Collecting valuable virtual items is one of the major concepts of the massively multiplayer online video game Animal Jam (created by National Geographic Society and Smart Bomb Interactive). However, it is not easy to become what is considered a "rare" player. This Instructable will show you how to obtain many valuable items in the game.

Step 1: Know Which AJ Items Are Valuable.

In Animal Jam, it is clear which items are wanted by Jammers. There are two main categories of sought-after virtual products in the game: rares and discontinued items.

Rare items are items sold each Monday in Jamaa's shops. They can be either clothing (used to accessorize a player's animal avatar) or den items (placed in a player's virtual home, called a den). These items all have a yellow/gold-colored tag labeled "RARE" on them, so it is easy to spot which items are rare and which are not.

Discontinued items are items that were sold for gems (AJ's virtual currency) at one point, but are no longer available in Jamaa's shops. The most valuable form of discontinued is a BETA item, one that was originally released during the BETA Days (when Animal Jam was a new game). BETAs are very useful when trading for other items. Many Jammers will use the term 'BETA' to refer to an item that has simply been discontinued recently; make sure you know which items are actually BETA and which ones are not.

Step 2: Log on Every Monday.

Perhaps the easiest way to get rare items in the game is to log onto AJ every week for "Rare Item Monday." Every Monday, an item with the 'Rare' tag is released to a specific shop in the Animal Jam world, and it only stays for that single day. Most of the time, these items are not extremely valuable, but they come in handy for trading other players for better items, and a large amount of items with the 'Rare' tag will transform you into an impressive player. Occasionally, a RIM item (such as the Rare Fox Hat and Rare Spiked Collar) will later on become one of the most highly-sought-after items in the entire game. Chances like that are good reasons to frequently purchase RIM items. A recent Rare Item Monday item will not become popular overnight, however; older rares' value is much higher than newer ones. Once you have purchased many different RIMs over the course of a few weeks, you will have a hearty amount of valuable items to trade others.

Step 3: Trade for Valuable Items.

Trading is the most popular way in the Animal Jam game to obtain items of great worth. The concept is simple; one Jammer will select an item from another player's "Trade List" and choose one to four of their own items to exchange for the other. The player with the item being traded for can choose to either accept or decline the trade. In order to have other Jammers accept your own trades, you must be willing to lose your own items and have items that another player would want. Trading older RIM items is a good way to receive items such as discontinued ones.

Step 4: Play Adventures.

Adventures in Animal Jam make up a series of games that Jammers can play. They follow a story concerning an evil force known as the Phantoms wreaking havoc on the world of Jamaa. Throughout Adventures, players obtain various items by completing tasks and opening treasure chests. These items can often be rares, discontinued items, and BETAs. Playing many Adventures and obtaining items from them will increase your collection of high-quality items in AJ.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 2-4.

If you continue to buy Rare Item Monday items, trade Jammers, and play Adventures, you will become a "rare" Jammer in just a few months. Make sure never to get discouraged if other Jammers decline your trades, or if the prizes you receive in Adventures aren't that great. Patience is key when you're trying to become a rare Jammer. Jam on!