Guide – Real/fake art and Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The April 2020 update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons has added in Redd (otherwise known as “Crazy Redd”), the sketchy fox from past Animal Crossing games whose livelihood depended on scamming players with fake pieces of artwork. Now he’s back and sketchier than ever, arriving on islands under the nickname “Jolly Redd” and selling wares from a dubious-looking ship.

Redd will sell players a variety of different paintings, statues, and other furniture — some of which is real and some of which is fake. Players can donate genuine artwork to Blathers, which is displayed in a newly-built section of the museum. Unsure how exactly this new system works? No worries: This guide will cover Redd, his ship, how to identify real/fake art, and how to donate it to the museum.

 

How to upgrade the museum

 

 

To begin donating artwork, you’ll first need to upgrade your museum to include an art room. In order for this to happen, you’ll need to have donated a combination of at least 60 fish, bugs, or fossils to the museum. After you meet this criteria, Blathers will tell you he’s now accepting artwork the next time you talk to him.

The next step requires you to buy a piece of art from Redd (see below). Once you’ve done that and donate it to Blathers, he’ll tell you he would like to open an art exhibit. The next day, the museum will be closed for renovations. The day after that, the museum will be expanded and have a shiny, new art section for you to explore and help build out! Isabelle will announce the reopening of the museum and also warn you about forged artwork.

 

How to get Redd to your island

 

 

In order for Redd to show up on your island, you’ll need to have donated a combination of at least 60 fish, bugs, or fossils to the museum and talked to Blathers. He’ll tell you he’s now accepting artwork for donations. The next day, Jolly Redd will show up on your island. Isabelle will mention his presence in her morning announcements, warning islanders to be careful (don’t worry, he isn’t dangerous!).

Your map will show a new icon at your “secret beach” on the northern end of your island. If you head there, you’ll find Redd’s shanty little ship docked — not yet transformed into a full shop and not yet accessible to you. So, then, where is Redd? The first day he shows up, Redd can be found wandering around your island so be sure to go looking for him.

 

 

Talk to him and he’ll introduce himself to you, then offer to sell you a piece of art for a whopping 498,000 Bells. Your only options are to decline. Then, he’ll give you a “special” discount, and drop the price to 4,980 Bells. A little more affordable, yes? This painting will be a random one picked from a pool of paintings that are always genuine, so you don’t have to worry about it being fake or not! Redd will float the idea of turning that rundown trawler he arrived in into a showroom.

Donate this piece of art to Blathers and his museum will close for renovations the next day. Once it’s reopened and has its new art exhibit, Redd will begin to show up on your island in his ship on random days like Kicks, Label, Saharah, and others.

 

How to board Redd’s ship

 

You cannot board Redd’s boat the first time he visits. After you’ve bought your first piece of artwork, wait a few days until he shows up again. On his second visit, you’ll see his shop icon on your map, but you still won’t be able to board his ship — your character will say the boat looks sketchy and you shouldn’t board without permission.

 

 

In order to board Redd’s ship, you’ll need to seek him out again. He’s wandering somewhere around your island, so find him and speak to him. He’ll mention that the citizens of your island are very interested in art and he’s interested in selling it; however, he needs someone he can trust: you! He’ll tell you to stop by his ship, the screen will fade to black, and he’ll have disappeared. Now you can head to his boat and buy from him.

 

What does Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler sell?

 

 

Each time he visits, Redd will sell four paintings/sculptures and two somewhat-rare pieces of furniture, usually items with foreign recolors (ie. a color variation you can’t normally get on your island). Players are restricted to buying one piece of art each day he visits. Meanwhile, there are no limits on how many pieces of furniture you can buy.

Redd will sell four pieces of artwork each day he visits, with at least three being forgeries; however, it’s also possible that all four pieces will be fake, so you may have a day where you walk away with nothing at all! His artwork will always sell for 4,980 Bells and real artwork will be bought by Timmy and Tommy at Nook’s Cranny for 1,245 Bells.

Redd will mail you all artwork you purchase, which you’ll receive the next day, but any furniture you purchase will be given to you immediately.

 

What to do with artwork

 

So, obviously, you can go ahead and donate all the artwork you purchase from Redd, but if you can also use it like any other piece of furniture! Paintings can be used to decorate your home and statues can be placed as decorations around your island. Now you can be the art connoisseur you’ve always dreamed of being.

 

What to do with fake artwork

 

If you aren’t careful, you’ll wind up with a forgery. If you get a fake painting or statue, you cannot donate it to the museum and you cannot sell it at Nook’s Cranny. That’s a bummer, huh? So, what can you do with them? You’ll have to either dispose of them using a trash can or recycling bin or you can simply display it like any old piece of furniture.

 

How to tell the difference between real and fake artwork

 

So now that you have the gist of how buying and donating art works, let’s break down how to tell the difference between real and fake art. All of the art Redd sells is based off real-world paintings and sculptures. Real paintings and sculptures will look exactly like they do in real life but fake paintings and sculptures will have tiny details changed. Please note that the genuine/forgery art differences are totally different than they are in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, so don’t use a guide for that game for New Horizons!

Each day Redd visits, he will sell four pieces of artwork. However, at least three of them will be forgeries so that means you’ll have to correctly figure out which of the four is the single real one! Also, it’s possible that ALL of the items he’s selling are fake, so watch it! All items are priced at 4,980 Bells.

Here’s a list of all the art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, plus differences between real and fake pieces. Do note that some paintings and sculptures are always genuine. Always-real pieces of art are noted in the “Difference” column.

Click or tap on each image to expand it!

 

List of art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

 

 

Nook Miles achievements

 

There are two Nook Miles achievements associated with buying art from Jolly Redd:

 

Faked Out!

 

“Oh my. Did you get hoodwinked? That work of art you purchased turned out to be a forgery, and it stings. Your eye for art is being tested! Yes, yes! Please take some comfort in the miles I’m giving you.”

 

This achievement is earned by donating a piece of fake art to Blathers. You’ll receive 500 Nook Miles for it and two keywords: Plausible and Fake.

 

True Patron of the Arts

 

“Collecting artwork contributes to the cultural quality of [ISLAND NAME], and Nook Inc. will give miles to folks who prove themselves discerning connoisseurs.”

 

This achievement is earned by purchasing art at Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler. You’ll receive 300 Nook Miles for one piece of art purchased, 500 Nook Miles for 10 pieces of art purchased, and 1000 Nook Miles for 20 pieces of art purchased. You’ll also receive the keywords Shady and Seller, Discerning and Aficionado, and Bold and Artistic Statement, respectively.

 

More Animal Crossing: New Horizons guides

 

Looking for more help with Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Check out our other guides!

 

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