Stamp Collecting from Beginner to Pro!

     Stamp and Album collecting can be one of the most rewarding and exciting hobbies to have in Neopia. It’s packed with fantastic rewards, epic and nostalgic artwork and surrounded by a welcoming and supportive community.

     There are almost 800 items that you can add to your collection at the point of writing, so it can be daunting for new collectors deciding to take the plunge. If that is you, then sit back and grab a can of Neocola because I’m going to walk you through from beginning to end!

     In this series we will cover the four key components of the hobby:

     1. Why?

     2. The Basics

     3. The Hunt!

     Why?

     As a The Wise Gnorbu would say, “One must know their planned destination before setting out on an adventure, or risk winding up in the exact same spot after a long journey”.

     What excites you about collecting Album items? Do you like the look of all those magnificent stamps? Do you think that the wondrous seashells of Maraqua are without equal or maybe you want that cheeky avatar from a particular page?

     It is important to understand your goals from the outset so you don’t get distracted or overwhelmed by the challenge. When I started collecting my goal was to complete the album and so that made my plan simple: look for items everywhere I go, don’t get attached to a particular item and be patient. Wait for the right item at the right price.

     During my personal journey, I have collected over 700 album items in and plenty to go, but enjoying the challenge immensely! Like you, I saw the goal as quite daunting to begin with but have learnt a lot along the way which would make the process easier if I started again. So I figured, why not share that experience to get you started!

     The Basics

     So, once you have identified your “why” for collecting, it’s important to do your research!

     Before we start, a couple important things to note:

     - Each album item can be obtained and traded individually

     - You cannot have multiples of the same item in your album

     - Once you place an item in your album you cannot remove it, like never

     That last point is particularly important, it means if you are on a budget you need to carefully consider your plan and at what point you want to start placing things in your album. If you’re looking to complete a particular page for the avatar, maybe wait until you’ve acquired all the individual pieces before sticking them in. You can keep them in your Gallery or Safety Deposit Box in the interim.

     The reason I’d advise this for new collectors is that each page has a couple tricky to find and often quite expensive stamps that may halt your plans… once you’re in, you’re in!

     Make a List, Check it twice!

     There are a number of ways to do your initial research on what you want to complete first:

     - Take a look at your album in its current state. If you have been around a while you might be surprised at what you have sitting in there already (//www.neopets.com/stamps.phtml)

     - Equally, take a check under the mattress, behind the couch and in your Safety Deposit Box (filtering for Album Item) you may have some items there to get you on your way

     - If you want to get an idea of the look of each stamp and page, take a look at the high score page (//www.neopets.com/gamescores.phtml?game_id=346).

     - Lastly, there is great information on Fan Sites like Jellyneo.net where you can get a better understanding of the avatars provided for completing certain pages, the stamps associated to each page and you can even create a wish list using their tool to identify what stamps you are missing!

     The Hunt!

     So, you’ve made a plan and you’re ready to collect. Now comes the fun part…. Finding all those magical items to add to your collection.

     I’ve separated this part of the guide into ways to get very cheap/free stamps through your everyday activities throughout Neopia and how to focus on and target those extra stamps you’re chasing.

     The best-priced stamps are free

     First things first, the sooner you focus your daily activities around filling an album the better. This part is a bit of a slow burn, but you can easily get up to 100 items for your collection by just following this part of the guide.

     I would also suggest checking out which of the stamps you can try to obtain yourself so you don’t purchase one and end up regretting it down the line. For example, did you know that you could obtain the Faerie Caverns Stamp (one of two rarest and most expensive of the Faerielands set) by completing the daily Faerie Caverns? - //www.neopets.com/faerieland/caverns/index.phtml

     The full list of activities that can earn you album items are below:

     Anchor Management, Daily - //www.neopets.com/pirates/anchormanagement.phtml

     Apple Bobbing, Daily - //www.neopets.com/halloween/applebobbing.phtml

     The Forgotten Shore, Daily - //www.neopets.com/pirates/forgottenshore.phtml

     Grave Danger, ~ Every 8 hours - //www.neopets.com/halloween/gravedanger/

     Grumpy Old King, Daily - //www.neopets.com/medieval/grumpyking.phtml

     Kiko Pop, Daily - //www.neopets.com/worlds/kiko/kpop/

     Lunar Temple, Daily - //www.neopets.com/shenkuu/lunar/

     Negg Cave, Daily - //www.neopets.com/shenkuu/neggcave/

     Tombola, Daily - //www.neopets.com/island/tombola.phtml

     Coconut Shy, 20 times Daily - //www.neopets.com/halloween/coconutshy.phtml

     Faerie Caverns, Daily - //www.neopets.com/faerieland/caverns/index.phtml

     Kitchen Quests, 10 times Daily - //www.neopets.com/island/kitchen.phtml

     Battledome, Daily - //www.neopets.com/dome/

     Wheel of Extravagance, Daily - //www.neopets.com/desert/extravagance.phtml

     Lastly, but most importantly. It is important to stay active during all site events (such as the Charity Corner, Daily Dare, Advent Calendar, Altador Cup and any Plots / Wars). These almost always provide items for your album which can be extremely hard to find, and expensive afterwards. If your participation levels are high enough you can sometimes earn enough points for additional copies of the same item which will come in handy when we cover that down below.

     Time to visit the Bank

     So, assuming you are doing all the daily activities outlined above to slowly add to your collection, the next best way to obtain the items is from official Neopets Shops. They are found in the following places:

     - Neopian Post Office – Stamps (//www.neopets.com/objects.phtml?type=shop&obj_type=58)

     - Toy Shop – Charms (//www.neopets.com/objects.phtml?type=shop&obj_type=3)

     - Collectible Coins – Coins and Scarabs (//www.neopets.com/objects.phtml?type=shop&obj_type=68)

     - Collectable Sea Shells – Shells, Maractite Coins and Treasures of the Deep (//www.neopets.com/objects.phtml?type=shop&obj_type=86)

     Whilst this is generally the most cost effective way to get items for your album, it does have its downsides as you cannot control which items restock and when they do they go fast… Very Fast!

     If you are already skilled in this area then go ahead, however if you’re finding this difficult then you might need to change tactic. But fear not, there are a couple other ways to go about acquiring these fantastic items for your collection.

     Outside of the Official Shops, you can find stamps all across Neopia by engaging with other people. You’ll find all the stamps, charms, shells and coins you need in User Shops, on the Trading Post and the Auction House for purchase.

     When it comes to purchasing from other users it’s important to refer back to your research and set a budget to ensure you don’t overpay when you might find the same item elsewhere for a better price.

     And lastly, you know all those Site Events you so diligently involved yourself in? Well guess what, you now have some extra stamps you can use along with any others you have obtained by your general activities to trade other users. The stamp collecting community is big and extremely friendly. Often other users will be willing to trade their stamps for ones that they need. Just check the wishlists of the trading post or even the Trading / Auctions Neoboard section to find like-minded users.

     And that’s all there is to it! You’re now well equipped to go out there and get collecting!