The Elusive Neopian Times Coin

     Hello Weewoos and friends! For this special edition, the 850th edition of the Neopian Times, Caitlyn and I will be discussing the elusive Neopian Times Coin and ways to make the money to own one. Gifted to writing Neopians who were accepted into the editions of 170, 650, 700, 750, the Neopian Times Coin holds a highly-regarded status in the Neopian community. Individuals from every corner of Neopia, from the AC to the TC to Charter, want this coin – whether it be to show off as a status symbol, sell for a higher price, or album in the Coins page. Many would argue that the hype for this coin is unreasonable and foolish – it’s just a coin; it doesn’t give an avatar, nor does it automatically make you hundreds times richer. However, there are many less tangible reasons for desiring such an item. From album collecting to gallery collecting to “showing off,” Neopians long for this coin. But with the prize only being awarded with every 50th Neopian Times edition, most players are left to hunt for the fleeting item in other, less stable ways.

      As the Neopian Times Coin is not restockable - sorry #68 shoppers, you’re all out of luck! – it’s rarer than its counterparts in other Coin albums. Thus leads to a high, and often inflated, price. At last price check, ten million neopoints was the running price for the coin! One might wonder – why spend so many hard-earned neopoints on one, simple, non-avatar-giving, gold coin? The answer is easy – collectors. Briefly spoken about above, album and gallery collectors are some of the most active buyers. Stamp collectors crave the coin to album, and gallery collectors of, for example, r100s, coins, and NT prizes, seek it to add to their collection. But with such a limited number of 50th editions, about once a year, there must be other ways to get the coin. This article will highlight some of those less-traveled roads to reaching the goal of officially owning a NT Coin.

          1. Restocking

     As stated above, the Neopian Times Coin does not restock in a shop. Only r99 items and under stock, and as a r100, the NT Coin does not fit the requisites. However, restocking provides a hefty source of income in order to afford the ten million neopoint price tag of the coin. In order to maximize profits, restock in shops with a large number of items that would sell for six or seven figures. Examples are Kauvara’s Magic Shop, Collectable Coins, Booktastic Books, Royal Potionery, Neopian Post Office, and Collectable Sea Shells. Look to a guide, such a ~/Briannea, for tips and tricks. Make it big in the shops, and that NT Coin will be yours in no time!

     2. Sniping

     Similar to restocking, sniping is another way to make big bucks fast. If you’re a Premium member, try the Super Shop Wizard. This doesn’t happen too often, but it does. Many players will misprice a more expensive item; however, the bigger gains can be made sniping at the Auction House. Not to make light of one’s misfortune, but misprices commonly occur. An example would be a player auctioning an item for 7,000,000 neopoints, but instead auctioning it for 700,000 neopoints. The most common items that are mispriced are paint brushes, secret laboratory map pieces, morphing potions and album items. Who knows, you may get lucky and snipe an actual NT Coin! Keep your eyes open at the Auction House!

     3. Trudy’s Surprise

     The best “good morning” gift is seeing Trudy’s Surprise above my menu bar! If spun every day for twenty-five days, the final prize is 100,000 neopoints and now an exclusive avatar is rewarded each twenty-five day cycle!. Every day leading up to that, though, is several thousand neopoints, depending on which slots the machine lands. However, if you were able to get the “Bad Luck Bonus” every day for 25 days, you would get around 1,225,420 neopoints, if my calculations are correct. Remember, I’m a writer, not a mathematician, so no promises! Now if we divide the year into 25 day intervals, assuming no day is missed, that would be about 14.6. Multiply that number by the highest amount achievable through Trudy’s, and BAM! In a year, through Trudy’s Surprise alone, that’s a profit of 17,891,132 neopoints. Don’t let anyone tell you to Block Trudy’s from showing up above your menu bar – it’s worth it! A year is not too drastic; however, most Neopians desire the NT Coin ASAP.

     4. Battledome

     Ahhh, the sweet sound of winning against one’s enemy! Winning in the Battledome provides an easy and dependable way of gaining profit. Have a BD pet? Fight an opponent! Most wins are rewarded with Codestones, and if you’re a Premium member, Nerkmids. At around 5,000 and 75,000 neopoints respectively, the prizes won through Battledome wins is an easy way to gain neopoints – resell! Just battle fifteen times a day, and that’s a decent profit. We have found out that the Koi Warrior is the best non-premium pet to battle against. He seems to drop more codestones and rarities than other opponents. You do need some stats to battle against him, but nothing that is not doable! Do this for a year, and you’ll have reached your goal of a NT Coin!

     5. Gaming

     Head on over to the Games section of Neopets – the fastest and easiest way to gain neopoints! Each game awards a certain number of neopoints; it is certainly possible to gain over a 100,000 neopoints by playing each game. If you’re a Premium member the neopoints you can earn daily increase, too. Furthermore, the game Ghoul Catchers is another efficient way to gain neopoints. Players can receive up to 50k a day just playing Ghoul Catchers! Head over to Jellyneo and read up on their guide in order to take advantage of this fun and useful way to increase profits! Gamer Neopetters, you’ve found your calling. Now go make those neopoints and save for your very own Neopian Times Coin!

     6. Wheel of Extravagance

     Feeling lucky? Go spin the Wheel of Extravagance! One of the landing spots awards the spinner one special item – a r100. If you consider yourself a risk taker, this is the path for you. At 100,000 neopoints a spin, this route is not for the frugal. You have the opportunity to win rare paint brushes, nerkmids, secret laboratory map pieces, job coupons and more! Winning these items would allow you more profits (if you sold them of course). There is also the opportunity to lose the initial 100,000 investment daily, so be weary of that as well. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the lucky winner of a Neopian Times Coin! It’s always worth a shot – 100,000 neopoints is a measly number in comparison to the much larger 10 million neopoints.

     7. Stock Market

     Calling the mathematicians! The Stock Market is a game of buying and selling - and you also have to have a LOT of patience! Investing in stocks is a smart way to help yourself gain some extra neopoints while doing no work! If you invest 1,000 shares a day in a stock that sells for 15NP a share, that is 15k a day. That is easy money to make by playing games or doing your Trudy’s Surprise. Jellyneo has an amazingly helpful stock guide and if you are a newbie to stocks, I highly suggest reading the guide! Investing in multiple companies greatly increases your chance of making some serious neopoints. Once you believe your stocks are good enough to sell, do it! Patience is key with the stock market, but some extra neopoints while you are saving up for your elusive coin definitely will not hurt!

     8. Food Club

     Food Club is another great and quick way to earn money - sometimes! Food Club is especially beneficial for Neopians with older accounts, as the payout is greater. The amount of money you make from Food Club all depends on the odds for the day. It is a game of luck and chance, and you may tank and lose the money you bet, or you may make hundreds upon thousands of neopoints! Again, Jellyneo has an amazing guide for those who want to learn more. Most betters also follow other Neopians who have graciously offered their bets to the general public! One of our favorite pages is run by none other than garet_jaxx. His betting page can be found at /~boochi_target. He wins and makes decent profits most days, unless there is an upset and an unlikely pirate wins in their arena! Don’t lose hope if you lose for a day or so - typically the return of investment is extremely high for daily players! Start betting today, and ensure a fast track to finally achieving your own Neopian Times Coin!

     I hope Caitlyn and I have been able to help you realize the endless possibilities in getting your very own Neopian Times Coin! There is a strategy for every Neopian alike - you just have to find out which works best for you! We suggest trying a mix of everything to help maximize profits. This non-restockable coin holds its value and status, so owning one would be a wonderful accomplishment. Since the coin was only awarded to those who were selected to appear in a handful of Neopian Times issues or by dumb luck through the Wheel of Extravagance, owning one is like owning a piece of Neopian Times history!

     Once you have earned enough neopoints for the coin and purchase one, let us know! We would love to rejoice with you! Whether or not you choose to add the coin to your album or into your themed gallery, the accomplishment is all that great. You have definitely earned the right to show off your elusive coin, so do it with pride because you have earned it. Now get saving!