Winter Customisation on a Budget

     1. Alternatives to Winter Coat & Scarf

     This comfortable, dark blue coat with a matching shirt and scarf originally came from the Wondrous Winter Mystery Capsule, which was sold for 150 NC from January 31 to March 13, 2020. While it is not possible to exactly replicate the look using NP, we can come pretty close by pairing Swanky Denim Jacket with various species-only scarves:

     Swanky Denim Jacket restocks at Uni's Clothing in the Neopian Bazaar, and can typically also be found in user shops for 6,000 NP. Dark blue with a light grey shirt, the only thing that makes it seem not-quite-wintery is the thin-looking collar, which can be hidden under a scarf. For Aishas, Fancy Aisha Scarf suits this purpose wonderfully, while Scorchios have access to Aviator Scorchio Scarf.

     2. Alternatives to Black Winter Boots

     Before going out into the snow, one needs a pair of warm, sturdy, and — let's face it — fashionable winter boots. One of the more commonly worn NC options, Black Winter Boots, comes from the Corridor of Chance in Castle Nox, and can cost anywhere from 150 NC to 900 NC or more depending on luck. There also exist, however, some very affordable NP options, Elegant Gear Boots and Wellington Boots.

     Elegant Gear Boots restock at Cog's Togs in Moltara, and can also be found in user shops within the range of 7,000 NP. For soggier days when the snow has melted into slush, Wellington Boots are another budget option. Available periodically from Uni's Clothing, these strong, waterproof boots can be bought from user shops for around 1,000 NP.

     As a side note, Vandagyres unfortunately cannot wear either of these boots because all items made before the arrival of Vandagyres in 2014 have not been retroactively fitted for them. Vandagyres do have access, however, to Christmas Vandagyre Boots from their Christmas paint brush set.

     3. Alternative to Present of Perfection

     This festive handheld item was originally sold as part of the 2019 Stocking Stufftacular event, and would have cost up to 150 NC. Bright red with a shiny gold ribbon, it is a staple in many holiday-themed customisations. For those who missed out on the NC event, there exists a similar-looking handheld item called Birthday Gift:

     Birthday Gift was available from the Neopets 16th Birthday Goodie Bag, which restocked at the Toy Shop in the Neopian Bazaar from November 2015 to November 2016. Currently, its market price is around 490,000 NP.

     4. Alternatives to Sparkling Winter Town Background

     Sparkling Winter Town Background is a classic NC favourite because it evokes the feeling of walking along a decorated street. It was first sold as part of the 850 NC Caroler Superpack in December 2010 and was later re-released through 150 NC festive capsules in 2014 and 2015. Some NP alternatives include Snowy Cottage Background and Christmas Shop Window Display Background:

     Snowy Cottage is closer to its NC counterpart visually, while Christmas Shop has more of an urban vibe. You can add in foregrounds as well to strengthen the concept you are aiming for. For example, Snow Covered Fence can make Snowy Cottage feel less isolated and more like it's part of a town, while Frozen Cherry Tree can add a touch of winter to the otherwise snow-less Christmas Shop background.

     Both backgrounds can be purchased from user shops for under 10,000 NP. Snowy Cottage restocks at Mystical Surroundings in Qasala. Christmas Shop was given out by the Advent Calendar in 2019.

     5. Alternatives to Snow Shower

     Animated snow effects can be rather hard to come by. Three of the better known NC ones are Sprinkling Snow, which was sold for 200 NC for a limited time in January 2019; Snow Shower, which was first sold for 150 NC in 2008 and later re-released through winter mystery capsules; and Snowflake Shower, first sold for 150 NC from December 2019 to March 2020 and later made available through winter capsules. Because none of these effects can be bought directly, when trading in the player-made NC economy they can be valued 5-6 caps (1200 NC) or higher, depending on how many are in circulation. Snow effects are highly sought after because they can add depth and vivacity to wintery outdoor customisations.

     Some of the more affordable NC alternatives include the dyeworks variants of Snowflake Shower, as well as Dyeworks Grey: Faerie Dust Shower, which are typically valued 1-2 caps (400 NC). For Neopians who are completely without access to NC, however, it is still possible to create snowy outdoor looks. It just takes a bit more creativity and adjustment.

     Raining Confetti Hearts, which restocks at the Neopian Gift Shop, can work when paired with a background that also has red in it, like Tree of Petals Background. At the time of writing, its market value is close to 1,000,000 NP, but I expect it to become cheaper over time as more enter the economy.

     If you are willing to give up the animated effect and go for more of a still look, like when it's stopped snowing and everything is just shimmering, Snow Laden Foreground has a really beautiful whitish glow:

     Snow Laden Foreground restocks at Ugga Shinies in Tyrannia and is usually priced at around 4,000 NP in user shops.

     Also worth considering are Floating Figures and Ice Garland, which can create subtle mistlike effects when placed against a similarly colored background:

     Floating Figures was given out through Trudy's Surprise in 2019 and is currently priced at 90,000 NP, while Ice Garland was a 2007 Advent Calendar gift and is currently valued around 6,000 NP.

     6. Alternative to Christmas Cloak

     This snuggly red-and-white cloak came from the 2019 Stocking Stufftacular event and is used in indoor customisations to express the comfort of curling up in front of a fireplace. There is an equally cosy NP counterpart called King Skarls Robe:

     King Skarls Robe is one of the possible prizes from telling a joke to King Skarl in Meridell Castle. It can typically be bought from user shops for around 20,000 NP.

     7. Alternative to Cheery Snowflake Mittens

     When preparing a festive meal, it is important to protect one's hands (or paws) with heatproof oven mitts. A classic in NC customisation, these brightly-coloured mittens originally came from a holiday event in 2012. NP alternatives include Apple Mitts and Knit Gloves:

     Apple Mitts can be won from apple bobbing in the Haunted Woods, while Knit Gloves were given out by the Advent Calendar in 2015. They are currently priced at 1,000 NP and 3,000 NP respectively in user shops.

     Whether you customise primarily using NP or NC, I hope this article has given you some ideas for enhancing your winter customisations. Thank you for reading, and have a very merry holiday season.