How To Get A Shovel - Animal Crossing: New Horizons Wiki Guide

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Need help obtaining a Shovel in ACNH? Our detailed How-To guide below will explain everything you need to know about obtaining a Shovel, upgrading your Shovel, and crafting all three of the different types of Shovels that are available in game.

For more information, check out our complete Shovel guide below!

• How to Get a Shovel
• How to Upgrade Your Shovel
• How to Get the Golden Shovel
• Can Golden Tools Break
• How to Get a Flimsy Shovel, Shovel and Golden Shovel

How to Get a Shovel

Unlike games before Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can't get it right away and it requires a few steps.

To obtain a Shovel in ACNH, players will need to entice the museum curator, Blathers, to join your island.

A shovel, which is considered as one of the most essential tools in game, can be used to dig up buried items, transplant trees and flowers, and strike rocks.

To entice Blathers, you will need to give Tom Nook a total of 5 bugs and/or fish. Upon doing so, Blathers will call - prompting you to place a spot down for his tent. He will arrive the next day (5am).

Speak to Blathers to get a recipe for the Flimsy Shovel.

Along with the Shovel, you’ll also receive a recipe for the Vaulting Pole. This item doesn’t break like the others, and you can use it to quickly cross rivers with ease - both on your island and on Mystery Islands.

How to Upgrade Your Shovel

In order to upgrade your Shovel you will need to purchase the tool recipe pack that is available via the Nook Stop terminal.

Here, players will be able to purchase the Pretty-Good Tools recipe pack for 3,000 Nook Miles. This pack will include the DIY recipes that are needed to craft tool upgrades such as Stone Axes, Axes, Shovels, Fishing Rods, Nets, and Watering Cans.

How to Get the Golden Shovel

To unlock the Golden Shovel in ACNH, you will need to help Gulliver, who has been washed up on your shore. After waking him up, he will ask for your assistance in finding 5 Communicator Parts so that he can repair his NookPhone. In most cases, these parts can be found by digging in the sand along the beach.

You will need to successfully help Gulliver a total of 30 times before you will receive the DIY recipe in the mail. It is worth noting, that if you are in to Time Traveling, it is rumored that Gulliver will wash up on your shore every 10 days.

How to Craft the Golden Shovel

Upon unlocking the Golden Shovel, you will need the following materials and tools in order to craft the recipe:

• 1 Gold Nugget
• 1 Shovel

Can Golden Tools Break?

Before you get too excited, it is worth noting that Golden Tools can break! While they won't be nearly as breakable as Flimsy Tools, some members of the community have reported that the Tools can last up to 200 uses, so you'll definitely get quite a bit of use out of each tool

How to Get a Flimsy Shovel, Shovel and Golden Shovel

Whether you're looking to craft a Flimsy Shovel, Shovel, or Golden Shovel, we have you covered in our detailed Shovel guide below. This table lists everything from sell price, materials needed, durability, and how to can unlock each of the three different Shovel recipes.

Shovel Type	Sell Price	Materials Needed	How To Unlock	Durability
	200 Bells	5 Hardwood	Unlocked upon speaking to Blathers.	Approximately 40 uses.
Flimsy Shovel
	600 Bells	1 Flimsy Shovel 1 Iron Nugget	Unlocked via purchasing the Pretty-Good Tools Recipe at Nook Stop.	Approximately 100 use.
Shovel
	625 Bells	1 Shovel 1 Gold Nugget	Unlocked upon helping Gulliver 30 times.	Approximately 200 uses.
Golden Shovel

For more, be sure to check out our complete Tool Guide and How to Unlock Everything in Animal Crossing: New Horizons pages.

Up Next: How to Get a Watering Can

PreviousHow to Get an AxeNextHow to Get a Watering Can

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Animal Crossing: New HorizonsNintendoInitial Release: Mar 20, 2020Learn moreGo to comments