An open letter to designers

First, let's send the freebie hunters on their way...At !Cybernetic, you can get a free AO Hud, and a whole slew of nice animated poses for only 1L each (both male and female). Go!

OK, now that they're gone...a letter to the designers.

Dear Designers:

You know that we bloggers get around and see a lot of things, so I wanted to send you designers an open letter covering a few points that have bothered me lately. Take from it what you will.

As a freebie blogger, I really love all of you designers...you keep me in business. I just wanted to give you a few viewpoints from this side of the business, and I hope you'll take these in the spirit in which they are given.

In these days of troubled economics, I understand that you are all trying to make some RL wages from your SL work. But lately, with a few notable exceptions (Simone! and Rha! Designs, and I'm sure there are a few others), I've seen prices going up, rather than going down.

You might want to consider the wisdom of selling many items at a lower price, than one item at a higher price. I personally sell sculpty pumps at 49L each. They aren't fancy, but they're cute...and let me tell you, at 49L, I sell the heck out of them (3 pairs, just during the course of writing this post)! Everyone can afford 49L...but not everyone can afford 875-2199L for fancy prim-toed shoes (and I confess, I do own some of them, but those were in better financial days). In fact, Baby Monkey is selling gorgeous prim-footed shoes for 150L (100L if you join the group!) and she's selling a LOT of them! I know this, because I stood and watched for awhile yesterday - while I was buying my own 5 pairs.

So, if the "SL society" shoppers are what you're going for, continue raising your prices - there's a bunch of people out there who are still willing to pay them. But if your sales seem to be slumping, consider lowering your prices - a little....because the majority of your target shoppers are not in that SL society group.

Next, I wanted to discuss "gifts" or "freebies". I've heard a lot of discussion from designers lately stating that they felt that gifts or freebies were sucking their business dry, and yes, there is probably some of that going on. But let me give you the viewpoint of many shoppers.

I've done the Vain Kiss hunt, the POE hunt, the Fly A Kite hunt, the Bunny Hop, etc. I do the complete hunt and then when I'm finished, I go home and unpack all 200-400 items, one at a time. I try them on and if I like what I see...I go back to the store to shop more. If I don't like your item because it's poorly made, I probably won't be back to shop. There have been times where I "kinda" liked the item but it was so well made, I had to go and see what else they made.

We've also been seeing a lot of cases of gifts only going out to your groups, which is fine on the one hand, but on the other, I've seen a lot of people charging to join their group! I am only one freebie blogger....there are many of us. When we come to your store and blog your item, we are giving you free advertising. When you make our readers pay to join your group to get your freebie, then the freebie is no longer free and our group room is severely limited. I don't know about the other bloggers, but I have 125 consistent readers....that's 125 people I'm sending to your store, each and every day. Make them pay to join a group....and they may not join, and further, they may not even shop there.

A point to the skin designers. Do you think it would be too difficult for you to include a notecard giving us the RGB values that you used on your skins? With 5 pairs of Baby Monkeys, 4 pairs of Moodys, and 4 pairs of J's, and at least 5 skins I bounce between....I'm going freaking nuts trying to keep up! ;)

Lastly, some of you are great about letting us know when you put a new freebie out and some of you...not so good. While we know you're busy, we don't all have the time to just hop store to store looking for a freebie (although, when I first started VF, that's exactly what I did!). If you're an active reader of this blog, and you put out a new freebie, let us know! We're here to help YOU as well as our readership...so help us help you!

Some helpful ways of letting us know:

1. Drop a folder on me called "For the blog". Include a notecard telling me about your freebie and a landmark. I get folders occasionally, but no comments or anything else. I don't know if I'm getting a group gift or a review folder, and sometimes things get overlooked. If you label it "For the blog", then I'll know.

2. If you release a new freebie each and every Friday, drop me a notecard and tell me that, along with your lm. One of us will make a point of getting over there, or alternatively, stand right in front of your freebie, make a slurl, and paste that in a notecard, along with a description and full perm picture of your freebie, and drop it on me, which will save us an immense amount of time.

That's it. Hope ya'll still love us after reading this, but it was just some stuff I needed to get off my chest ;)

Honey

Early morning freebies

*yawn* Drinking a cup of coffee and thought I'd see what I could line up for you for today.

Journey at Prism Haute Couture has another dollarbie outfit for us. This Valentine's outfit includes hair and boots!

Striking Poses has their Playboy fatpack of poses for 1L. Go to the center of the store next to the group sign up. If you don't already belong to Striking Poses, do so! It's a Subscribe-O-Matic so won't take up any room in your groups!

Baby Monkey turns a year old today, so of course, we get the presents! Pixie put out a group gift which you can get by joining her group (several pairs of pumps), and a gift for anyone who goes by - a darling pair of fuschia pumps.

Whimsey has four gift boxes out at 1L each (and a Subscribe-O-Matic, which has skins as a welcome gift). One contains dresses, one contains hair, one has purses, and the last has lashes!

Sin & Secrets put out a cute new dollarbie - two tops and a black lace skirt, collectively called "Movie Night".

A&k Designs has a Valentine's catsuit for us, for free. Lots of group member gifts around as well.

SkinSane has redesigned their store (I approve! So much lighter and brighter now!) and has put out a new 1L skin. There's a 50L group skin as well.

Finally, I've started making shoes again. There are a pair of black and red sculpty pumps here for you to buy for 1L (pay the box), and you can find more to purchase here. Please take a look around the mall while you're there! You'll find PixelDolls (everything in the store is only 50L!), Urban Funeral, Hax Clothing, AQUA, Emporio Caproni Skins, UK Couture, KA Designs, ShoeFly Shoes, and of course, a variety of my own stores.

~~~~~~~End of freebies (for now)

I wanted to talk a little bit about a designer that was mentioned on the blog the other day. Her store is called *IW* and her name is Inga Wind.

You all know me by now - when I find a designer that I think is outstanding, I just have to say a few words....and Inga is outstanding! She has an incredible wall of freebies, and another of 50L outfits. Inga uses amazing textures to create original designs that you just won't find anywhere else in SL.

In the picture below, I am wearing Inga's "Rose in Red", which comes with a darling hat, earrings, and cute shoes.

I've told many people about Inga this past week, and they've all loved her designs! I encourage you to stop by today and take some time looking around the store (and buying!) and don't forget to grab the freebies...which you won't believe are free!

Good Morning!!

Good Morning Freebie Fashionistas!

Did you pick up the Mistress Boots from THE DOMINION Fashion District for 0L ?

SILLY PEPPERS has these Free & Discounted skins on offering.

lessthanthree is offering free skins, & cheap eyes,

TRUTH has some dollarbie hair, plus their famous hair sale ..... 50L per color pack! (Yay, more hair!!)

humming has cute red shorts for 1L, tweed dresses, one in brown, the other in red 1L

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When I was on the SL grid earlier this week, I popped in to Baby Monkey and was lucky enough to find the Designer, and CEO of the company in the store. As a matter of etiquette, I sent Ms. Pixieplumb Flanigan a note, thanking her for the lovely offerings, and asked permission to feature her in our blog. After a brief discussion, I was very happy to learn that she has read our blog, (yay!). She was also kind enough to give me some notable points you may find of interest about her store, and group.

Pixie's large store, features a wide array of affordable clothes, in every color known to the rainbow. You can find reasonably priced basic tees, sweaters, dresses, skirts, & shoes. Ohhhhh the shoes! What's your favorite style? Flats? Pumps? Mules? She has them! Victorian styled shoes? Oh ya, she has those too! Lots of color richness, and patterns to choose from! Your outfit would not be complete with out bangles, and a handbag you say? Pixie has taken care of your accessory needs with a wonderful selection of those as well!

If you have child avi's here is something to make note of - a great selection of kids clothes. The same fine quality, and detail as the adult clothes, some of the shoes, come with color change, flex lace frills and a re-size script.

If you join Pixie's group, you will not be disappointed. Looking back through the group notices, I realized that Ms. Flanagan spoils her group members, which she has affectionately named "Baby Monkey Junkies". The group is now free to join, and definitely worth it! Look for this sign.

Freebies can be found over in the corner. Below is a taste of what you'll find inside. The skirt, even has a resize script, and the tees come in 3 color choices, along with a pair of panties. The same mesh netting in the bow of the shoes (a former freebie) is in the skirt! There is also a box with shoes and boots.

Thank you Pixie!

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The Tarnished - freebies plus scribo

Gbberish Boutique cream colored spring suit

Gesticles Gestures in the Razor Mall has a free box of gestures. Some of these are crazy fun!!

While you are there, slip next door to Jezzebel Rock. She has an awesome gift in her scrib-o, you can camp for free goodies too!

I wandered around outside a bit more, and found freebie, and dollarbie items, tucked away in these sculpty prims over by the dumpster.

Goodies include Ying Yang Dragon Belt; Silver Chain, Fire Dragon belt; Diamond Sapphire Silver Ring; Neko plaid skirt; Rusted barbwire wrist band/armband

Otaku Designs, also in the Razor Mall, and a lucky chair and a freebie box that contains tattoos. Don't for get to hit the subscribe-o-matic on your way out.

Seductive Nikki's, you guessed it, on the Razor Mall sim has a subsrib-o-matic with free gift also a hoodie in men's or woman's styles for 1L

Get Ready! .......

There is another hunt on the horizon!