This topic appears every so often. Since I haven't seen one yet, I decided to post this.
As for me, I had a 2+/- year hiatus from neopets and just recently returned. I've had premium before and had lots of success with it, so I decided to go advanced again. Since the hiatus, neopets has changed owners so many times that I actually lost track. Each and every single time I come back, the player base dwindles and the site works less and less.
Despite I this, I'm back for the nostalgic factor. Seeing my old neopets and how I named them + wrote in their bio reminded me of my thought process as a kid. As I get older and older, it's definitely great going down memory lane. I can probably remember my family member's abandoned account's username and guild, which was based off Harry Potter. I bet looking it up is going to give me a nostalgia trip.
Seeing neopets go downhill, I'm not expecting new changes or improvement in the site at all. Most of the flash games don't work on my browser anymore. Also, I went to look up a username, and the link didn't work anymore.
Nowadays, I just want to buy and sell stuff, which is the most rewarding aspect of playing neopets for me. "Playing" again without any real goals for the time being. I'm not trying to get a billion NP or get the rarest item.
Anyways, that was a long self-reflection (in a way).
What are YOUR reasons for still playing?
If not playing, then why are you never coming back?