The Forgotten Collectable: Neodeck Cards

Ha! What are Neodeck cards you ask? Well Neodeck cards have been around for years in Neopia, but unfortunately no real focus has ever been placed on them, so there are very few faithful collectors out there. Now to start with the basics, to start your own personal Neodeck you have to go to the Games Room, and to the bottom there is a link to Collectable Cards. Having a Neodeck is now free, (yes, can you believe at one point in time we had to pay for it) so click to start a Neodeck, and you can create a title to it and description if you choose. Next to start purchasing Neodeck cards; these can be purchased from the Neopian Bazaar in the shop called Collectable Card Shop (creative, huh?), from other Neopian shops, and the Trading Post. To date there have only been 3 real circumstances why people have bought Neodeck cards. 1. To get a specific Battledome challenger, for example Kasuki Lu. 2. To get an avatar, like Fire Paw. and lastly, the most frequent reason – 3. To complete a light faerie quest, since Neodeck trading cards are her request item of choice.

The basics of collecting Neodeck cards is simple; there is a shop, other Neopian shops, and the trading post from where you can actually purchase cards. Card prices vary, and are color coded, but even a Neopian on a budget can start a Neodeck collection, and a good majority of the cards range from 500-1000NPs. Yes, there are some cards which are well over the 100k mark, but those are typically retired holographic cards, which means there are only a limited amount in Neopia, so similar to retired stamps or retired items for avatars, they are naturally more expensive.

Now in a previous Neopian Times article it was detailed HOW to start collecting Neodeck cards. I more want to give you the reasons WHY you would want to start a new collection. After all, most Neopians already do have a gallery or two and a few things already rotting away in their Safety Deposit Box… so why start yet another collection.

In my over five year faithful tenure on Neopets, I have only met a handful of Neodeck collectors, but I cannot fathom why more Neopians don’t collect them. So I’ll go through my top 10 reasons to collect Neodeck Collectable Cards.

1. It appears on your user look-up. And who doesn’t want more nifty collections show on their look-up. On your look-up it’ll list not only that you have a Neodeck, but it will show off the number of cards you have in it, both original and duplicates.

2. It could save you on searching for the card upon receiving a light faerie quest. Her quests grant your pet a raise in level, so for many pets the price of a card is a cheap trade. Plus I know I’m not the only one who hates when I am in the middle of restocking or doing other things and then I have to wait for help to continue using the shop wiz again.

3. You never know when a Neodeck card will be needed for an avatar again. Even if you are not an avatar collector, we are all affected by price inflation of avatar items when a new avatar comes out, so just imagine your enjoyment when an avatar is released for a card sitting quietly in your Neodeck, and you can sell it for numerous more Neopoints then you purchased it for. Hey… we all like Neopoints right?

4. Although there are a few retired cards, and there is not a heavy focus on Neodecks, TNT still does create new cards from time to time, which means like most collections, you never have to really quit collecting, there will always be more that you can venture to get.

5. The possibility of a Neodeck collector avatar or high score list – meaning possible trophy. In two different editorials in The Neopian Times, it has been questioned and answered that perhaps a high score list and avatar are in the works for Neodeck collectable cards. So whether you are a trophy collector or an avatar collector, why not get started on the collection before the great inflation in card prices when either is released.

6. The sense of completion and fulfillment when looking through your Neodeck album and you can see full pages.

7. To add a different touch to another collection or gallery you may have. If you have a gallery dedicated to a specific Neopet or even a type of item in Neopia, many of them are either detailed in Neodeck cards. So why not add Shoonee to your Kacheek gallery, or Ruali the howling Lupe to your Lupe gallery.

8. The weekly mystery picture. Hey you never know, but one week it just may be a Neodeck collectable card image.

9. Oh man… I did say 10 reasons right… I wonder if I can ramble here and no one will notice I really only had 9 reasons. Then again, let’s make this a reason… Because I said so! Who is whydidukilltwinkle you ask? Well, just a fellow Neopian trying to educate others of the beauty of the Neodeck Cards.

10. And lastly, and to me the most important of all, the amazing artwork and pictures of the Neodeck cards. Now when purchasing cards I know it may be frustrating because you cannot see the picture on the card, but visiting through different Neopian user look-ups or even my own (which currently has 307 cards out of the possible 365) and clicking on the Neodeck will allow you to see the various images. Ever wonder where some users and guilds get these amazing neopian images from for their look-ups or guild homepages? Well you guessed it right, many of the images come from the Neodeck collectable cards.

And that’s a wrap. Lights, Camera, Action! I mean… oops, this wasn’t a film here. But honestly, that’s it. Ten good, or maybe not-so-good reasons to start collecting Neodeck collectable cards. If you ever have any questions about Neodeck cards feel free to neomail me and I’ll answer any questions.

*Poke Poke* Wait!!!!! Before you go I do have a tenth, or rather should I say ninth, reason to collect Neodeck cards. Unlike stamps, Neodeck cards can be placed in your album, and taken out again, so it is never Neopoints wasted as if you needed or desired to, you could sell a Neocard from your album.