Are the SL weekend sales discouraging you from paying full price for items?

[Sasy Scarborough]

yes, I went from spending weekly 5K ++++ a week (or lets be honest sometimes just in one tp)  to spending less than 300L and some weeks not buying anything at all. This happened years ago when a one day a week sales day decreased the value of items, so that people started to steer clear of wearing some stores items because they suddenly became 'cheap', so that went away for a long time, then those days returned times 20.

However, this post alone amuses me greatly when mention of the cost of items not on sale. Those 1200L or less fatpacks that people are mentioning, or 300L for an item etc is for many of us oldbies a discount already. We came from 450 slip dresses that were texture system layers, to 3K gowns in one colour and 2500L shoes in one colour and 10K fatpacks of skins to what we have now.

People used to save up to buy a skin and wear that one skin with its options for years, and now you can tp around buy a skin and before you even unpack it you have bought another skin. When designers released it was not weekly, we would wait almost full seasons to see a release from anyone, hair stores would often be weeks or even months to release a new style, and people would camp waiting for the unveiling. There were collections from clothing stores, shows were put on to launch them and it could take you months to buy each piece, because it would be valued correctly.

The weekly sales are not really the culprits it is the constant releases, every other minute something is released, people are spending less time in the items they buy than the time buying them and the jumping around the grid to collect them all is the new 'doing something' in world.

Stores are not able to rely on the ongoing purchases of an item any longer, it used to be that you could release on a weekday, sell so many pieces, then it would trickle down over the next week or so, then become a few a day kind of thing for years. Now its a release an item hope you didn't just send a notice at the same time as 128 other stores and get what you can because tomorrow there will be 418 new releases from other stores, so what you posted on yesterday is already old news and that sucks, because no matter what people create, what they put those 20+ hours into it deserves more than 15 minutes of attention. 

Customers used to be excited to own something they put value in, they would save their stipend until they could afford it, they would be glowing when they purchased it, and they would IM creators and/or their staff (this is how I know) and be giddy with excitement and joy.

Then you had the customers that would go out of their way to find the most expensive items so that they could hold it over their friends knowing they didn't have that same budget, those conversations were hilarious, because many really bought into the price tags being high in SL meant some kind of fake fortune. 

In the past when an annual kind of sale would happen it would be a great money maker for the seller, and an absolute lovefest for the customers, especially those that may have only bought one or two colours of everything ever sold in the past, they could upgrade to the fatpacks etc. For the fatpackers it would be a try and find what people did not already have moment, but begrudging a sale is not usually a thing in annuals because we usually know that they are going to happen. It is buy it at full in May or wait until July sales or Christmas Sales etc.

I am rambling sorry, I think about this a lot  but yes as jeans were mentioned earlier, if you have 500L in your hands, and someone releases a dress that is like many dresses you have, or pants or shorts etc, then it becomes 350L on one colour of that one thing, or 10 things in various colours from ten stores and a day out. 

Edited November 1, 2022 by Sasy Scarborough

[Zidaya Zenovka]

I don't pay full price for items and subsist mostly on freebies because I'm on SSI and poor. I wasn't when I first made my account but within a few years I'd lost my job due to being disabled. The only reason I have a home is because of someone else's kindness. That said if I did have money I would be very picky, anyway as there are a lot of creators who overcharge for stuff that really isn't worth it. Clothes that aren't copy/mod, vehicles with copy/pasted scripts, and items the so-called 'creator' just ripped from this or that game are NOT worth paying all that much for. 

[HelenaNavy92]

On 10/21/2022 at 1:34 PM, LexyMarie said:

No not at all,infact I will very often not like the sale item but like the creator & quality so end up just buying their stuff because the sale took me to their store that I otherwise wouldnt have found,sometimes I feel like the sale item is worth too muchto be on sale & buy something extra,like 187's phone cases I always buy the sale item & buy atleast one extra at full price because its $280L which ammounts to about £1.50 in RL money & you cant even buy a coffee for that theses days,not that I like coffee anyway but I digress.

Another reason is that most things in SL baring a mesh head & mesh body cost litteral pennys & the creator probably put in hours to create that thing & even mesh heads from Lelutka at $4000L converted to RL money isnt even £/$20 & thats alot of work for that money & I dont begrudge them that.

Another reason is that apart from big creators like the afore mentioned Lelutka who are obviously a team of people,most creators are just regular folk looking to make a few extra £/$ to feed themselves & their family & I cant begrudge them £1.50 for something that probably took them hours to make.

In my 12 years in SL across 2 main avatars Ive probably spent £10k(uk) & my only regret is that I cant do it all over again now mesh has become a thing.

I also play video games such as Warframe but I dont ever buy their premium currency because I know my money is just going to a faceless corporation.

People need to get out of this mindset that Secondlife purchases are expensive because theyre really not when you consider the time spent to create some of these things.

Ive had multiple creators message me before now & give me personel discount cards because Ive brought so much of their stuff or just to say thank you & my reply is always the same," Youre welcome & thank you for creating things for us"

May be you should consider that for some people 20$ are 40 in their country and the salary there is around 1000. So fir some people it is expensive. And yes, some creators work hard, no doubt for that. But there might be other point of view. 

[Sasy Scarborough]

3 hours ago, HelenaNavy92 said:

May be you should consider that for some people 20$ are 40 in their country and the salary there is around 1000. So fir some people it is expensive. And yes, some creators work hard, no doubt for that. But there might be other point of view. 

That also goes the same way for the cost of being a creator, some people work in SL because RL work is not available to them, that in itself is an amazing thing, but with some countries paying VAT and some losing a lot with currency conversion and the cost of tier, and just SL existing is a lot. While for people buying it is a luxury, a choice, you can not buy that 112th pair of red mary janes (i am teasing myself here) or you can, but those that are relying on this platform for their bills in RL the idea that things have dropped so dramatically in price over the years is a gain only for the consumer not the creator. They are doing ten times the work with all the bodies and options expected, while tier has gone down over the years the fees have gone up, not only for converting funds and cashing out, but even to participate in the 4 plus events stores are participating in monthly. Then there is the dilution of items, putting this item in this event vs putting this item in this other event, would swapping them around create more sales, and forever feeling that not being in them at all is causing sales in stores to die off. Again consumers have a choice, creators are feeling less like they have any but to follow the herd and the herds are following in a circle.

[Zidaya Zenovka]

4 hours ago, Sasy Scarborough said:

That also goes the same way for the cost of being a creator, some people work in SL because RL work is not available to them, that in itself is an amazing thing, but with some countries paying VAT and some losing a lot with currency conversion and the cost of tier, and just SL existing is a lot. While for people buying it is a luxury, a choice, you can not buy that 112th pair of red mary janes (i am teasing myself here) or you can, but those that are relying on this platform for their bills in RL the idea that things have dropped so dramatically in price over the years is a gain only for the consumer not the creator. They are doing ten times the work with all the bodies and options expected, while tier has gone down over the years the fees have gone up, not only for converting funds and cashing out, but even to participate in the 4 plus events stores are participating in monthly. Then there is the dilution of items, putting this item in this event vs putting this item in this other event, would swapping them around create more sales, and forever feeling that not being in them at all is causing sales in stores to die off. Again consumers have a choice, creators are feeling less like they have any but to follow the herd and the herds are following in a circle.

Welcome to capitalism. The fact is as long as we continue to support a system that benefits those who have a lot of privilege and money and punishes those of meager means there really isn't any valid reason to fault people for being thrifty. I'm almost certain that the overwhelming majority of the time you're shopping you're looking for the best deal you can. Unless you're shopping at Whole Foods and paying premium prices for food along with supporting local artists and paying full price for commissions, etc.

It's not really fair to fault people for taking advantage of the good deals out there. I say this as a creator who would very much like to make a lot of money off of my skills. It's just not our place to judge people for not supporting the lifestyle we'd like to lead. That's not how the world works and it's not really the consumers fault. It's the fault of corporations and the ridiculously wealthy as they're the ones keeping the whole idea of whoever dies with the most money and things wins alive.

If you want to be a well-known creator then you better come up with some amazing content but be prepared to not see a dime of all your blood, sweat, and tears recouped. That's just how it is. 

[Sasy Scarborough]

21 minutes ago, Zidaya Zenovka said:

Welcome to capitalism. The fact is as long as we continue to support a system that benefits those who have a lot of privilege and money and punishes those of meager means there really isn't any valid reason to fault people for being thrifty. I'm almost certain that the overwhelming majority of the time you're shopping you're looking for the best deal you can. Unless you're shopping at Whole Foods and paying premium prices for food along with supporting local artists and paying full price for commissions, etc.

It's not really fair to fault people for taking advantage of the good deals out there. I say this as a creator who would very much like to make a lot of money off of my skills. It's just not our place to judge people for not supporting the lifestyle we'd like to lead. That's not how the world works and it's not really the consumers fault. It's the fault of corporations and the ridiculously wealthy as they're the ones keeping the whole idea of whoever dies with the most money and things wins alive.

If you want to be a well-known creator then you better come up with some amazing content but be prepared to not see a dime of all your blood, sweat, and tears recouped. That's just how it is. 

Not really sure where in my post I blamed anyone for being thrifty, if that is how you took it it was not my intent at all. Do not have a whole foods here but of course I look for deals when buying groceries, I buy online and 99% of the time I only shop from the specials section of the website, because it is awesome, we do not have coupons in my country. The person before me commented that people need to remember that in some countries they have this and that, and I was also stating that that concern, those issues are on both sides, it is not a customer only dealing with lower income, lower currency etc, but again as a customer we have a choice, in SL anyway, no one is forcing us to shop, I personally have enough inventory to not wear the same thing twice for around five years at least.

Again not blaming anyone for being on a budget, the fact that we can get a shopping thrill in SL for a fraction of the cost for the same high in RL is another thing SL is awesome for, but that budget is personal, you cannot just say everyone has to sell for less because of it, the sales days started out as a little boost, now there are at least half a dozen on the weekend alone, the lists are so long that there is no way anyone even close to being on a budget can even consider the whole list, even without a monetary restrictions by the time you get to the bottom even at 50-100L a hit you are looking at thousands of lindens spent, so the stores on the bottom are essentially paying to be on a list that many can not even get to them on, and if they can buy every item, when do they use it, wear it or enjoy it?

As far as supporting creators I have gone above and beyond in that for many many years, I have purchased items just because they have done such a creative job on them not because I want them, I have purchased just to bring attention to stores and many other reasons...I said a lot of things before I said what you quoted, but again not my intention to have anyone think I do not appreciate a bargain, or begrudge anyone for finding one. 

[Psyche Starling]

47 minutes ago, Sasy Scarborough said:

the lists are so long that there is no way anyone even close to being on a budget can even consider the whole list, even without a monetary restrictions by the time you get to the bottom even at 50-100L a hit you are looking at thousands of lindens spent, so the stores on the bottom are essentially paying to be on a list that many can not even get to them on, and if they can buy every item, when do they use it, wear it or enjoy it?

Does anyone really buy everything on any given sale list, or prioritize the ones on the top? I look through it and see which things I actually want. Some stuff's not my style, some stuff I'll never use. My favorite thing might be down in the V's. And I figure everyone else does the same thing, but their favorites won't be the same as mine, because their tastes and needs are different. I might be looking for a house and you're looking for shoes and both stores get a few lindens.

[chesse Vyceratops]

Most of the stores that particpate in weekend sales are either making things that i think are "Meh" or are cool looking but not my style or i already have something similar so i often just look at the weekend sales and don't buy anything except when theres something that i really like. The stores that consistently make things that i like tend to not participate in weekend sales at all so i just buy at full price.

Edited November 1, 2022 by chesse Vyceratops

[Ceka Cianci]

I've actually put some serious thought into this..

The sales aren't something that is discourage me from paying full price.. I would shop the sales  anyways and really just look in there for something that may not be anywhere else.. just like i comb through the MP or the flicker catalogs.. it's another place to look

The number one over everything else, that discourages me from paying full price for something is, when the price is higher than I feel the item is worth.

If something is at full price or at 60L, it all comes down to if I think it's worth anything at all..

I see people trying to sell pretty nice things on the sales, but don't feel they have to put a demo down.. No demo no buy still stands at 60L or 6,000L.. 

I hear people say, Oh it's only 60L.. Ya? Say that 10 times in a row and feel the pinch, if the item ends up being crap.

I've switch my gear to this.. If I don't find anything that is quality made and at a price that I feel is a good fair price for it.. Then I guess I go without.. I'm done paying high prices for less..

Anyone asking a price of like 2800 for a fatpack of just a top, I don't do business with anymore.. If i can't get a full outfit for 2800, then I guess I'll have to suffer with the quality items I already have sitting in my inventory.

That's mesh body price there.. hehehe

[Robotshaz]

Yes I think with the amount of sales going off around Sl and the amount of things I can get for free. It is preventing me from paying full price on things. Since it makes me feel like I will be getting ripped off if i pay full price for something especially if that item ends up on sale or given away for free. It has also happened to me in rl before where I have paid full price for clothes and then I see things half price. It is a really bad feeling to pay full price for something and then see an item that you paid full price for go cheap in a sale or given away free.

[Dorientje Woller]

To be honest, I still believe that it's up to the creator to decide if he/she wants to participate in these sales. It might bring back old costumers who stayed away from their commerce for several reasons or bring in new clients who weren't aware of the store and their work. For new designers it's a neat way to promote themselves. On the other hand, I don't like those who put the same piece, skin or whatever several times in sale over different sales groups over time as I just have noticed in the Fifty Linden Friday: one of which I know that has been already in the Seraphim Outlet and another creator who has already placed the same set in the FLF. Besides that, I don't mind returning to a creator/designer to get their stuff at full price, when the sale is of good quality and or peeks my interest.