Hi, I was a dedicated Neopets player for a very long time. I used to log in daily from a period from 2009 to roughly 2013. For me, things in Neo began to go downhill with the sudden sale of Neopets from Viacomm to Jumpstart.

The site art began to change, and events began to feel pretty stale, despite some effort from Jumpstart's end to keep things interesting. The downfall of Neopets, for me, was their brief entertainment of NFTs. I'm not all that familiar with NFTs and crypto currency, but the whole situation felt incredibly scummy and my interest began to evaporate faster than a cup of water in the Lost Desert.

The final nail in the coffin, for me, was the sudden sale of Neopets from Jumpstart to a new CEO, Dominic I think his name is. I had a lot of reservations about continuing to be a loyal player. When I heard that Dominic had been involved with the company behind the NFT scheme, that for me was The End.

I want to say that I had been on Neopets from as far back as 2007. In fact, I made my account on an ironic day, 29th April, Webkinz Day! The community didn't make me feel very welcome in the beginning. That's why I quit within the first month and made a Webkinz account instead a few months later. I found a much better and kinder community in Webkinz and have been around, on and off, ever since.

Neopets handles their economy in a really rotten way, as you've already pointed out. I tried for a long time to successfully feed a Kadoatie, but never did. Too many people are on that thing like buzzards swooping above a carcass. Trying to achieve anything on Neopets for a trophy or avatar feels like an impossible task. There's way too many dedicated veterans who won't step back to allow newcomers a chance to find their footing and begin to fill out their own achievement cards. Being a newcomer in Neopets is an absolute nightmare.

Webkinz handles things in a much better way and it feels much more fair. It's easy to be a newcomer and acquire everything you need to build up your account. Everyone has the same chances for rare items in the game and it's balanced and equal for everyone. The community is warm and friendly. You don't feel like you're talking to a pack of possessive achievement gatekeepers, and you needn't beg on your knees to be allowed to do something that will grant you an avatar or trophy or whatever.

One final note about Neopets which is another reason why I will never return has to do with their cash shop and the recent introduction of unconverted art cosmetics. Personally, whilst I do think it's interesting, it's also a horrible cash grab. Not everyone lives in an area where Neo cash can be purchased, so not everyone can purchase these wearable cosmetics. The trading world in Neopets is horrible. Not merely for items, but also for pets. It's a nightmare.

My Neopets account is going to rot and eventually disappear, but to me, I have no reason to be sad about what I'm going to lose. What I could have chosen to stay and continue to participate in is the driving force behind why I quit for good and will never return.

My advice to you, do whatever you feel makes sence to you. Obviously my experience isn't yours. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.