Trading Post 101: Tips for the Neopets Trading Post

The Trading Post is a great place to look for deals on items, cheap or expensive. It's also the best place to go if you want items instead of neopoints for something. And for items like paint brushes, this is the only pace to get them aside from the Auctions. So here's some tips for getting the most out of your trade.

Basics

Making an offer

To make an offer, click the 'make an offer' button under the wishlist of the trade you want to offer on, then click the box next to items you want to off, put a neopoint value in the box for that if you want to include neopoints, and hit 'make an offer' again. Pretty simple.

Creating a trade

On the first page you go to, or click 'trading post main' if your on a different section, and press 'create a new trade', then choose the items you want to put in your trade. There can be up to ten, and you CANNOT include neopoints. Remember, all lots only last 2 weeks. After that time is up they are automatically taken down.

Wishlists

When you make a trade, the wishlist is where you put what you want for the trade. It's totally optional, but it can help you get what you want. And if it's for a friend, you can put something like 'For username. Happy birthday!' or whatever. Then all your friend has to do is bid a random piece of junk (or a gift for you if they want) and you accept. If there's a wishlist on someone else's trade, read it to know what they want.

Accepting/rejecting offers

When you get an offer, there will be an icon in the upper left, on the basic yellow side bar it looks like Jhuidah, click on it and it will take you to the trading post and you can click the '# offers on this trade' link and see what people have offered. Here you can accept, reject, or leave an offer alone to come back to later. There is a similar icon, the only thing different is the expression, if an offer is taken down, or someone has accepted or rejected an offer you placed on one of their lots.

Taking down offers/trades

To take down a trade of yours, go to the trading post main, and click 'cancel this lot'. It has to have been up for at least 15 minutes, though, and if you can't yet it will tell you how much longer you have to wait. To take down an offer you have made on someone else's lot, click 'offers you have made', find the one you want to get rid of, and click 'cancel this offer'.

Browsing lots

To browse lots, click the 'browse lots' button, and choose to either look at the 20 newest lots (click that button to get there), or search for something by name, lot number, or username, and they can be ordered by age (newest or oldest first) or at random.

Terms

'Will haggle' - This means they are willing to go lower than the posted price, but you have to contact them first.
'Neomail first' ? If you want your offer accepted, you have to speak with the owner of the lot first.
ETS ? Easy to sell
HTS ? Hard to sell
Pure ? All neopoints with a single item of little value so you can make the offer.

More trading post terms are explained here.

Searches

When searching for an item, be sure you have it spelled right right and you have the full name. If you don't or aren't sure, type in part of the name and use the 'containing my phrase' choice, then copy and paste the real name into the bar when you find it and choose 'identical to my phrase'. Another good idea is to choose to show the newest posts, seeing as those people are more likely to be online at the moment or to get on soon.

Look at all of your options

When you search for something, let's say a Brown Paint Brush, be sure to look through at least the first page of trades. If you've seen it for less and know it will go down further, check more. Looking at all of them might allow you to find a deal, but it also takes a long time. Most items have a range that they will stay in and you only need to look at the first page to see it. The Brown Paint Brush stays in the 220-240k* range, and that becomes apparent not even halfway through the page.

Make a good offer

When making an offer, be sure to check the wishlist first, and offer according to that, or do as it says. (NOTE: Chain letters such as TYPE THIS MASSAGE IN TEN OF YOUR TRADES AND GO 2 FAERIELAND AND YOU WILL FIND 2000000 NEOPOINTS AND A RARE PAINT BRUSH THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY NEOPETS don't work, and are not only very annoying, but against neopets terms and conditions. Please, do not copy them into your lots, and if anything, inform the user that it is against the rules and report them if necessary.) It often helps to go slightly higher that what they want, just to up your chances a little.

Have hope and wait

There's no guarantee that you offer will be accepted. Just go about your business and hope for the best.

*Numbers subject to change. Please check the trading post for current numbers.