The Trading Post & You
Maybe people use the trading post simply as a means to search for items to see what the going price is. But the trading post can be a much greater help to actually EARNING NPs than you may have imagined.
In order to make money in the trading post, you will need at least a base of pure NPs, and a few items to work with. You do not need expensive items, just items that you can offer to fulfill the trading post requirements(you must offer at least one item in every trade).
Starters
The first thing you need to know about the trading post is that everybody is looking to Buy Low & Sell High. Whether the items that somebody is selling are items they acquired from other trades, items they got from a random event, gifts, etc...everybody wants to maximize the amount of NPs they can get.
What you want to do is look for lots that you think you could offer on and get accepted for that could sell for a profit OR (important) attract the attention of future traders.
If you can trade your items for more attractive looking items, than you have a one up on other people. Most people just offer some NPs + a junk item on a trade. If you can offer some NPs + an interesting item, you may have a better chance of them accepting your offer. The trading post is all about appeal, if you can offer more appealing items and the same amount of nps as the other guy...you will wins hands down everytime.
Pack Rat
The Trading Post is an EXCELLENT source to use to get the Pack Rat avvie. Everybody can fill their sdb wit hadvent calendar items, fishing junk, omlettes, jellys, etc. But it is those last couple hundred items that really take people the longest amount of time.
Not exactly sure what the Pack Rat avvie is?
http://images.neopets.com/neoboards/avatars/sdb.gif
You need to have 1000 original items in your SDB. Original meaning that they are all different. You can have multiples of one item but it will not count towards he avvie!
If you are going for pack rat, it is important to know what items you already have in your sdb, and which items you do not. This will save you valueable time when searching through the lots in the trading post. What you are looking for, are decent lots with wishlists that read: "Free stuff", "cleaning out sdb", "packrats welcome" or something similar.
Once you find them some lots, check the items and see if there are at least a few items that you dont have in your sdb. If you keep doing this, you can get pack rat pretty quickly. I have used this techinique and gotten pack rat in just a few days. Mind you, it will not be EASY, but you can do it.
Making Money
If you have decided to give the pack rat method a try, or if you have just acquired a bunch of items on your own..now is the time where you can start to make some NPs through the trading post. You wanna look for lots with codestones, faeries, petpets, and other cheap ets. You will need to offer NPs on these lots but oftentimes people are just looking for some quick nps so they will sell cheap without checking the prices. ALWAYS check the price of a lot through the shop wiz before you offer. You might think it is worth more than it actually is. You always want to offer less and hope they accept.
Once you get some cheap ets, you can work your way up to cheaper end paint brushes such as a christmas paint brush, petpet paint brushes, starry paint brush, stone paint brush, etc.
Once you get more expensive items you will have no trouble trading up from there. The trick getting started.
Tips
If you find somebody that has nice trades and they accept most of your offers, send them a NM and tell them that you appreciate them accepting your offers and that you really liked what they had for sale.
Ask them if you can send them a NM and for them to let you know the next time that they put a bunch of lots up
Try to be the first one to offer on a lot, and dont offer junk. If you make a quick offer and the offer looks fairly decent, the seller is more apt to accept your offer instead of waiting around.
The trading post can be a waiting game. Dont withdraw your offers unless you no longer want the item. If you dont like to wait to see the decision...DO IT ANYWAY.
IF you absolutely have to withdraw your offer, send the person a NM saying that your sorry your withdrew your offer, tell them what your offer was and that if the are interested, send you a NM and let you know so you can offer again
BE COURTEOUS! If you are courteous (ie. dont beg, dont yell at somebody for rejecting your offer, etc) then they will return the favor. If the have a bunch of lots up and they reject your offers, ask them what sort of offers they are looking for so that you can offer a little bit better
I hope you enjoyed this guide. I tried to include everything that I have experienced during my time on neo. If you can use the trading post correctly, and learn to use it effectively, it can be a very powerful tool. So go check it out, and let me know if you have any luck.
-Andrew
