to have three or more rows of items, which means its restocking frequency may be lower than others. Yes, this is shout-out to newer users to help clearing shops as well!
--Snorkle Snout (r80): ~300k profit 3. 1-3 months: r94 and under.
Well, it is officially time to go out of your comfort zone and start exploring new shops. The items above are what could be considered your safety net if you ever run low of NP (or simply if you need some more to restock in higher-end shops); however, by the time you are one month old, it is more than likely that you have grown somewhat tired of the routine. Here are my suggestions:
A. Unis Clothing Shop
Wearables are... uh, trendy, and sell relatively fast. It would be impossible for me to list every profitable item at Clothes, since the list itself would be HUGE. Keep an eye out for items that stock in one, or, alternatively, items that have been recently released (they usually release new clothes on each species day).
B. Neopian Post Office Likewise, there are many profitable items to go for here. The same technique applies: items that stock in one and/or are priced 5k or 10k. --
Overall, it may take some time and adjusting to a whole new range of profitable items, but this is often rewarded as you get more experienced and the profit gets consequently higher.
Last but not least: congratulations, you are officially three months old, thus no longer restricted to item rarity at shops. Yes, it is finally time to restock those elusive Draik Eggs.
Good luck!
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