Question. I think I know the answer though.

Well?

HAH! You're joking, right? Donation items own!	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Unfortunately, no.	36.4%	[ 4 ]
Unfortunately, yes.	9.1%	[ 1 ]
Yes! Yay for commons! >D	9.1%	[ 1 ]
I wish. ._.	45.5%	[ 5 ]
Total Votes:			[ 11 ]

[Patalliro]

Has anybody ever gotten to the top ten without a donation item?

[.T.O.N.N.]

Blame Gaia for not haveing the awsome looking items not avaible in stores.

[Enkyubus]

More than likely not. Seeing as Donation items add ahint of flare to certain outfits. Though it might have been for a second, when I logged on and rated my Zim outfit: http://www.gaiaonline.com/avatararena/index.php?mode=vote&postid=1560 it was nothing but store items. xd then the rates went down... in a spiralling motion.

[Patalliro]

Well, I guess, but it's not always necessary. Expensive items are fine, but if you're wearing something like a Kiki or Coco Kitty just like every other person, it gets annoying. gonk

[Ooh Ooh Deja Vu]

I got on the top 10 a few times.
(imagine my ava minus the Laurels)

[Research Assistant Zoe]

akaritori's #4(as of this post), and dosen't have any that I can see- I might be missing one, though.
Despoena's #7 and only has this months- hardly an expensive item.
There've been a couple more in and out, and several with only low-end donation items (cheap 04/05 ones) but they're not there now and I don't have a clue what the names were.

[Ooh Ooh Deja Vu]

Damia Grynn

akaritori's #4(as of this post), and dosen't have any that I can see- I might be missing one, though.
Despoena's #7 and only has this months- hardly an expensive item.
There've been a couple more in and out, and several with only low-end donation items (cheap 04/05 ones) but they're not there now and I don't have a clue what the names were.

#5 has the Ninja HB, worth 60+k? Meh, that doesn't count.

[Patalliro]

Damia Grynn

akaritori's #4(as of this post), and dosen't have any that I can see- I might be missing one, though.
Despoena's #7 and only has this months- hardly an expensive item.
There've been a couple more in and out, and several with only low-end donation items (cheap 04/05 ones) but they're not there now and I don't have a clue what the names were.

Analyzing akaritori's, you'll notice there is a steel-plated ninja band.

[Research Assistant Zoe]

Patalliro

Damia Grynn

akaritori's #4(as of this post), and dosen't have any that I can see- I might be missing one, though.
Despoena's #7 and only has this months- hardly an expensive item.
There've been a couple more in and out, and several with only low-end donation items (cheap 04/05 ones) but they're not there now and I don't have a clue what the names were.

Analyzing akaritori's, you'll notice there is a steel-plated ninja band.

Is there? Well, there I am. I did miss it. I see it now. But if you have to stare hard and squint to catch some of the donation items people are wearing, why does it matter that they've got them on?

I dunno. I guess I just don't get the whole 'people with the older donation items have the older donation items and therefore have a better chance and it's not fair' thing.

I mean, if I made a thread in AD about how the art arena wasn't fair because Joulee and haku are such better artists than I am and it's not fair because I'd have no chance of winning in there, most of the people would laugh at me. They're better because they've either worked harder at it or been doing it longer- much the same as the people with the expensive items. They either worked damn hard to get them or started on Gaia very early, or, most likely, plenty of both. I don't see anything wrong with that, if they have the sense of style to back it up.(and most of them do) It just really bugs me how much bitterness is going around because of it.
It's like the attitude is that it's impossible to make a good avatar without an 03 item, or at least a few good 04's, and that kind of thinking becomes kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.