haggling

Haggling is one of the the most important aspects of a successful restock. It consists of entering the amount you wish to pay for an item, and then clicking on the pet image. Although this sounds pretty straightforward, it is harder than it sounds to accomplish quickly and accurately while trying to qualm all those jitters you'll have knowing that you're haggling on a NICE item. Other than connection speed, this is the essential part of being a successful restocker, and I suggest you practice it. I'll have practice suggestions near the bottom of this page.

First, it is important to realize that you do NOT have the enter the exact amount the shopkeeper asks for; you just have to enter a close value. I haven't had the time to test the ranges, but try to get your haggle within a 20% difference at most. It is not enough to simply get a number close to the asking price, you must do this quickly. Hence, there is a good and bad way to haggle. Read the price as you confirm the purchase on the pop-up box so you know what numbers to haggle on the next page. Move your left hand fingers over to the number keys while the page is loading and aim for the numbers you have chosen.

A good haggle is one that you can type quickly and accurately with little danger of error. I prefer to haggle with three fingers (my ring, middle, and index fingers) as these haggles are generally the fastest and most fool-proof. Many people also use two-finger haggles in which they just alternate two numbers. I sometimes use this as well, but it is more prone to mistakes. In a haggle such as 8989, it is really easy to over-haggle and do 89898. A one-digit haggle of course is even worse. It is substantially slower than the others and you have to slow down to count how many digits you've entered.

On this page, I will run through the haggling techniques for specific price ranges, and since I play piano, I find it most efficient to label the fingers according to conventions in piano. As such, I'll refer to the thumb as finger one (don't use the thumb to haggle, ever), index finger as two, middle finger as three, ring finger as four, and pinky as five.

3-digit haggles. Very few items worth restocking stock in this price range, but if one does, the haggle is easy. Just have each of your index, middle, and ring finger on different, adjacent numbers. For example, if the shopkeeper asks for 265 NP, you could haggle 234 or 321 easily and quickly.

4-digit haggles. I basically do a 3-digit haggle and press one of the numbers again (this last digit does not matter really). For example, for an asking price of 5,000 NP, I would haggle one of the following: 4565, 5676, 5434, or 5345. Right after confirming the popup prompt box, I will move left finger four to either 4 or 5, or move finger two to 5. This is what I'll call "anchoring" your finger to the right number to start. Then, it is easy for the other two fingers to find the other numbers. When I anchor finger four first, I find it easiest to type go up from that digit and end the 4th digit with finger three. For anchoring finger two first, you can simply type downwards first to get 543, and then use finger three to finish it off, giving you 5434. Alternatively, you can press the first digit, then jump down to finger four and type upwards like this: 5 (finger two), 3 (finger four), 4 (finger three), 5 (finger two) to get 5345. Note that on an asking price of 10,000 NP, it is faster to do a 4-digit haggle of 9878 or 9789 than a 5-digit haggle.

5-digit haggles. The technique simply builds on the same principles as described for 4-digit haggles. Make sure to use all three fingers. For example, on say, a 30,000 NP asking price I would anchor the 3 first (either finger two or four). My likely haggles would be 34545 or 31232.

6-digit haggles. These haggles are my favourites because all I do is run through my three fingers twice, and they are the hardest to mess up. My favourite haggle is 123123, which I use on anything ranging from 97-130k or so. The numbers are the farthest left so the haggle is fastest to anchor. As such, I prefer haggling 123123 rather than 98789 on a 99k item simply because the first haggle is faster and easier. However, there will also be 6-digit haggles in which you cannot use adjacent numbers. For instance, on an 150k item, you must haggle a 1 first, and then a number close to 5. I am not confident haggling 123123 on that asking price, so the best haggles I have used are 145345 or 145145. For 145345, I anchor finger four on 1, and keep fingers three and two on 4 and 5, respectively. For the 3, I shift finger four over to 3 so there is less strain on my fingers. However, if you do have long fingers, you can just not shift and keep finger four on 1 and repeat 145 to give you 145145.

After you haggle you must also click on the faded pet image below the haggle box. This is where it's important to keep your right hand on the mouse and be ready to find the pet while your left hand is still typing. Do NOT click more than once (this will only slow you down as the page must reload).

To be really good at haggling, you have to practice. The best way to practice is to take an item with a price really far off of what you want to practice. For example, for my haggle of 145345, I practiced on items with an asking price of like 30k. Make sure to choose practice items that don't resemble your practice haggle at all, because if you mess up you may accidentally purchase it! Practicing allows you to enter the number and click the pet without wasting np on buying anything. Note that this doesn't simply give you a chance to practice haggling, but lets you run through the entire process of buying the item. To just practice haggling, just enter your numbers anywhere you can type. Or practice with a friend over instant messenger to give each other feedback and find what works best for you.

previous | next