what are the first things to buy for an avatar when starting second life?

[DineroGod]

I have a shape favorited that I want..but Im not sure if that's what I need before I get a head and skin. I'm new to this and just don't understand how exactly everything works. I don't want to buy Linden just to waste it on things that will end up useless to me.

 

Shape:

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/BIG-shape-Fat/4614061

[Olshamar]

To be honest, I would look for a skin that you like first and try it with your existing shape.  You can edit your existing shape to make yourself bigger and then see if you are happy with the results.  If not, I would first look for a free shape that serves your needs before buying one.  You may be able to find a free one on the market or contained in your viewer's inventory in the "library" directory.  If you have any more questions or need help, feel free to contact me.  I was new not too long ago and remember how confusing everything was.

Sincerely,

Even Hunter (olshamar)

[Bobbie Faulds]

You can make your own shape or find one on the MP or inworld. Up to you. The shape is just the "muscle and bones" under the skin. The skin adds the details. So demo, demo, demo skins and find one you like with your shape. The shape can be changed and adjusted. You can get the notecard that has the settings for standard sizing if you're planning to wear mesh clothing. 

[Rolig Loon]

Unless you really like spoending money, you don't need to buy anything.  The Library >>>. Clothing folder in your inventory includes a large selection of avatars that are free and, of course, you can use the Avatar Picker button in your viewer to access many of the mesh ones.  Even if you do like spending money, I think it's smarter to spend some time getting to know SL first.  Learn how to control your avatar.  See what your options are by wandering around and seeing what other people choose to do.  And do some research.

https://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Controlling-your-avatar-s-appearance/ta-p/700709

https://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Customizing-a-classic-style-avatar/ta-p/2940719

https://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Avatar-Rendering-Complexity/ta-p/2967838

 

[Lindal Kidd]

I agree with the others.  Don't spend ANY money until you've been in SL at least a couple of weeks and have some understanding of how things work.

There are tons of free skins, hair, and clothes available, both in world and in the Marketplace section of this website.  Plus you already have a number of pre-made avatars.  Look for them with the Avatars button (top button, left side of your screen) or by opening your Inventory (CTRL+I or the button with a suitcase symbol).  Find the folder Library/Clothing/Initial Outfits.

Change to any of the initial avatars by dragging its folder and dropping it onto your avatar.  Or right click the folder and choose Replace Outfit.

The "classic" avatar's shape is controlled with the Appearance sliders.  Right click your avatar, select Appearance/Edit Shape.

Classic avatars can wear classic skins.  The symbol for a skin in your inventory is a little person.  Classic avatars can also wear clothing layers.  These are textures that have special inventory symbols...a shirt, a jacket, a pair of pants, etc.

A recent trend in SL is "Mesh" body parts, or even complete Mesh bodies.  These are attachments that are worn over your classic avatar shape.  The classic avatar is then hidden from view by wearing an "alpha mask", a special clothing layer that has the inventory symbol of a shirt with a grid pattern on it.  Mesh bodies and body parts are attachments, and are not affected by classic skin or clothing layers.  Instead, they come with "appliers", a small set of controls that appears on your screen and is used to "apply" a skin or a clothing texture to the mesh attachment.  You have to be careful when buying mesh parts or mesh bodies, to be sure that they will be compatible with other products you own, or plan to buy.  There is a blog that focuses on these new items:  http://meshbodyaddicts.com/

But before you go out and buy Mesh parts, please do spend time with the classic avatar first.  A great deal can be done with it, and you may find that you don't really need to spend all that money on mesh!

[Jasmine Woodsheart]

I agree. There's no need to spend money right away until you're familiar with SL and you're comfortable with it. Usually, when new people ask me about how to modify their avatar on low to no budget, I direct them to Fab Free. It's a great resource for low to no cost higher quality items from talented designers. That will let you get your feet wet a little bit and play around with figuring out what you want to do with your character. 
You can check out the blog here: fabfree.wordpress.com