The recycle box is a staple of the series, and the box in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is no different, with one lucky player recently proving why it's essential to regularly check your recycling. Located at Resident Services, the recycle box might typically be filled with low-value items like Cardboard Boxes or Rusted Parts, but there's always the chance of finding something of value - especially if you've recently said goodbye to a villager, or renovated your island.
Redditor Freekwenzee-tan recently took to the Animal Crossing forum to share what might be the luckiest find in any recycle box, ever. Sharing a screenshot, the user revealed their shock after finding none other than a Royal Crown in their box, which can be purchased from the Able Sisters for an eye-watering 1.2 million Bells. As the most expensive item in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it's no wonder that Freekwenzee-tan took to Reddit to query their find - and luckily, it seems there's an obvious explanation for the rare discovery.
How Did New Horizons' Most Expensive Item End Up In The Recycling?
Reddit Has Figured It Out
If you're hoping to find a Royal Crown in your recycle box, you're probably out of luck. While some of the commenters on the post hope to find it's possible for the game to randomly gift such a valuable item, user SentenceCareful3246 has the real reason. "My guess is that you bought that, left it on the ground, forgot about it and then you built something over the item. And, in case you didn't know, when that happens the item ends up going to the recycle box," they commented, to which the OP replied that yes, they now remember that happening.
Related
Animal Crossing Fans Are Ecstatic That One Major Feature Was Removed In New Horizons
One Animal Crossing feature that was part of previous titles was excluded from Animal Crossing: New Horizons and fans are glad it was cut.
As is often the case with revelations like the above, many ACNH fans were surprised to learn that building over an item - or using the Clean Up service - will result in it ending up in the recycle box. This is indeed the case though, according to Nookipedia. The recycle box works by offering the chance to receive "three Clay, three Iron Nuggets, a small furniture item, an item of clothing, a flower bag, a Sapling, Cedar Sapling, a wallpaper, or trash." It's also possible to receive a clothing item, a Rusted Part, a Cardboard Box, and the clothing or wallpaper of a recently moved-out villager. As for whether any item in the game could appear in the recycle box, it appears not, so finding a Royal Crown by chance in your own isn't likely to happen.
Never Forget To Check Your Recycling Box
Add It To Your To-Do List
Despite the recycle box not gifting out items worth millions of Bells, it's still well worth a regular visit to Resident Services to check what's in there. There are a handful of exclusive items only available through the box, and while none are as exciting or valuable as a Royal Crown, they're still needed if you're looking to complete your item catalog. Some of the more basic items - like Clay, Iron Nuggets, and Cardboard Boxes - are all really useful materials to have in bulk for crafting, and the recycle box is an easy place to find them.
The Redditor's lucky save also highlights another reason to check the box: if they hadn't, they'd have lost the game's most valuable item without even realizing their error! It's worth getting into the habit of checking the recycle box every time you finish an island renovation, not just for items, but to make sure you haven't also accidentally thrown out a prized Animal Crossing: New Horizons possession.
Source: Freekwenzee-tan/Reddit, SentenceCareful3246/Reddit, Nookipedia
9/10
Your changes have been saved
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Platform(s) Switch
Released March 20, 2020
Developer(s) Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s) Nintendo
English (US) ·