Eclipse Weekend
A rare Total Solar Eclipse will cross the United States on Monday. NASA is an excellent source of eclipse related information (https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive-info), and here are a few highlights from NASA.
The last Total Solar Eclipse was 38 years ago. Did you see it? (I did. *sigh* How am I old enough to remember anything 38 years ago?!)
The Path of Totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun, will stretch from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. Observers outside this path will still see a partial solar eclipse where the moon covers part of the sun’s disk. Here is a timeline:
1 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 18, 2017 @ 9:07 pm
I was off making this post while zingy & dee were suggesting exactly this post, so I went ahead and posted it – great minds run on the same track, right?! 😀
2 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 18, 2017 @ 9:11 pm
Glasses frenzy is happening here too. I have ours, and I put my mother, my inlaws, my older neighbors next door, the boys’ best friends, and mine on my list just in case – they are all so appreciative. I’m so happy I was able to help them experience it, too.
as for experiencing … i picked up a pack of the salted caramel oreos today, but i checked 3 different stores and couldn’t find the pb&j. i still need to check Target *fingers crossed*
3 RubyCubes (WWID: clm88) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 12:11 am
Hi everyone! Today has been one of those super busy days where I got almost nothing done. Dad has been peeing on the floors for the past two weeks. He peed on our shoes, which we park by the front door when we walk in. I had to wash 8 pairs of shoes, and let them air out for days before we could wear them. Over the past few days, he has peed on the bathroom floor a couple times, next to the litter box. I was worried he might have a urinary tract infection, so I took him to the vet today. Paid $90 for them to tell me it’s just anxiety, add another litter box. I should have done that first! Dad is our cat’s name, BTW.
Speaking of urinary tract infections, how are you feeling, KinzGram? I know kidney infections are horrible. I hope the antibiotics are helping and you’re feeling better!
Cheese – Thank you for the clarification on the hot air balloon. Apparently that’s not even on my radar yet, much less in my inventory. I will watch for it in the trading room!
Catmom – Thank you! I love reading your posts too!
Boper – I have no idea who InessaV is, but if they are sending out amazing gifts, feel free to give them my username! 😉
Hi Webkinz Kid from wayyyy back in the day! Welcome back! I’m RubyCubes from wayyyy back in July! 😀
Mist – You’re welcome! I’m glad to see you post even if it’s not much. I hope everything is okay! Hugs!
Patsie – Hi! I’m a little constipated at the moment but otherwise fabulous! How are you?
Shelly and Zingy – Thank you for the awesome gifts you posted! I’ve been able to complete two rooms this week thanks to you! I love them! Zingy, thank you so much for sending me customer appreciation codes. Unfortunately they did not come to my email. Could you get my email address from Momskinz?
one else who feels like they’ve walked into a New York City subway after dark when zoning into the trading room, I’ve typed up a tutorial guide with some tips, which include not looking other traders in the eye, not wearing any clothing that may identify you as a tourist, and not staring too long at the acrobatic plant. You may, however, toss kinz cash into the cap sitting next to the plant. I’ll start a new post. I hope this helps!
Momskinz – could you forward my email address to Zingy? Also, I’ve typed up this trading room guide, which I think should be it’s own post, but you just started this thread. I don’t know the etiquette here yet! I’m going to post it so everyone has the information. If you want to god-mod lock it so that the conversation continues in this thread, I’m totally cool with that.
4 RubyCubes (WWID: clm88) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 12:14 am
I was in the middle of editing the above post when my browser glitched and posted before I was ready. Because I have no magical powers on this here forum, I can’t edit that post. So, the second to last paragraph was supposed to read:
Miracle, April, Gagagee, Catmom, and any one else who feels like they’ve walked into a New York City subway after dark when zoning into the trading room, I’ve typed up a tutorial guide with some tips, which include not looking other traders in the eye, not wearing any clothing that may identify you as a tourist, and not staring too long at the acrobatic plant. You may, however, toss kinz cash into the cap sitting next to the plant. I’ll start a new post. I hope this helps!
5 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 12:29 am
rubycubes – goodness gracious, you could have said Dad was your cat in the first sentence hahahahaha – I was worried about this little old man! i wish a little antibiotic would set him straight – that’s miserable! how old is he?
6 LeeAnn(wwid:noellepugh) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 12:36 am
Looking forward to your post RubyCubes. I’m one of those that is to weary of the trading rooms. Sorry to hear about your constipation, lol.
Envious of Dee being in the path of totality. We will experience a partial eclipse where I live but not nearly as exciting as what Dee will experience. Glad there is so much media about safely viewing it. I have seen 2 patients with solar retinopathy. One man had no long term issues but the other has lost a small portion of his vision.
Off to bed as tomorrow is another work day.
Night all.
7 LeeAnn(wwid:noellepugh) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 12:38 am
Forgot to mention Dad! I too thought it was your ailing father. My cat has emotional issues as well. MY girls are away for 2 weeks and he let me know he wasn’t happy by pooping with in front of my favorite chair. The next day he left his mark by my daughter’s piano. I was not impressed!
8 gramma (BLG610; grammabon; grammao3) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 5:30 am
G’morning
prayers for comfort and healing for all those ailing. ♥
thanks for all the good thoughts about my hip. will see surgeon 10/5; no idea when actual surgery will be scheduled.
RubyCubes, poor Dad. if he isn’t ill, he must be really bent about something. :-/
*waves* to gagagee!
Wishing all a wonderful day!
9 gagagee said,
August 19, 2017 @ 8:01 am
Good Morning !
Happy Hectic Saturday !
Good Morning gramma ! So sorry you are having hip problem.. and having to wait and worry about your upcoming appointment and subsequent surgery..
Sending good thoughts and hope that all goes well and back to feeling yourself!
RubyCubes.. thank you for the trading room info.. I will sit down tonight and really concentrate on your post… then maybe attempt “the room” !!
I read about Dad.. I too thought poor RubyCube.. she sure does have her hands full !! still chuckling !!
NO eclipse glasses…………..will hopefully attempt to make something myself..
instructions given on news program… however.. pretty stormy here so maybe it won’t be able to see it anyway !! We’ll see.
dee.. sounds like you have the best seat in the house !! Showing major traffic jams on roads leading to Totality !
To each and everyone one… have a good day… will check back later..
10 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 9:21 am
good morning!
gaga – i made 3 pinhole boxes in no time yesterday – you can even use a cereal box
i’m a little worried about traffic jams today, we’ll see … who is getting the eclipse donuts from krispy kreme? anyone working on special theme snacks (looking at you dee)? you know i’m not cooking anything, but i did buy sunkist, sundrop, sun chips, moon pies, milky way bars, starburst … oldest ds asked if i should get some crescent rolls too
11 shorty said,
August 19, 2017 @ 10:08 am
Wow RubyCubes — great tutorial on trading rooms. The trading room with chat does not work for me because a lot of people are looking for mystery/promo items in that room. I mostly trade non estore items. Have a great weekend everyone!
12 Boper911 said,
August 19, 2017 @ 10:24 am
Ruby- I was crying reading your comment about Dad, thinking it was your actual dad. I vocally apologized for laughing so hard.
Off to read your post on the trading room!
Anyone making an eclipse room in WW?
13 TheLoopyLurker said,
August 19, 2017 @ 10:49 am
Morning Gymbonians!
Your trading post is excellent, Ruby. I would add this: New trumps everything. I walk into the trading room with a brand new anything, and I can get whatever I want. For brand new items on the Wheel of the Month (such as the Webkinz Jeep or Sleepy Cat Plushy, which are always hard to get), I have gotten promos. For brand new PSIs, I have gotten up to three promos. For brand new promos, I have gotten up to three other promos and/or promo pet PSIs. New things that cost actual money are especially popular, because we all (myself included!) play Webkinz with a limited budget.
I specialize in promo and mystery items in the trading room, because I literally have everything else. Someone offers me a rare or an exclusive, and I very politely and very quickly end the trade. Someone has fifty promo or mystery items in their dock, and I can trade with that person for an hour. 😆 The key to trading in the trading rooms then is to tap into the niche of what everyone is looking for at that moment. I didn’t buy mystery bags at first, because I had been burned by crackers before mystery bags were introduced. (I once spent 50 bucks on crackers and got 10 PAIRS of Ice Prince Pants, 12 PAIRS of Ice Prince shoes, and 8 PAIRS of Holiday Slippers, but not one piece of Ice Princess clothing!) So when I decided to start collecting mystery items, I bought a bunch of 2014 Spring mystery bags, and traded everything I got in them for the older mystery items that I wanted from the two prior rounds of bags. Then in the summer of 2014, I bought bags, and traded everything in those for the older items I still lacked, etc. Even with the last round of mystery bags, I was only trading for other new mystery or older mystery items that I had missed. Also, if you plan to trade the ?? Box items, do so in the first five days of the month, because after that, everyone has completed their collection and you can’t give them away. Again, new trumps old!
Another point: if there is something you want really badly, but people want the moon and stars for it in trade, just wait. I really wanted the Autumn Walnut Cottage and the Roasted Pumpkin Seed Stand from 2016’s Fall bags, but they were extraordinarily rare when they were first released. I watched people trade very rare promos in multiples for them, and said, oh heck no! I merely waited until this past round of mystery bags, when the items had lost much of their luster, and walked in with new summer mystery furniture, and traded for the cottage and stand very easily. Patience is very important in the trading room, and so is timing. Be patient and the items you want come down in popularity eventually, and be patient during individual trades as well! The person with whom you’re trading might be a very slow typist, or might have the “lag glitch” (in which the game is running very slowly, and it takes a long time to scroll through one’s dock). If you hold out to the end of the trade, you are often rewarded with something you did not expect to get.
Also, be prepared to leave a trade. Someone offered me a hard-to-find promo last month, and wanted three brand new promos in return. I said “no thanks, that’s too rich for me!” and left the trade. That person then followed me around the trading room for the next half hour, alternately begging me to trade again and sending trading invites. Don’t let your desire for an object overtake your common sense, and don’t be greedy, because that turns people off a trade really fast. Whenever someone says “Can you add a little something extra?” I leave the trade. And often, that person will ask to trade again, but this time just for the agreed-upon items.
With all that said, what’s hot in the trading rooms right now? Promo and mystery from within the past six months (and the Christmas Bell Dress and Gold Sequin Hair Bow are still really hot!) with the exception of this past spring’s mystery clothes, because everyone got free bags and they’re super common; brand new PSI (from within the last six months); sailor clothes that were not on the deluxe wheel a few months back (mostly the sailor shoes and all the captain’s clothing pieces); newer tradeable cars and dispensers (especially the patio plants and the fruit cars); Plumpy glasses and cat costume parts; and the blue Social Media Couch that was on the wheel of the month a while back.
I hope everyone in the path of the eclipse gets to see it today! I saw an eclipse back in elementary school, so I’m good. 😉
14 dee said,
August 19, 2017 @ 11:39 am
our Michigan company arrived……..pics on news on back up traffic already….no word from my bro and his very large family……pretty sure he knows better than to just show up with that many people
and the eclipse is Monday folks……………
15 Catmom said,
August 19, 2017 @ 12:50 pm
Good Saturday Morning
Great to read everyone’s posts. I was also fooled by Dad. Lol, Ruby you are full of mischief this morning.
Ruby and TLL those are awesome tips about the trading rooms.
Dee, thanks for the day reminder. We are not quite “in the path of Totality” but we will get about 90% eclipse.
Boper I would not even know where to start to build an eclipse room. Maybe with the old blue moon and the floating sun I guess. Please show us what you come up with.
Moms love your snack options. Perfect and all very yummy.
Happily waving to all the amazing people here shorty, gagagee, gramma, LeeAnn and everyone who hasn’t posted yet.
Hugs and Happiness wishes for a relaxing, productive, playful, peace filled weekend.
16 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 1:18 pm
the moon bed!!! boper – do it! make us a room! let’s feature it on the post!!! please!!!
17 dee said,
August 19, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
hey!
just got back from dollar general………..no oreos, but they did have
chicken ramen flavored pringles!
18 dee said,
August 19, 2017 @ 1:32 pm
is there not some kind of chair that changes too?
19 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 1:37 pm
dee – the day night theme would be great to include in an eclipse theme – good suggestion
20 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 1:55 pm
i just switched over to my moon bear – his name is Lunar Tick …
21 dee said,
August 19, 2017 @ 2:06 pm
and they have to be wearing the 3d glasses!
maybe the space monkey?
22 Mist said,
August 19, 2017 @ 4:23 pm
I love your room Moms! And I had that same name idea for a moon dragon if I ever got one lol â¤ï¸
23 dee said,
August 19, 2017 @ 6:12 pm
is that the old hamster maze globe thing in bottom center?
24 Boper911 said,
August 19, 2017 @ 8:29 pm
Dee, it’s the Out-Of-This-World Moon Globe, which is the item that comes with the Space Explorer Cocker Spaniel figurine
25 Boper911 said,
August 19, 2017 @ 8:30 pm
Moms, awesome room! Ditto what Dee said about the 3D glasses. My pets are all wearing them for my room (still a work-in-progress) but will post before I go to bed!
26 shellybrayley (WWID) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 9:17 pm
Hello my Friends! Happy Saturday! Awesome room Momskinz !
I can’t wait to see your room Boper !
Thanks so much RubyCubes & TLL for the Great trading room advice! 😀
Hope everyone is feeling & having a Great Weekend! 😀
Well off to WW to do dailys now & then off to Bed! bye for now my friends!
27 LeeAnn(wwid:noellepugh) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 9:36 pm
Great room Moms! I like how you carried the blue thoughout and mixed up different “themes”.
Looking forward to your room Boper, always so much attention to detail.. no pressure though.
My kids are at the airport waiting to board their flight. They will be home in a few hours. I’m so excited!
Off to do a couple dailies before I have to leave to pick them up.
I started to read your post Rubycubes but still haven’t finished it. Such detail. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into such a post. Thank you!!
TLL, I appreciate your post too. It sounds like you are a veteran trader. Lots of great tips. I feel like I’ve been given insider info, lol.
I’ll post later.
28 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 9:56 pm
thanks for the compliments! and 3d glasses – you’re so right!
boper’s room will be stellar, i just know it! (do you see what i did there?)
29 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 9:56 pm
still no pb&j oreos, but we found jelly donut oreos
30 KinzGramAtHeart(gramwebbie, luckywebbie, goldwebbie, nanananawebbie, poppopkinzatheart) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 10:22 pm
NO eclipse glasses here
I should of planned better.
They are having an event at the Park, I hope they will have some glasses.
31 Boper911 said,
August 19, 2017 @ 10:39 pm
This took a lot longer than I expected it to but I think it turned out alright! Might change some things around before the big day! I was going for a backyard/park viewing party feel. I don’t know if this is actually what the eclipse will look like, but I heard that the stars will be visible so..
Some things I’d like to change- I want to find a taller table to put the moon on. Any ideas? I also want to use a different flooring. Right now I’m just using the meadow tiles from chocolate eggs this year, but it makes the room a bit busy. I will mess around with other flooring.
32 candycandycandy (snowythingy) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 10:42 pm
Wow!! Amazing room, Boper!!!! It’s beautiful!!!
33 shellybrayley (WWID) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 11:07 pm
Oh WOW!! Boper! AWESOME!! 😀
The tallest pedestal I I seen is the Mighty Golden Trophy Pedestal, it could be used to put the moon on But it is gold in color, can’t think of any tall tables or pedestals besides that one ??
34 shellybrayley (WWID) said,
August 19, 2017 @ 11:08 pm
I meant to say “The tallest pedestal i have seen”
35 Mist said,
August 20, 2017 @ 12:16 am
Awesome room Boper!! â¤ï¸ It takes me forever to get a room to look even decent, lol 😀
WebkinzRUs you have mail â¤ï¸
Hugs, Mistâ¤ï¸
36 gagagee said,
August 20, 2017 @ 8:28 am
Good Morning !
moms.. love your eclipse room.. what is that taller item which looks like it has some planets in it ?? very unique ! Love the name Lunar Tick !! too cute..
dee.. is your weather going to be conducive for eclipse watching??? Late night
news predicted some stormy weather for tomorrow… still going to make by
eclipse box today… hopefully weatherman is wrong !
KinzGram.. how are you feeling ?? Hopefully better !
LeeAnn.. Hope you kids had a great time !! Love happy airport reunions !!
Boper.. your room is amazing as always !! I love all of your added little details to the room…. I always take time to study your room .. look at the detail and try and figure you where all of the items have come from ! Great job !
AmberRose.. How are you doing ?? been thinking about you and hoping all is going well !!
Good Morning Catmom ! April.. Cheese..mist..shelley b..candyX3 and Zingy..
Thanks RubyCube and Zingy for your advice on navigating the trading room!
Lots of time and effort went into putting all of the info together ! Thank you..
Good morning gramma ! Saw a very interesting show on NatGeo.. Vet ER
showing chimp getting a root canal done by vet specializing in endodontics !
chimp ended up needing two ! Filmed in Huston .. many vets with varying specialties … as many as for humans !
Weekly family get together..bbq ribs/marinated chicken fried potatoes and corn on the cob…Brother up from Georgia for the week..Looking forward to seeing all !
Hope you all have a great day with family and friends !!
37 april1013 said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:41 am
Happy Sunday everyone!
I wanted to pop in and say hello! I hope today finds everyone happy and healthy.
A lot of RL stuff going on. Big work projects, house painting and a plumber visit. The disposal started acting up and DH wanted to put in a souped up 1hp disposal that was too big for the space, *insert Tim Allen man grunting here*. Hence the plumber.
Ruby and TLL—Those trade guides and tips are awesome! I can’t wait to sit down and really go throught them. I just might dare to enter ‘the room’ too gagagee. 🙂
Ruby!!! I too got a little emo thinking your poor father!!! :LOL: Hope you kitty is feeling better.
moms and boper—Your rooms are fantastic, I love them! All the little details really make it special.
KGH and gramma—Hope you both are feeling better, or will be soon.
AmberRose—Hope you are doing well too.
LeeAnn—So wonderful your kids are home!
Looking forward to the eclipse tomorrow. My glasses arrived safe and sound and have all the correct certifications. What a relief, as I ordered them from Amazon. Wish I could zip the extras over to you girls, gagagee and KGH.
gagagee—Have a great time with your family today. The food sounds scrumptious! DH is smoking a pork roast for dinner…yum.
Sadly, back to work, hope everyone had a wonderful day!
38 dee said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:42 am
https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=04+08+2024+eclipse+map&fr=yfp-t-s-m&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F53c358b6e4b01b8adb4d5870%2Ft%2F58536d6f5016e1e8063dc4ed%2F1489101189628%2F#id=4&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fed%2F04%2F50%2Fed0450911a43e5c111b682f10aec1e8e.jpg&action=click
for the next one
plenty of time to prepare!
39 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 20, 2017 @ 1:24 pm
boper – are those little cafe tables any taller for the moon? that room is SO great! SO great! i love it!
gaga – that is the Aquarius Retriever psi – it’s the Aquatarium – I sent you an email about it
40 Boper911 said,
August 20, 2017 @ 1:28 pm
Dee thanks for posting the 2024 path. With my luck I will have moved to silicon valley by then and miss it yet again LOL
41 Cheese said,
August 20, 2017 @ 1:57 pm
Good morning/afternoon!
You’re very welcome, Mist and zingy!
Mist, I hope you’re feeling better today. Hugs ♥
Ruby, your how-to guide on trading is quite impressive! It was so nice of you to put one together, and I bet you spent a fair bit of time compiling it. Couldn’t have summed it up better myself! 🙂 I ended up printing it out just for fun ;) It was an enjoyable read!
You made some really good points too, TheLoopyLurker! I also mostly specialize in eStore Promo and Mystery Prizes in the Trading Room. Admittedly, I’ve traded the moon and stars for a few rarer items over the years (the Autumn Walnut Cottage, for example) so I could enjoy it in season 😉 I try not to make a habit of that, though 😆
Ruby, I’m sorry to hear about Dad. Poor little guy! I’m glad you were able to clean all of those shoes. Hope he feels better soon ♥
momskinz, your room is beautiful! Love the blue and gold colour scheme 🙂 Your Moon Bear’s name is also very cute, lol 😆
Ditto, Boper! I like the whimsical feel to it – Those Lighted Sparkle Trees are a great touch! Thank you both for sharing your rooms 🙂
Have fun at your family get-together, gagagee!
shellybrayley, thanks so much for the awesome gift! I love them 😀
I’m envious of all the Oreo flavours that are available in the States
I love coconut, so that one would probably be right up my alley (as long as it’s not overly sweet) 😉
Have a great day, everyone!
42 Boper911 said,
August 20, 2017 @ 2:01 pm
Moms- I did try that table, but decided to go with this instead:
I wanted to make a GIF of the room because it looks really pretty when it’s sparkling. It was little too much effort though. Maybe tomorrow
43 Boper911 said,
August 20, 2017 @ 4:08 pm
I see either moms or zingy is trying to post something to help me out. I am taking your suggestion now and will update it!
44 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 20, 2017 @ 4:59 pm
BOPER – gasp! 😯 excellent choice! oh, i LOVE that!!! the fire change, too is fantastic!
45 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 20, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
can you put the gif on the post itself?
46 dee said,
August 20, 2017 @ 8:10 pm
hidey ho gymbos!
is anyone else super geeked or is it just me?
yeah I know it is only 2 mins, but never seen one before
47 dee said,
August 20, 2017 @ 8:12 pm
boo at the cali move boper……………
taxes taxes taxes and who knows it might be its own country by then!
I think you should move to Toronto…………and I do believe that is eclipsable!
48 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 20, 2017 @ 10:03 pm
dee – i am very excited!!!
49 RubyCubes said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:05 pm
Testing… for some reason, my reply isn’t coming through.
50 RubyCubes said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:08 pm
Good evening, everyone! I read all your comments to Dad. I think he was a little embarrassed. He always knew he would become an internet sensation one day; he just didn’t think he would be famous for peeing on our shoes.
Catmom – I have a cat named Dad. I’m always full of mischief! 😉
Actually, my daughter named him. Dad is 4 years old. We adopted him and his brother together when they were 4 months old. They have never been separated, and they are best friends. It’s very interesting to adopt siblings. We’ve always had at least one cat, often multiples, but never ones that were raised together since birth. The boys vocally communicate with each other unlike most cats I’ve met. Semi-frequently, they bumble and chirp back and forth like they’re having a conversation. I love watching them interact with each other. They are so neat!
Dad is a solid dark grey, short haired cat. His brother is a solid black, exceptionally beautiful long haired cat with a little white patch on his neck. They both have huge round yellow eyes. We adopted them when my daughter was 11. They were kittens and loved to chase each other around and play, so she named the grey one Storm and the black one Chase (storm chaser). Those were their names for about a year, but their names have evolved since then.
Chase has the long, shiny black cloak and little white patch on his neck… looks like a priest, so I’ve always called him Father Chase. But one day, when my daughter was 12, she got mad at my husband and said, “I wish you weren’t my stepdad! Storm would make a better dad than you!” Most parents would have grounded their kid for that, but my husband thought it was hilarious. He said, “Yeah, maybe. Ok, Storm is now your dad.” Since then, the 18.2 pounds of grey lovable quadrupedal chub has been known as Dad, and since Chase is his brother, my daughter started referring to him as Uncle Chase, who we more frequently refer to as Uncus Puncus. So for the moment, the boys are Dad and Uncus Puncus, although my daughter still occasionally calls them Storm and Chase. Fortunately, the boys don’t seem to be affected by our inability to choose a name for them and keep it. 😀
Momskinz and Boper – I love your room designs! I had not even thought about designing an eclipse room. This is one reason I love to look at others’ rooms. They are very inspirational! Boper, I love how you designed the moon traveling in front of the sun. Here is a thought, if you want to hide the base of the moon altogether, you could place an elegant stone pillar in the middle of the fence like you did on the other wall. See link below.
http://www.thelamberts.com/webkinz_blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Screenshot-2017-08-20-at-2.47.05-PM.png
Oh, BTW, I think I got you confused with BullseyeJingle on Webkinz Newz. I think he/she is the one who did the realtor video a while back. Sorry!
51 RubyCubes said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:10 pm
For everyone who has benefited from my trading room guide, you’re welcome! I’m glad I could help! I’m in the middle of putting together a Jumbleberry Blast tips and tutorial guide. I can usually fly through the game fairly quickly, but you’d be surprised how much longer it takes when you’re taking screen shots the whole way! It requires so much strategy to win, which is why I love it, so it will be a fairly detailed guide. It will take a while to put together, but it’s coming soon!
TLL – I agree with you completely, and you made some great points. Patience is very important, both in terms of waiting for values to drop and in individual trades. I, too, have had many circumstances where I have waited for a slow player to put stuff up and been thrilled that I waited. I’m also frequently one of those slow players. I live out in the boonies, so I have a pretty slow internet connection. I also have a monstrously long inventory dock.
I also agree with you that in terms of general popularity, new definitely trumps old. However, I would also add that in terms of exchange value, for some players like high end collectors, very rare items trump new. I would never trade multiple promos or mystery for one promo or mystery just because it’s new (although I know some players will), but I would for an extremely rare item. Of course, this is where patience comes in. Sometimes those extremely rare items become less rare, and as you said, if you wait, you can get them for a much more reasonable price. But some items never seem, at least in my experience, to come down in value, so there have been a few items in recent years, very few, that I have given quite a bit for. Most recently, an item I have been coveting for years and have never even seen in trade, much less had a shot at trading for – the elusive Sizzling Seat PSI – I traded 3 nice promos for. Now Fire Songbird could eventually be released in the Estore or someone could copy the PSI, or the fact that I even had the opportunity to trade for it may mean that it has already come down in value, but I had never seen it before and have never seen it in trade since, so I’m still thrilled to have made that trade. Sometimes if you don’t jump on an item, you’ll miss your opportunity. I would do it again if I still needed it, because to me, the rarity of that item made the value higher than 3 promos that I had duplicates of. But it is very rare that I trade that much for any single item, and I certainly would not ever trade that much for a new item, which is why I never have brand new items except for a few mystery bags that I buy each month.
TLL and Cheese, you’re what I would consider “high end traders,” not because you want and trade promo and mystery, but because you deal exclusively (or almost exclusively) in high end items and have no interest in trading for lower value items. I love trading with players like you. In my experience, most high end traders (not all) know exactly what they want, if not the specific items, at least the specific category – “promo”, “new mystery”, etc. Most high end traders are experienced and know their values, and I generally find them to be fair, sometimes even generous. Obviously, this isn’t true about all of them, but for the most part, if I’m offering items they want, we almost always reach a deal and complete the trade, and are both very happy with the outcome. I’ve traded many times with Cheese through years. She’s awesome to trade with! Always has great items to offer and is always reasonable and fair with what she wants. TLL, I don’t know who you are in the game, but I would venture to say we’ve crossed paths since we’ve both been trading for years. There is a good chance we’ve even traded with each other!
“Mid range traders” are those who have some, little or no high end items to offer, but come in to trade PSI, rares, retired exclusives, and other mid range items. In my opinion, these are the ones to be most cautious of. Now don’t get me wrong, there are many mid range traders who are awesome and fair. They are collecting mid range items and that’s what they are offering. However, a lot of these players are less experienced or less savvy when it comes to trading, and a lot of them are trying to better their collections. That’s understandable, but this is where I get a lot of players asking for high end items but offering mid range items of much lower value. Either they don’t understand the values, or they do understand the values and hope you don’t so that they can score a much better item than they’re offering.
“Low end traders” deal mostly in food, wshop items, common prizes, and Arte’s curio shop favorites. Low end traders are usually new, inexperienced, or very young, and they mostly stay in the closed speech room on the right side of the clubhouse, although I do encounter them, especially pets looking to trade food, from time to time in the open speech room. When my daughter was young and played Webkinz, I would only allow her to trade food freely in the trading room. I wanted her to have the experience of trading and trying to negotiate, and I figured she couldn’t get scammed too badly if all she was offering was food. Because she was trying to collect all the different pet foods, it gave her a goal to work for, and she got excited when she was able to cross another item off her list. For items of value, she always had to run the trades by me first, and I had to approve it. On several occasions, she almost got scammed out of good items. There are several food items that look or sound like objects, like the hot air balloon and the cabin. Somebody offered an Ainbowray Canape when she was around 7 or 8. She didn’t know what a canape was. They had her convinced that it was a rainbow “canopy” bed, and she was offering a PSI for it. I was like no! That’s a cheap food item. She was so glad she didn’t trade PSI for it. I always told her, “if you learn the value of items, then you can trade them on your own. Until then, always run it by me first.” So when I see low end traders, I think of her and try to help them out, not necessarily by giving them items for free, but by trading with them and advising them on values so they don’t get scammed. .
I am what I would call a “versatile trader”. Like many high end traders, I too have almost every item in the game other than newer psi (from the past few years), some promo and some mystery. I am also missing a handful of trophies and plushies, but it is very rare that I encounter an item in the trading room that I don’t already have. And food. Unless it’s priceless, I don’t collect it. There is way too much of it, and it has no exchange value and no value to me personally.
That said, even though I don’t need it, I will still trade with anyone. My perspective is this. Even if I don’t need low or mid level items, someone else may. And if I have extras of those items, maybe I can help them complete a collection or decorate a room. I traded with a pet one time who only wanted 3 PSI, specific ones, and they were older common ones. Two of them I did not have in my dock, but one of them I had a few extras of. I asked her if she wanted to see other PSI, and she said no. She was very nice and very specific about what she wanted. I asked her why she wanted those three PSI. She said that when she was younger, she adopted those pets and sold the PSI in the Wshop, not realizing they were special. She had always regretted that. She had all her other pets’ PSI, but not those three. She had no PSI to offer, but she was offering pricey rares and was willing to trade any 3 for just one of the common PSI she was missing. She was nice and reasonable, and I had extras of the PSI. I figured it was of far more value to her than me. So I gave it to her for a wshop item, and I added a couple other extra PSI’s so that she could use them to trade for her other items. I won’t even give wshop items to pets who come in begging for freebies or who behave ungraciously, but I frequently meet pets who seem very nice, so I’m happy to help them out with a trade if I can.
Now, before you start thinking, ‘Wow! RubyCubes, you’re so nice!’ consider that my rationale isn’t entirely altruistic. In fact, it’s somewhat selfish! I’ve been playing Webkinz for many years, and the trading room and room design are my two favorite aspects. I love collecting items in general too. I’ve certainly had my frustrations with the game and with Ganz. I may have even voiced that frustration in some not-so-nice emails a couple times. I get into slumps where I barely play or don’t even log in for weeks at a time. But overall, I love the game and would be sad to see it go.
For other longtime traders like me, you likely remember when there were multiple trading room zones, each a different color, and multiple rooms within each zone. Any time of day, I could go into the trading rooms and find many people trading. Eventually, all trading room zones were condensed into one – the blue zone. While I’m not privy to any behind-the-scenes Webkinz information, I have played other online games that included multiple players on multiple servers. It had been my experience that, as the game’s membership declined and there were fewer players on at peak times, servers combined and the existing population was consolidated into fewer places. So when there was no longer a need for multiple zones, and everyone could trade in one zone, I assumed membership was declining at that point.
In the years since, membership has continued to decline, as has the popularity of Webkinz in general. This is why it’s so difficult to find Webkinz plush pets in stores, and there is only a limited release of new pets. There is still enough of a membership that Ganz is able to profit off the Estore and maintain Webkinz World, and there are still a lot of people buying and collecting plush pets (I know this because of my little online stores), but if Webkinz membership further declines, at a certain point it will no longer be profitable for Ganz to continue supporting Webkinz World. At this point, the trading room is a ghost town in the mornings. A lot of times there will not be anyone trading. I can log in over and over and over and just get empty rooms on the left side. It picks up in the later morning, afternoon, and evenings, but a lot of times in the late evening there are not many pets trading. There may be one or two active rooms (on the left side), but a lot of the pets in there are friends who hang out to socialize. I have seen the number of traders drop significantly over the years. I think it took the biggest hit after the release of Webkinz X, and I don’t think it has ever recovered.
The way I see it, if I want Webkinz to continue to be relevant, I have to invest in the online community. This is why I’m okay with spending a little money on it each month. It not only helps me obtain a few items I need, it supports the estore, which helps keep it running. But buying from the estore is not the only way to support the game and ensure that it keeps running. Getting new players involved and increasing membership will help too. I assume this is a big motivation behind the whole Helping Paws promotion.
When newer or less experienced players come into the trade room but cannot find anything they need or anyone to trade with, a lot of times they leave. They may not even come back. If they come to the trade room and have a good experience, they may keep coming back. If they keep coming back to the trade room, it means they are still an invested member in Webkinz World, which means they are valuable to the survival of the game.
Now this is by no means a criticism of high end traders who do not want to trade low end stuff. I completely get that. Every trader comes in with their own agenda, and if what you care about is adding items you need to your collection, that is perfectly fine. It keeps YOU invested, whereas trading low end stuff might bore you and make trading less interesting. For me, I love trading in general. As I mentioned in my earlier post, trading is not merely a means to an end for me; it is the end in itself.
I spend a lot of time just sitting in the trade room while I’m doing other things around my house or working on Ebay listings on another computer. My pet is frequently AFK in the trade room, and I often get automatically logged out after a while. But when I’m in the room, I periodically watch the chat. And when players invite me to trade, I will trade with anyone of any level. If I can help another player out, even if the trade is only neutral for me, I consider that a gain because I’ve contributed a positive experience to another player, and they help contribute to the overall success of the game. The trading room and other social aspects of the game will only maintain ongoing longevity if there is a community who supports it. It will not stay alive because of a few individuals.
Random questions for everyone, and this is kind of personal, so only answer if you wish to. How much do you spend each month on Webkinz, plush and/or estore? And does anyone have any good tips for buying Estore promo and mystery inexpensively? I don’t think everyone operates on a tight Webkinz budget. I see a fair number of pets in the trading room talking about how much they spend on mystery or the number of bags they buy to get the items they want, and I’m like wow…. that is way more than I’m willing to spend on a game. My personal limit is $20/month plus a yearly deluxe package for my main account, which I buy in January when it’s half price, and then when my deluxe account expires in April, I renew it. I also buy and resell plush online to cover what I do spend, so it never comes out of my family’s budget.
Zingyginger – OMG! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you! All the codes worked! I love them and updated my list! You’re awesome! 😀
52 RubyCubes said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:16 pm
I can’t get the rest of my reply to go through for some reason…
53 RubyCubes said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:21 pm
Zingyginger – OMG! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you! All the codes worked! I love them and updated my list! You’re awesome! 😀
54 RubyCubes said,
August 20, 2017 @ 11:30 pm
TLL and Cheese – I replied to you. I also added some more commentary on trading from my experience. I have tried to post it multiple times, and I can’t get it to go through. I thought it might be too long, but I’ve tried cutting it down with just a couple paragraphs, and I can’t get it to post either. Any mods have any suggestions on why it won’t post?
55 AmberRose361 (WWID: AmberRose361) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 12:09 am
Hi everyone!!! I hope life is treating you all well! I have not read up yet. I have had so much going on lately! But, I think the worst of it is that my washer broke…so, I am sitting at the laundromat right now with 11 garbage bags of dirty clothes. Don’t ask!!! But, I realized (at 12:01 of course) that I had not logged in yesterday to receive the Academy Cheer Top. Did anyone happen to get an extra that they would be willing to trade? I would be forever grateful! 😊
56 gagagee said,
August 21, 2017 @ 5:24 am
Good Morning !
Eclipse Day has finally arrived !!
dee and moms… hope your weather is great !! Enjoy your day ! ( and all of the delicious snacks) !
moms… Thanks for the email ! Forgot about the zodiac pets !
AmberRose.. nice to hear from you ! Sorry about your washer breaking down..
WOW 11 bags of clothes.. you are probably still at the laundromat !! costs a small fortune to feed those washers/dryers too….
To all of you who are clothes people.. E store released some back to school clothes but most of them are old !
Running a little late this morning… SO I hope each and every one of you have a great day and enjoy the day… Especially those in TOTALITY !!
57 Boper911 said,
August 21, 2017 @ 6:19 am
Amber, cheerleader tops sent!
I’ll be back to respond to Ruby’s post but gotta run!
58 dee said,
August 21, 2017 @ 8:49 am
so what would it look like if you flew in a plane from oregon to sc?
59 Miracle (WWID: pet4mom) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 9:21 am
So sorry I’ve been AWOL … I’ve been reading, but haven’t had much time to post. We took a little trip out of town, and it’s harder to find time.
We actually drove through the path of totality yesterday, and there was already lots of traffic. Wish we could have stayed another day, but the hotel was booked for that night, and we have tons to do. Where we are now we should have a great view of the eclipse, so I’m looking forward to it!
Ruby, I’ve read everything you’ve written about the trading rooms, wow! Thank you for putting all of that down … I must admit, it makes me even a little more afraid of the trading rooms than I was already, because I am definitely in the new, trading only for curio shop and food items category, but I do think I’m more apt to venture over there at some point, when I have something worth sharing. It helps to clarify how people are using it and what is the etiquette, etc.
Love the rooms, Moms and Boper. I hadn’t even thought of making one, but what a great idea. 🙂
Gotta go fail my academy classes. Have a great day, all!
60 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 11:00 am
happy eclipse day – my computer is acting wonky
i was up in the middle of the night & fished out rubycubes comments from the trash, but couldn’t comment to say that it is up there now at comment 51
speaking of acting wonky – the teens are not cooperating this morning … i’ve gone to a lot of trouble to arrange a very special viewing place today that’s IF we make it there …
61 dee said,
August 21, 2017 @ 1:05 pm
it is starting, there is a nibble out of it!
woo hoo
62 Catmom said,
August 21, 2017 @ 2:20 pm
Good Monday Morning
Wow that was a fun way to spend some time this morning. My dh brought home a welding helmet so we could have a peek. It started getting darker and cooler just after 10 am west coast time. It is now back to full sunny day at 11:20 am.
Moms I dragged my ds out of bed to watch for a few minutes and then he was back to sleep instantly. Lol.
I have got to stop watching the news so much, a little goes a long way.
Sending wishes of wellness for the whole world.
63 zingyginger said,
August 21, 2017 @ 5:03 pm
That’s an outta this world room, Boper! Great job!
Too bad I’m not neighbors with moms. I didn’t think I’d be interested in the eclipse when I first heard of it, since we weren’t on the path of totality and our typical summer weather brings clouds in the morning but I changed my mind this weekend and decided I had to try and see it. No glasses to be found anywhere anymore so I made a pinhole box. Alas, I was right, it was cloudy and the pinhole didn’t work but fortunately someone brought the right ISO eclipse glasses and shared with the crowd outside work. It got significantly cooler for a few minutes around a little past 10 here PST and all I could see was a thin crescent of light (the glasses are very dark and we couldn’t take them off since we don’t get totality). but it was still cool to experience. Next time it happens, I’ll buy the eclipse glasses in bulk ahead of time like dee and moms.
64 zingyginger said,
August 21, 2017 @ 5:35 pm
Rats, I just remembered why we went to Target this weekend – to look for the special Oreos. I remembered other stuff on the list but not that. I guess I’m headed back to Target this coming weekend.
Great room, moms! And really cool to have all those sun and moon items together. Your pet name’s hilarious!
LOL, I was also horrified to hear about Dad earlier until I read the part that Dad was your cat, RubyCubes. Glad the codes worked and happy you were able to put them to use. Not sure what caused the hiccup on your posts but it looks like they’ve been fixed now. Thanks for the trading guide. If I ever decide to brave the Trading room for real trading (instead of trading items between my acounts), I know now who to ask. I may also need to use a smaller account for trading as I have most stuff in my docks and it’s a lot of scrolling to find items.
Hope everyone who’s under the weather is feeling a bit better today and had a chance to check out the eclipse.
65 shellybrayley (WWID) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 5:59 pm
Hello my Friends! 😀
It got a little cooler here but not much to see, I wish I was in the States so I could of seen the eclipse as well sounds like it was really cool!
My 1 deluxe account finished the Super School Challenge today & the Trophy is Very Large like a Statue very similar to the Dr. Quack statue. Was hoping it was smaller to go in my Trophy room.
Hope everyone is Happy & Healthy today!
Off to RL stuff now. Have an Awesome Week!
66 dee said,
August 21, 2017 @ 6:58 pm
that was the coolest thing i have ever seen other than right when dd was born
moms! i sent a pic if you want to put it on here
the temp dropped by ten degrees for us…….it was trippy!
67 dee said,
August 21, 2017 @ 6:59 pm
i am hoping to make some reservations in OH for the next one…….
trust me……..i will nag you all well in advance!
68 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 7:18 pm
hello! home safe & sound – the eclipse was super cool! we are all glad we stayed a little further south to avoid the major traffic jams though 🙂
zingy – i wish you lived by me too – we had glasses & an excellent view!
69 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 7:19 pm
it didn’t feel much cooler for us though, of course our darkness was quick
70 dee said,
August 21, 2017 @ 7:25 pm
well we all have plenty of time to plan for the next one…..maybe due the “union” as boper said it is not a reunion………..i believe it is april so should be decent weather wise………..I will bring cookies!
71 LeeAnn(wwid:noellepugh) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
Nothing to special where I live, but it did get a little darker and cooler. Looking forward to all the news footage.
72 momskinz (WWID: momsownkinz) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 8:51 pm
dee – a union and total eclipse sounds like a great plan! 🙂
73 tmt5 said,
August 21, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
I was just looking at places for the next eclipse and Cedar Point is in the path of totality. Dee my family has plans to be in Ohio for the one in 2024, only issue YD will likely be at University then.
Beautiful eclipse rooms.
Great weather here today for the eclipse but it didn’t get dark at all. Looked a bit like the sun had gone behind a cloud for a little while and that was it. Sun looked very pretty through the eclipse glasses though.
74 tmt5 said,
August 21, 2017 @ 9:05 pm
LeeAnn I was watching the NASA feed after the fact and they had some great footage of the totality in Nebraska.
75 Boper911 said,
August 21, 2017 @ 9:38 pm
Eclipse was only kind of cool here, absolutely beautiful day so we went to the beach to view it- We had like 60% of totality, but still really cool to see (through glasses). It didn’t get dark, but it was kind of similar to an overcast day. Lucky folks that were at or near totality- must have been awesome.
Dee, please share the pics! @moms
I’m down for the union for 2024! I haven’t been to Ohio in a long time, although if I recall correctly there is not really a reason to return 😛 no offense ohioans…
Tmt, I saw a license plate that said “TMT TMT” so of course thought of you 🙂
76 tmt5 said,
August 21, 2017 @ 10:03 pm
We have spent most of our vacations in Ohio when we didn’t go into Canada because tourist activities there are closer than going north in our own state beside the ones close enough they aren’t what we consider vacations just an afternoon out. They have a couple of decent zoos, indoor water parks, the museum we went to in Toledo was nice enough but not that exciting. There is the Rock in roll hall of fame, I’ve never been there. My party pooper family thinks Cedar Point would be too crowed. Pretty sure there is an Air Force museum as well.
Interesting wonder why TMT twice.
77 Mist (WWID sunshinepaws) said,
August 21, 2017 @ 11:09 pm
RubyCubes when you are in the trade room next let me know. â¤ï¸ I would like to trade some items from your list to you 🙂
Not much of an eclipse where I am, I’m glad some here got to see it!
Hugs all!!
Mistâ¤ï¸
78 RubyCubes (WWID: clm88) said,
August 22, 2017 @ 12:46 am
Hi all! End of an insanely busy weekend. I’ve hardly logged into Webkinz at all for days. We are remodeling a large section of our house. Over the past 3 days, we knocked out a large exterior wall, reframed it, added a new window, and we’ve sealed it up. We still have to change out the door next weekend and do some more frame work, but we’re hoping to be able to put up new siding within the next few weeks. One more step to getting this project done. Yay!
My daughter was actually off school today for the eclipse, and we were in the path of totality… totally missed it. We were both watching for it, but it came and went and we never even noticed. No blackout here. No chirping crickets. Just business as always. I’m pretty sure the whole thing was just a hoax. LOL!
Mist- I would love to trade with you next time I’m in the trading room. I’ve hardly been there over the past week or so, but I will shoot you a kinz gram letter to let you know when I’m in the trade room. I would love to trade with you too! 😀
My kid dyed her hair turquoise tonight. Her lipstick is now black. So is her finger nail polish and eyeliner. Should I be worried? I told her she looks totally goth, like she’s going to start breaking out into a Marilyn Manson song…. Beautiful People… or something like that. She just leaned over and gave me a big hug and said, “I love you mom.” I told her I love her too…. green hair and all. I’ve been taking her to rock concerts since she was 12. This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now if she comes home with a skeleton tatooed up her neck, I may need to have a little chat with her.
Need to get to bed. Catch you all tomorrow. Hope you all enjoyed the eclipse (cough… hoax… cough) more than we did. LOL! No offense to everyone who actually got to experience a cool view of the eclipse, but from my vantage point, Momz and Boper’s rooms were the highlight of the entire event!
79 Bepsy (bepoodlepal) said,
August 22, 2017 @ 1:39 am
I went to a friends house to share eclipse glasses and we got 90 something percent totality and i watched the 100 live on twitter. I got a funny picture because the shadow of my lace jacket had the same effect as the pinhole things too.
80 gagagee said,
August 22, 2017 @ 5:20 am
Will definitely be more prepared the next time ! “Union” in OH 2024 sound great! Weather in April is a little iffy here though… Have had home openers in baseball postponed because of snow ! Sounds like everyone had a really good time for the eclipse !
RubyCubes.. coworkers daughters have dyed their hair.. so it sounds like your
daughter is typical behavior ..
dee.. thanks for the totality picture !! Interviews from around the country where totality was available … Amazing.. Unbelievable.. Crazy.. !!
Boper.. OH is a great place to visit ! Particularly CLE !! We have so much to see and people here are very friendly… look for a car with plate gagagee !! never know who is behind the wheel !!
Where does the morning go… Gotta run !
Hope you all have a great day !