Expensive avatars: just a show-off?

[leverhelven]

Ohai guys! You know, I've always wondered: lots of people collect avatars. Many of them, despite having hundreds and hundreds of avvies, choose to use the simpler ones on the boards: clickables, even standard ones, just because they think those are prettier!

 

On the other hand, lots of people seem to use the most expensive ones (Grarrl Warrior, Super Attack Pea, MSPP, Richest etc) just to show off how "rich" they are.

 

Personally, I find none of those most expensive avatars actually nice-looking or cute, so even though I have some, I almost never use them.

 

What are your guys' opinions? Do you think people choose to use those avvies just to show off as being rich and powerful, or because they really do find them cool?

 

And if you have one of them, why do you use it? (or why don't you?)

 

:)

[Saxen]

Well... SuAP, BCG & MSPP are lendables, so it's hardly someone saying they're rich. A lot of people are proud of those avatars because it takes A LOT of hard work to get them. Your account has to be of a certain standard before someone will lend you an item worth millions (and billions) of neopoints. Stamps, Neodeck cards, customised pets etc are not cheap by any means.

 

As for 'Richest' etc., if you're that committed to avatar collecting that you spend 10million on an avatar and put all that work in, would you not be proud of it?

 

Just because it's your personal preference that these avatars aren't 'pretty', doesn't mean that everyone shares your view, and it doesn't mean they're 'showing off' in the sense that you're implying. Being proud of something and showing off aren't the same thing.

 

I'm an avatar collector and to be honest I kind of resent this question xD I've worked really hard for all of my avatars and if I want to parade them then I will, because I've put the time and effort in to get them.

[yasha]

I agree with Saxen... I guess it might look like showing off, but if they're proud of their achievements and hard work they put into them, then why not?

[deboratibi]

Those avatars are definitely a status symbol, but it's hard to say whether people only use them for that reason or if they actually like the avatar. And honestly, I don't think it really matters. A lot of stuff we do on Neopets can be seen as "showing-off" (having rare pets, lots of trophies, expensive galleries, etc).

I usually care more about what fonts people use rather than their avatars. I'm terrible at making them so I love to see what people come up with!

 

As for what I like, I'm not a fan of most of the expensive avatars either, but I do want to have them because I'm sort of a collector.
My favourite avatar is a cheap one:

 

 

I really like the colours and the fact that it's round. I also like that whenever I post, it's kind of like I'm saying "I see..." in a pondering or mystical manner. lol

 

A few other favourites:

[beruichi]

I chose the third option, despite me being an avatar collector, because I don't actually post in the neoboards often (if at all), so I don't get to use them. Collecting avatars is more like a personal goal for me, 'cause I'd be floundering in Neopia without having anything to focus on.

 

I agree with Saxen's response; if you worked hard on getting that particular avatar, why not be proud of it? It's not any different from game avatars, after all; they all take a lot of work, not to mention a whole bunch of luck. Also, aesthetics comes into play, so what might be pretty for one person won't be pretty for another, and all that jazz.

 

That being said, I have seen some people on the neoboards who seem really arrogant when it comes to avatars?? Like, it's cool that you have them, but if you actively prevent others from getting the same avatar, to quote this one person, "cause [he] can," then you're just being a rude applemuncher.

[dawnshine]

I don't think the most expensive avatars to obtain are very cute, however I also know that everyone has a different sense of style when it comes to that stuff. Nothing can be everyones cup of tea, that is for sure. I do someday hope to get those expensive avatars when I have that much disposable income, but I doubt I'll use them on the boards unless I really fancy one. I like what I have now, but I do want to keep collecting avatars.

 

Some people will just be pretentious rude applemunchers regardless. I wouldn't let them sour the whole batch when it comes to people with expensive avatars. I guess what I'm saying is with this poll in particular, it is a case-by-case basis. You have some who like them, some who work very hard to get them who want to show them off, some who just want to pretend they're better than anyone else, etc. etc. So many different types of people on Neo.

[Neechan]

Hmm. You know I think it is a form of showing off. Even if you just happen to like it and that's what you use it for...

 

Well for me, I recently got the Freaked Korbat avatar and I've been using it on the boards even though I don't really like it. I wanted to show off the new avatar I got. If I saved up and managed to somehow complete a Stamp Collection, I'd probably be showing that off, too, even if I only like the Haunted Woods avatar. (And that's far from cute; I just think it's kind of neat)

 

Now if you're just using it to be like 'oho look I'm rich' as opposed to 'Haha, look at this thing that I did,' then I dunno, it seems more stuck up... but still. I dunno. You kind of have a right to be like that if you managed to make that many Neopoints. It's kind of like 'Haha, look at this cool thing I did' because you're showing off that you managed to get that many Neopoints... you're just showing it off with an Avatar.

[Ashbash]

I'm sure there are people out there that would fit into both categories. Some will use the one they find to be the cutest and others will use one to show off, and honestly I don't blame them. If you've worked hard for an avatar, you might want to use it for at least a little bit. I'm usually excited when I get a new avatar, even if it's not something I necessarily like all that much. It took me forever to get the Typing Terror avatar and once I did, I used it for a little bit but I honestly don't really like the avatar. I was just proud that I finally managed to get it.

 

Right now I'm using my Mootix avatar just because it's one of my favorite avatars/petpetpets. So I tend to go with what I like more than showing off.

[Angeló]

I have all of the expensive avatars except for that 10Mil one from HT .. SuAP and of course the stamp avatars ...

 

however , ive been using The Awakened avatar for a long time now .. because I really like it ... I don't think i ever used the MSSP one ..

 

so .. to me it's mostly for the collection ... not for status ...

[leverhelven]

Well... SuAP, BCG & MSPP are lendables, so it's hardly someone saying they're rich. A lot of people are proud of those avatars because it takes A LOT of hard work to get them. Your account has to be of a certain standard before someone will lend you an item worth millions (and billions) of neopoints. Stamps, Neodeck cards, customised pets etc are not cheap by any means.

 

As for 'Richest' etc., if you're that committed to avatar collecting that you spend 10million on an avatar and put all that work in, would you not be proud of it?

 

Just because it's your personal preference that these avatars aren't 'pretty', doesn't mean that everyone shares your view, and it doesn't mean they're 'showing off' in the sense that you're implying. Being proud of something and showing off aren't the same thing.

 

I'm an avatar collector and to be honest I kind of resent this question xD I've worked really hard for all of my avatars and if I want to parade them then I will, because I've put the time and effort in to get them.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you in any way! It's just that they sometimes feel like status, especially on newer accounts :P

[Saxen]

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you in any way! It's just that they sometimes feel like status, especially on newer accounts :P

 

You didn't offend me it's okay! I get what you're talking about, but to me your post seemed biased and sort of implied that everyone who had those sorts of avatars and used them was a show off which is not the case. To some people it is a status symbol, totally, but I don't see why that's a problem? As I said before, people put a lot of effort in.

[leverhelven]

My favourite avatar is a cheap one:

 

 

I really like the colours and the fact that it's round. I also like that whenever I post, it's kind of like I'm saying "I see..." in a pondering or mystical manner. lol

 

I love round avvies too! :D And I loved the "I see..." thing, I never would have thought of that, so funny!

[lovedwallflower]

On neopets, there is no way to show off your avatar collection, like there is for stamps for example.

 

So the expensive avatar as an active is really the only way to share your achievement!

[coryldork]

Sometimes I feel like they are showing off a bit, especially with MSPP. To me it's a form of saying, "I'm elite enough to have been lent this avatar item." I dunno, I kinda feel like there are circles of those semi-pretentious av collectors who think they're awesome because they're 300+.

Of course, that's not to say that they are like that. I know a bunch of people who've been lent the more expensive av items, and they're just trying to catch 'em all, as the saying goes. :P

When it comes to stamp avatars and ones that aren't lendable, though, I admire them much more. They had to put in all those NPs for a 50 x 50 image and a number.

It's one thing to be proud of the avatar and use it; it's another thing to brag about it. Maybe people don't do it as much, but when I was active a few years ago on the AC, they'd come in droves with their MSPP and SuAP avs and make this little cult because they all had the same av. It actually got to the point where I had trouble remembering who was who. :P

[Kyurri]

I agree with Saxen. I'm an Avatar Collector because I like all of them pretty gifs. It shows how much effort and sacrifice you have put onto them.

[Azurablue]

I only just started collecting avvies and I'm doing it because it feeds my OCD. (That's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to those unfamiliar with the term.) I can't help but feel the urge to collect things. It's not showing off for me. In fact, I was about as stunned as anyone when I happened to luck into a Pirate Draik egg on the Forgotten Shore, sold it, then tried a spin on the Wheel of Extravagance and won the avvie for it on my one and only spin. I'll likely never afford that again. So, it's not showing off wealth so much as it is sharing that lucky things can happen to anyone. :laughingsmiley:

 

The ones that bother me are the ones that are retired or impossible to get because they were with plots. I worked hard to get the Spooky Food Contest avvie, played all but two days, but still never got it. Now I never will. I feel so badly for everyone that can never get that one or the Lost Desert or some of the others, just because they couldn't be there for some event (work or school or whatever got in the way). What about those who are coming to NeoPets now and they see the list and have to realize that no matter how dedicated they are, they can never get them all. It's like telling the new kid on the block not to bother coming to the park to play because you will never really fit in. That's so sad and unfair. :sad01_anim:

 

Anyway, that's just my thoughts. :rolleyes_anim:

[Saxen]

I only just started collecting avvies and I'm doing it because it feeds my OCD. (That's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to those unfamiliar with the term.) I can't help but feel the urge to collect things. It's not showing off for me. In fact, I was about as stunned as anyone when I happened to luck into a Pirate Draik egg on the Forgotten Shore, sold it, then tried a spin on the Wheel of Extravagance and won the avvie for it on my one and only spin. I'll likely never afford that again. So, it's not showing off wealth so much as it is sharing that lucky things can happen to anyone. :laughingsmiley:

 

The ones that bother me are the ones that are retired or impossible to get because they were with plots. I worked hard to get the Spooky Food Contest avvie, played all but two days, but still never got it. Now I never will. I feel so badly for everyone that can never get that one or the Lost Desert or some of the others, just because they couldn't be there for some event (work or school or whatever got in the way). What about those who are coming to NeoPets now and they see the list and have to realize that no matter how dedicated they are, they can never get them all. It's like telling the new kid on the block not to bother coming to the park to play because you will never really fit in. That's so sad and unfair. :sad01_anim:

 

Anyway, that's just my thoughts. :rolleyes_anim:

 

I wrote an article about this recently and submitted it to this weeks Neopian times!! Literally that second paragraph is SO similar to what I wrote it's crazy :O!! Obviously I completely agree with what you say, I don't think it's fair either - hopefully The Coincidence will start giving avatars again.

 

As for this topic - I got SuAP last night and I am SUAPER happeh ^^ It's taken a couple of months of advertising every day/upping trophies/cards/stamps etc but I finally have it. Will be keeping it as my main avvie because it's awesome and I'm really excited :D

[lovedwallflower]

The ones that bother me are the ones that are retired or impossible to get because they were with plots. I worked hard to get the Spooky Food Contest avvie, played all but two days, but still never got it. Now I never will. I feel so badly for everyone that can never get that one or the Lost Desert or some of the others, just because they couldn't be there for some event (work or school or whatever got in the way). What about those who are coming to NeoPets now and they see the list and have to realize that no matter how dedicated they are, they can never get them all. It's like telling the new kid on the block not to bother coming to the park to play because you will never really fit in. That's so sad and unfair. :sad01_anim:

 

I'm not sure I agree with this even though I'm definitely in the same boat as you in terms of retired avatars. Avatars that aren't available anymore due to them being connected to some event on the site are a sort of badge that stand as proof of your experience of that event. If you haven't experienced the event, then I don't see how you could earn that avatar. It would be impossible for Neopets to have all plots running at the same time - so it's not like I could just complete say, the Maraquan plot now.

 

Also, on my older account I had some avatars I don't have now because they have since been retired. Whilst I am frustrated that I can't them, it makes my experience on neopets now even more valuable. When I get an avatar that is going to be retired, it is worth more and I feel like TNT is rewarding me for being on the site NOW.

 

That being said, I worked my butt off at the Spooky Food Contest and also got no avatar - which I am still pissed at. I think TNT needs to be a little more transparent in terms of how avatars are rewarded in terms of plot. At the AC, we don't know the system per se - but we do have a point system, and people aim for All Star etc. That way, if people didn't get the avatar, they wouldn't have been blind-sighted.

[officialsarahjay]

Back in the day, I collected avatars just to collect them. If I was able to get a Chokato or something, getting the avatar instilled a sense of pride in myself, like, "I got this particularly expensive avatar, that's pretty amazing that I put so much time and effort into a game" (ha, I'm self-deprecating ignore me). I never felt the need to show off any of the expensive or rare ones to rub it in anyone's face, since that's obnoxious. I don't think anyone really wants to be obnoxious on Neo, unless it's me circa 10 years ago.

 

Now I'm the same way. I collect the avatars to collect them, and not to show off or brag about my status in the game.

 

But my favorite avatars are cheap and easy to get anyway, like Bleh or I'm Smelly or Gloomy. They fit me more than Chokatos or...any other expensiveish avatars.

[Azurablue]

But my favorite avatars are cheap and easy to get anyway, like Bleh or I'm Smelly or Gloomy. They fit me more than Chokatos or...any other expensiveish avatars.

Exactly. I may have the Wheel of Extravagance avatar because I got lucky, but I collect plushies, so that's avatar I use. Easy to get and cheap, but it fits my plushie mania.

[paperdoll66]

My favorite avatar to use is the Maraqua Supporter one, which was retired about nine years ago. It never occurs to me that this could be seen as bragging, unless I see a conversation like this. I just like to use it because I support Maraqua in the Altador Cup, and I think it's pretty. I try not to judge people based on the avatar they decide to use, because I wouldn't want someone to judge me by mine.

[tomeander]

I think people collect the expensive avatars to raise their avatar count. If someone has the nps to get the Stamp avatars or Richest, why not get them? The really expensive avatars can also be long-term goals for people and they are pretty cool achievements.