by unfreeze_divicool72
--------
Surely, there's no better way to show your neofriends that you care than by sending them some gifts for them to enjoy. It’s not always easy to craft the perfect present though. Perhaps you don’t know what they’ll like, or their wish list is a little sparse. That’s why I have put together this comprehensive guide to help you find inspiration for a thoughtful, personal, and creative neo-gift.Wish lists
Let’s start from the basics: is there a place where your friend has already listed what they want? The most common place for people to consolidate their wish lists is on fansites such as Jellyneo or, for wearables, Dress to Impress. You might need to check whether the person has linked their wishlist or listed their username for one of these sites publicly on their Neopets account - for example, on their user lookup or neosignature. Petpages are also common places to keep a wishlist, so make sure to check those!
Do your research
There are lots of places where people share information about themselves and what they want on Neopets. Here are ten things to consider if you are trying to figure out what your neofriend might want.
1. User lookup description: What information do they have in their description? Have they mentioned hobbies, interests, or goals?
2. Galleries: Do they collect or hoard any particular types of items? Galleries are a great place to see collections of Neopians’ items. One of the most memorable gifts I ever received was a cheap item that fit my gallery theme, which I didn’t previously know existed. As well as specific items, you can have a look at the description, layout, and categories in galleries. Are there any categories which have fewer items which your neofriend might appreciate being added to?
3. Avatar count: Do they collect avatars? You can view a person’s avatar count on their petpage. If they are an avatar collector, can you help them towards any avatars that they are working on? For example, consider gifting or lending them avatar items or pets.
4. Stamps and neodeck cards: You can quickly check how many stamps or neodeck cards a user has on their user lookup. You can also use Jellyneo’s checklist tools to see whether there are specific items they are missing.
5. Neohome and neogarden: Are they an avid landscaper or neo-interior designer? Neohomes are linked via user lookups.
6. Battledome: You can check how active they are in the Battledome by looking at the person’s Battledome history on their user lookup, seeing if they have Battledome event trophies, and checking their pets’ Battledome statistics on pet lookups to see if they are trained. There are lots of options for battledomers from weapons, to healing items, to stats-boosting items, to neggs that can be redeemed for negg points. Of course, codestones for training never go amiss and, if you want to splurge on Neocash, faerie quest cookies and training cookies will help speed this up too. Alternatively, if they are not an avid battler, beginner BD weapon sets make for great gifts.
7. Pet lookups: How are their pets customised? Do they have matching Petpets? Are they working towards any particular dream pets? Do they use Neocash items? You could get them wearables, paint brushes, Petpets, magma pool dip, or even a new dream pet! Be careful with the last one though - pets are special to everyone, so you might want to check that they are happy with the pet and name before you go gifting them.
8. Layouts: does the way they have customised their pets, pet pages, pet lookups, gallery, or shop give you any hints about their style or interests?
9. Kadoatery trophy: Do they feed Kadoaties? The trophy on their lookup will give you an indication of this. Perhaps they are working towards feeding 75 kads for the avatar, or just enjoy feeding as a hobby. If this is the case, you could get them some Kadoatie-specific food or kad-themed gifts.
10. Side accounts: for extra galleries, pets, and pet pages
11. Gourmet food: If they are an actively Gourmet Club member, you could get them gourmet food their pet hasn't eaten yet. You can check this for individual pets at this link: //www.neopets.com/gourmet_club.phtml?pet_name=PETNAMEGOESHERE
12. Books: you can check whether they are an avid reader by checking their pets’ intelligence levels on their pet lookups.
What if they already have the item?
There are a few ways to get hints on whether your friend already owns the item you are thinking of getting (aside from actually asking). Most obviously, you can check their wish lists to see if it is on there or marked as obtained. They may keep the item in their gallery or shop, so have a look there first. There are also a few site features which publicly lists obtained items, such as stamp albums or gourmet food eaten. Finally, for Neocash items, you can check the person’s NC mall album. However, it doesn’t necessarily show what a person currently owns, just what they’ve owned up to now.
Worst case is that they get a spare item that they can keep, sell, or use as they wish. Don’t sweat it - it’s the thought that counts!
More personalisation tips
1. Tailor or theme your gifts to their interests (whether Neopets-related or not).
2. Send a personal message via Neomail along with your gift. If you want to be creative, try sending quotes that they might like, or a message relating to a gift theme (if you picked one).
3. Spread your gifts out over a few days to build up anticipation. I love doing a little countdown, or a personal advent calendar of smaller gifts rather than one big one
Get creative
There are tons of non-item gifts you could make! Examples include designing layouts, petpages, buttons, adoptables, or neosignatures. You could try drawing something for them, like their pets, characters, wallpapers, icons to use on social media, or even printables like colouring pages or bookmarks. If they like stories you could write something instead. You are only limited by your imagination!
I’ve tried all of those and I still REALLY don’t know
Some people are hard to shop for! If in doubt, everyone loves things they can open, interact with, or gamble. There’s an endless supply of these items on Neopets including treasure maps, nerkmids, neocola tokens, doctors bags, halloween goodie bags, etc. Jellyneo has a list of all openable items which you can use as inspiration. Easy-to-sell items such as codestones or paint brushes are always popular, as are Gift Box Capsules or Faerie Quest Cookies for those who use Neocash. Otherwise there are a plethora of cute, silly, funny, or seasonal items to show someone you care.
In conclusion
When it comes to gift-giving on Neopets, the sky’s the limit. With a bit of thought and creativity, you can really give a neofriend a memorable gift that’s sure to spark joy.
