by Four Degreez

'How to Earn Money' is a series of articles that will describe ways to make money in the Kingdom. This second instalment will focus on earning money with icons. You can read Part 1 here, in which I discuss how you can earn a good 4K living just by posting.

Icon collecting--it's a favourite 4thKingdom pastime. Long-time members already know that it can also be profitable, so this article is really geared toward the new 4K member. If that means you, then keep reading!

Icons, as you may know, can be purchased in stores, bargained for on the Items & Lotto board, or won in the icon lotto (available in the General Store). When you buy an icon, it shows up on your items page. View your items page any time by using the link next to where your money is displayed. Maybe you've purchased an icon or two already, and you're staring at them wondering how they can earn you money. Well to understand that, find the link called "Series Viewer". This takes you into series view mode, and you will see which series your icons belong to.

All icons in the Kingdom belong to a series. Some series are small--just three icons--while others are as large as eight. You will notice that each series is labelled with a "Weekly Earnings" amount. If you complete the series, each week you will earn that amount of money, for as long as you hold onto the series. It's that simple! Many 4thKingdomers have made their fortunes collecting icons.

There are some caveats that you should be aware of. First, not all series are created equal. Some pay more and some pay less. Many of the older ones are uncollectible, due to the fact that key icons are all in private hands. There are only so many of each icon in circulation, after all. Being new to the game, it would be wise to ask knowledgeable people for collecting advice.

Second, you should know that a tax is levied on large icon collections. The tax is progressive in nature, meaning very large collections are taxed much more highly than smaller collections. It is very possible to complete one or two series before the tax starts kicking in.

Third, you cannot earn twice the money for completing the same series twice. There is no benefit in completing the same series multiple times, so once you complete one, pursue a new series.

New members have exclusive access to the First Impressions store (AKA "the newbie store"). This gives new members an advantage, as they may be able to buy icons that other members want. That way you can set up trades and get icons that you need to complete a series. Keep in mind that trading is a risky proposition at the time of this writing, because you must use the Classifieds to do so. A method of direct, private trading between members is a requested feature to be added.

That seems to sum up this topic. Now go out and start collecting! Remember, icons are not just fun to collect--they are an investment. Have fun!