Name something specific from when Neopets was in its prime that you miss:

[Lady Bird]

Something about the boards, certain games, literally anything!

I'll start,

1) This is oddly specific and weird, but I totally miss when people would post about being in cyber relationships with other players? I was young at the time and didn't really understand, but also I was so jealous of everyone who was involved.

Confession: I was involved in a Neopets love triangle when I was 14!

2) I miss the chat groups and lurking their boards. The one I remember most (hope I'm not aging myself here) The Preps. I remember they'd post really snooty board titles and everyone would get riled up. I thought it was ridiculous but also I felt like I was on the outside looking in & wanted something to do with all of it!

I was a member of The Preps. Feeling very famous right now. If anyone wants their outfits rated...

[beetroot billy]

I was in a Pokemon chat-play group when I was like, I think like 11 or 12. The Fan Clubs board had a lot of these, where people chatted like any other chatgroup except they were doing it in character. Eventually everyone in my group left for somewhere off-site and I remember asking one of them what was up and they never responded. I think they could tell that I was a little young to be bumping with them lmao.

What I miss the most though were the petpages. Anime lookin pets with Linkin Park midis and stories that were tl;dr for 10-year-old me. I'd go straight to the adoptables/makeables and I really wanted to make adoptables that everyone would use.

[Ashen]

So much! being able to go buy merchandise. I remember one time getting some notebooks, pencils and folders at a Walgreens in the back to school section one year. Neopets at Walgreens lol. Buying plush at Walmart, or all the stuff at Toys R Us. Getting plush in Happy Meals
I really miss restocking as well. Everything had a specific time. I used to help run a big Neo cheat forum way back when with auto buyers and adopters and stuff...so much easier to cheat lol. I miss the good old days of restocking medicinal soap and cooties shots at the pharmacy and making a hot profit lol.

[Cupkakez]

So much, tbh!

I miss when guilds were actually a thing still. I remember the guild I was co-leader of for years was so active, had all kinds of activities, a website, and I'd check the guild boards like 20 times a day because they were so active. I'm still friends with a few people from that guild -- 17+ years later!

I miss playing KQ with my IRL friends. My roommate was a super casual player, but she'd log on and play games of Keyquest with me.

There is much more, but those popped into my mind first.

[cooldan94]

Oh man... back when there were neo celebrities like jazz_invincible
When you could find boyfriends/girlfriends for your neopets and linking the other pet's name to your pet's profile...
High school and vacation roleplays... lol
I agree totally with being happy with low end painted pets. I would find a purple or glowing badly named ugly pet in the pound and be so excited

It seemed like so much more was unattainable and exciting when you finally got it, like a painted pet or a morphing potion or a magic plushie etc etc. Everything feels easier now with not a lot of payoff or gratification

[Double.Trouble]

When having any painted pet was cool and a status symbol because they were all so expensive, and np was harder to make.

[rachel]

Welp, this thread just made me so nostalgic & a little heartbroken at the same time... lol.

[yesnt]

When having any painted pet was cool and a status symbol because they were all so expensive, and np was harder to make.

Totally this, I remember finding a painted pet in the pound (checkred or stripy or similar, basically something I wouldn't think twice about now) and being so excited. And I remember hitting 200k NP and feeling so rich.

[GermanShepherd]

Honestly little things for me.

Back in the day when everyone was at school playing it, talking about it over MSN and AOL messenger.

Everything was such a big deal. Getting 10k from Wheel of Excitement or a Scratchcard you suddenly felt like the richest guy.

[Alister]

Lupe roleplays in the Fan Club chat. I used to say up so late at night on boards looking for new partners. I'll always fondly remember that rush of excitement with the little neomail icon popped up with a fresh reply from one of my RPs happening over mail.

Also, socially I was a "Reg" in the Fan Club chat for a while when it was ultra-cliquey and ridiculous and dramatic but I loved it at the time lol. I can't remember the names of anyone else in the crew other than a guy named Shawn (the ringleader) and Hydroshi (who had one of every krawk color years before the conversion which was an S-tier accomplishment at the time). Another of the group gave me her robo kougra back in ~ 2004, a pet I still have.