Just Curious!

How are people able to win expensive items? Games? Businesses?

Depends on what kind of expensive item you're talking about! Is there an item in particular you're wanting? I usually try to get it through cheaper methods if possible (using wizard tokens for token shop items, etc) but if I can't then I'll save and wait till someone is selling it for a discount on the advertising boards (depending on how bad I want the item, haha!).

Agreed -- it really depends on the item! I save up Wizard Tokens for Token Shop restocks, Crystals for the Fragmentizer Shop, Recycle Beast Points for his shop, etc. When it comes to the Cash Shop, I usually get the items while they're available, if they're something I want. Then I do my best to participate in all of the events and plots!

In addition to what lindsey and Dill said, if you're lucky you might get some pretty nice items from quests too. Drills sometimes gives out retired items and stuff from Subeautique, Carl has been known to give out potions and Subeautique wears (probably only when he's sleeping) and Quentin sometimes gives Subeautique items too in addition to the more common Mage amulets, which you can sell for a decent profit if you're not interested in raising your pet's stats ^^

The Quests and Achievements bragging threads have some more examples of quest givers being generous :D

Also Alexander's (Librarian) quests give out high rarity items as well, that can sometimes be pretty expensive.

Otherwise yeah, I try to do quests every day and save up what I can of the other currencies to be able to get things from the various shops around the site. Participate in the events like said.

If there's something I want that only has a few in user shops, I'll try to save specifically for that item until I can afford it.

Also, around New Year's, the Free Shop opens up and while it literally is the luck of the draw, I've managed to grab a couple of expensive and/or Blackheart Hollow items there.

The other answer I have is to save up and buy the item, or play the game/shop at the store/participate in the current plot and hope for the best.

What do you mean by businesses, though? You mean like art shops? Some do that, too, but I don't have the talent to go that route.

As well as the tips above, I use SubetaLodge to find out where an item comes from. Then from there try to work out the cheapest/easiest way to get it.

For items that transform, I look up the prices of the the other item(s) it transform from or into to see if I can get it at a lower price, then transform it into the item I want.