StockPetsSTORIES FROM THE FARM
Same 1996, different endings: why start StockPets again?
· The StockPets team · Updated
In one farm, you wonder what might have happened if you had held on. In another, you wish you had harvested a little and shared it with your companion. Once a past choice becomes a new question, the same starting point can be worth visiting again.
Short answer
StockPets can start in the same January 1996 yet leave different farm and adult-pet records, depending on what you plant, when you harvest and how you care. Here, an “ending” means the look and memories a generation leaves behind; collecting 40 adult appearances and welcoming new generations provide reasons to keep exploring.
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Three ways to spend the same first three years
Keep the starting conditions the same: in January 1996, put 3,000 coins into each of three seeds and keep 1,000 coins in reserve. Compare the game prices in January 1999, 36 months later, when the first pet reaches adulthood. These approximate calculations leave out life-event coins, farm upgrades and other spending.
Play A: concentrate on technology and wait
Plant technology-company seeds in all three plots and do not harvest for the first three years. This example ends with about 49,146 coins in assets. The field has grown, but these holdings have not produced a realized harvest profit yet. Their paper gains cannot pay for a pet wish.
Play B: spread across household and drinks companies
Plant three household-goods and drinks-company seeds and wait for the same period. This example ends at about 19,212 coins. Several companies can still share similar business exposure; this is a different path to watch, not proof of broad diversification.
Play C: harvest half early and fulfill a pet wish
Use the same seeds as A, but harvest 50% of each in January 1997. The realized profit is about 5,383 coins, enough for the pet’s special-meal wish that month at 40 coins. Keep the harvested coins rather than reinvesting them. After the meal, assets in January 1999 are about 34,916 coins.
| Choice for the first three years | Assets in January 1999 | What changes in the story |
|---|---|---|
| Hold three technology seeds | About 49,146 coins | No realized harvest profit from these holdings yet |
| Hold three household/drinks seeds | About 19,212 coins | Different companies take the same months at a different pace |
| Harvest half the technology seeds after a year; give one meal | About 34,916 coins | A harvested profit becomes something shared with the pet |
Calculated from the StockPets game dataset. A and C use Microsoft, Intel and IBM; B uses P&G, Coca-Cola and Colgate-Palmolive. These six examples and this period do not represent whole-sector performance or a recommended portfolio. Dividends, taxes and fees are excluded. Real play also includes life events, other spending and fractional-seed rounding. Coins are virtual and cannot be exchanged for cash.
Replay value in 40 looks and the next generation
After trying to grow a large harvest, you can set a different goal: raise another animal species or discover an adult appearance you have not collected. There are 40 adult appearances in total: eight animal species with five appearances per species. Even a generation with market losses can add an appearance to the collection. The pet growth guide explains the rules.
When your pet becomes an adult, you can welcome a new generation. The game date, coins, crops, farm and existing collection remain unchanged. The previous pet stays in the family records, and the new pet begins its own generation. Read more than a number for the story behind this connection.
Starting again in 1996 is different from a new generation
To try another farm from 1996, use “Start over” in Settings. This erases the current journey, including its collection, family and album. Export any records you want to keep first. If your aim is to keep filling the same collection, welcome another generation within the current journey.
Five personal challenges for your next chapter
- Harvest half before 2000. Choose a long-held crop and harvest 50% during 1999. Notice how it feels to watch the other half afterwards.
- Keep three plots through September 2026. Leave the plot upgrade alone and work within the starting space. You can clear dead crops and plant again.
- Meet adults from three different species. Continue generations within one journey and choose animals you have not raised before.
- Raise one generation with basic care. Skip special meals, toys and outings; use feeding, play and cleaning until adulthood. Growth continues without treat spending.
- Fulfil each of the three wish types once. Within a generation, give a special meal, a new toy and a garden outing when each is requested. Harvest a profit first, then check what is possible that month.
These are personal goals you can try under the actual rules, rather than built-in achievements. See how to play StockPets for partial harvesting and the calendar. The next playthrough starts with a question: what kind of record would you like to leave this time?
Frequently asked questions
Does StockPets have multiple endings?
Here, an ending is the adult appearance of a pet and the recorded story of its generation. There are eight species with five adult appearances each, rather than 40 separate story endings.
Can I keep my collection when I restart from 1996?
“Start over” clears the current journey, collection, family and album. Export records you want to keep first. Welcoming another generation within the same journey preserves the existing records.
Does a new pet reset my coins and farm?
Welcoming the next generation keeps the game date, coins, farm and crops. The new pet builds its own generation’s record, and the previous pet remains in the family records.
Can unrealized gains pay for a pet wish?
No. You must harvest for more than the planting cost to realise a profit. Special meals, toys and outings are limited by that profit pool and the coins you hold. Basic care remains available separately.
Which of the three play styles is the best strategy?
These are examples using six particular seeds from January 1996 to January 1999. Different seeds and dates change the outcome. They are not investment advice or stock recommendations. The result you enjoy also depends on whether you value collecting, wishes or expanding the farm.
StockPets is a game that uses virtual coins only. Nothing on this page is investment advice, and past price changes do not predict future results.