Ultimate Riches, here I come! A restocking guide.

     Whatever your inspiration may be for successful restocking – riches, glory, perhaps even a few avatars – the task may be daunting, confusing, and overwhelming, all at once. This condensed guide is aimed to give one Neopian’s insight into the world of restocking.

     First things first. For those of you who may be new to the game or just aren’t quite sure of what the fuss is all about, restocking is simply visiting a Neopian shop and purchasing an item that may be sold at a profit in your personal store, at auction, or traded on the Trading Post. Some Neopians make a whole day of it – they restock for large chunks of time and amass a huge collection of items to fill their shops. Others may take a more leisurely approach and visit one shop, wait around for the stock to refresh, and go back to Meridell to try and wake Turmaculus.

     For those new to restocking, the options of shops at which to do so coupled with the choice of what to buy may seem incredibly overwhelming. Don’t fear! Every restocker had to begin somewhere, and many have even purchased an expensive item, thinking they hit it big, to discover it resells for only a fraction of the price!

     How do you avoid the massive loss of profits? Sometimes, it just happens when you’re new to this venture. The important thing is to remember what happened – remember the item you bought, and mentally make a red flag never to purchase that item again! The easiest way to get the hang of this is to pick a shop that restocks only a few items that are profitable. Observe the shop for a few restocking cycles. What items do you see frequently? Only once or twice? What items restock in large quantities, versus smaller quantities? These are all important observations to note.

     Additionally, a necessary observation is to note when the shops restock. While this may seem rudimentary, shops will go through two major restocking waves. The first is simply additional stock added to the existing shop stock. Second, there is a “clear” (which happens frequently throughout the day) where the shop stock resets – items are completely wiped from the stock and a few minutes later the shop is fully stocked with a completely new mix of items. While there is not necessarily an algorithm to determining when a shop has restocked or is about to get restocked, these two events are just things to watch out for and be aware of.

     As a general rule of thumb, items that restock at only a single quantity should be bought immediately. The old rule included items that restock at 10,000 NP or 5,000 NP. As always, there are exceptions to the rule. This is why it is important to study the shop you are restocking at, become familiar with it, and then start restocking. Another tip is to stay in a shop that has a smaller pool of items from which to restock. For example, Exotic Foods in Shenkuu restocks from a pool of about 50 items, 10-15 items at a time, with only a handful of those items worth purchasing for profit. This is a great place to get familiar with the concept and practice, practice, practice.

     Another great shop to practice is the Super Happy Fun Icy Snow Shop at the top of Terror Mountain. This shop stocks a massive amount of items that can be resold for a profit. Items to look for are flavored Magical Chia Pops. Almost every one of these treats can be sold for a small fortune, so if you are ever lucky enough to see one, make sure not to pass it up!

     Another tip is to go for restocking collectibles. Plushies and Usukis will sell relatively quickly – not nearly as quickly as books or stamps. The goal here is to restock items that Neopians have a high demand for. Stamps, collectible cards, books, and gourmet foods all provide some reward to the consumer, and these items should be the focus of a restocking spree. Wearable clothes and Neohome furniture may be profitable, but both of these stores are filled with expensive goodies that resell at a fraction of the purchase price. Further, new items (check the news page) will restock for a pretty good profit until the supply catches up to the demand. Oh, economics!

     While restocking at Kauvara’s is alluring, this is a daunting task even for the most experienced restocker. This is because there is high competition in this shop; i.e. there is always a virtual cloud of Neopians wanting to make a grab at the most profitable magic. If you do choose to restock there, be wary: morphing portions are not as profitable as they used to be. While a skilled Neopian may still make a profit on morphing potions, more often than not the ones seen in the store do not sell for any sort of profit; only a loss. If you choose to restock in this shop, make sure you do your homework and research morphing potion prices so you know what you are looking for.

     Remember, only a 4-month-old account will be able to see items of all rarities in shops. Certain boons (looking at you, Battleground of the Obelisk) will highlight items in shops above a certain rarity. The most profitable items that should be insta-buys are r99 items. They have no distinguishing markings, and are learned through thorough research and perhaps some trial and error. If you happen across an item you are just itching to purchase, and yay, there are 5 of that item in stock, you may only purchase one item every five seconds due to high demand in Neopian shops.

     This is just one Neopian’s 10,000 foot view of restocking. I, much like you I am sure, still have plenty to learn as far as restocking goes. Remember, you have to be willing to spend Neopoints to make Neopoints, and always carry a substantial amount (depending on the shop) with you. The important takeaways if you don’t want to re-read this thing a thousand times? Sure! They are as follows:

     • Note the stores with high competition (Kauvara, Post Office, etc.) and tackle those when you are comfortable with your restocking skills.

     • Research which shops stock r99 items, and how many, and memorize the lists (or do your best!)

     • Remember to be aware of shop clears and keep an eye out for new stock.

     • Gourmet foods will always sell, so do your best to recognize what’s gourmet and what’s just expensive!

     • Collectible items will resell pretty well – coins, cards, scarabs, etc.

     • If you are restocking furniture/gardening, make sure it’s for the updated Neohome.

     • If you are restocking clothes, make sure they are wearable.

     Happy restocking, and good luck on your ventures!