NEOPIAN BAZAAR - You've waited. And waited. And waited. And finally... that one
glorious day of bargain prices and discounts rolls around. I've been playing
Neopets for a while now, but the recently passed half-price day was my first
half-price day experience ever.
Early that morning, I dragged my Lupe off to the nearest store, in hopes of
scoring that adorable PetPet I'd had my eye on for the longest time.
I pushed open the door, heard the silvery tinkle of a bell ring, and my mouth
dropped open. The store was empty. All the shelves were bare! Confused, I quickly
exited the store and headed to the next one. Once again! Empty!! Nothing was
there! And it wasn't until I had visited almost every store in Neopia, and finding
them all empty, that I realized there would have be more strategy involved to
get those items I'd been drooling over.
What is that strategy, you ask? Well, with a little preparation and a cool
head, you can make half-price day worth your while!
THE PRE-GAME SHOW
A week or so before half-price day, decide what items you really want. Do
you want food? Books? Magical Potions? Battledome items? Whatever you decide,
pick a few items and stick to your decisions!
Second, take a little time to find out which stores carry the items you want.
THIS IS IMPERITAVE! When half-price day comes, you won't have time to slowly
browse each store. Find the store that carries the item you want, and camp out
there!
If you have some extra time, find out the average prices of the items you
want. This way you'll know exactly how to budget your spending money.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Go to your bank and withdraw a substantial amount of money. You'll find that
if you're constantly running back and forth to the bank on half-price day, you
will miss out on a lot of good deals and items.
ON HALF PRICE DAY
Before even hitting any of the stores, go to the bank, and collect your interest.
If you didn't do it the night before, withdraw enough money to last you through
buying at least 3-4 items.
When half-price day finally rolls around, open up 2 windows. In the first
window, go to the store of your choice. Keep the second window open, so that
you can visit the Healing Springs, spin the two Wheels, grab some Omelette,
etc. in between restocks.
Refresh the first window every now and then to make sure you catch the restock.
When the shop restocks, BE QUICK! Be prepared for plenty of pushing and shoving
with your fellow Neopians to get what you want!
STORE STRATEGIES
Not all stores are created equal. Some stores are less popular than others,
and therefore, easier to find things in.
If you're interested in just buying as much as you can, regardless of what
the items are, stay away from the Main Shops (e.g. Book Shop, Food Shop, Magic
Shop, etc.) and head directly to stores like Sutek's Scrolls, Lost Desert Battle
Supplies, and the Slushie shop. I have found that Tyrannian Furniture almost
always has a decent amount of items in stock.
If you go to a store, and find that there are A LOT of items in stock, and
they don't seem to be disappearing very quickly, beware buying everything in
sight. Compare the prices with what the Shop Wizard says. Sometimes, you may
find that you are paying more than you should be, even though it's half-price
day! Luckily, this doesn't happen TOO often.
THE HIDDEN TOWER
Sorry, but the Hidden Tower's prices are still as expensive as ever! No discounts
here!
BUYING STRATEGIES
Half-price day is a great day to get 50% off all the store items, but you'll
also find that the stores stock 50% less (or at least it seems that way). Because
of this, you won't have a lot of time to browse and pick and choose the things
you want.
There are two ways to approach buying items.
1) Buy as much as you can.
2) Wait for that special item.
Personally, I try not to be too picky and just buy as much as I can. If you
wait for that really good item, you might miss out on getting great deals on
other items.
Try and see what works for you.
HAGGLING STRATEGIES
Ok, everyone knows that you should NEVER pay the exact amount the shopkeeper
asks. Under normal circumstances, you can often get the shopkeeper to drop
his prices just by haggling.
But don't forget, half-price day isn't normal circumstances!
If you see a rare or really good item, don't even bother to haggle! Just pay
the price the shopkeeper asks! That way, another Neopian won't rush by and
snatch that item away while you are haggling with the shopkeeper!
For any other items, don't haggle too much. If the price you offer isn't accepted
the first try, head back to the shop and pick up another item. But remember,
don't be stingy! You are already getting 50% off! Keep your haggles modest,
and you'll be sure to get what you want!
SELLING STRATEGIES
If you plan on selling the items you buy on half-price day, I suggest that
you hang on to them for a few days before selling them. Keep in mind that EVERYONE
is trying to buy from the main Neopian stores, and therefore, fewer people will
be checking out your non-discounted store.
Also, because of the huge number of people trying to buy and sell right away,
the prices of items on the Shop Wizard are likely to be lower than usual. If
you hold onto those items for a couple of days, the half-price frenzy will slowly
tide over and you will be able to sell your items for better prices.
SLOW CONNECTION STRATEGIES
What, you don't have a super fast computer or modem? Every time you try
to buy, it's sold out? Never fear. As I said in the previous section, many people
will be out to get a quick profit and sell their items right after buying. Because
of this, the prices on the Shop Wizard are likely to drop. might be able to
find some great bargains in other people's shops.
So there you go, your guide to surviving and scoring on Half Price Day! I
hope this guide will help you get those bargains you've been waiting for! Happy
shopping everyone! | 
