Kembri Tomsen

I've been wondering a lot of things lately. Like why an established merchant has to wait for credit processing. I've been at it for six years, others for longer, and yet we still wait with hat in hand, hoping they'll get their act together and do timely payouts. Do they not know by now that we've been vetted by time? We're not scammers or money launderers, the two issues I hear often for making people wait for cashouts. The wait time never gets shorter either. Ever. There was a reason I went to Virwox. It was because I thought the wait time for lindens was incredibly stupid and wasteful of MY time. Then they have crap like this, where the whole system is bunged up because of god knows what. Trying to have a meaningful dialog with them feels pointless as it seems to fall on deaf ears. Things like, hey, why the heck can't you let us use Virwox again? Are you not getting your 1% fee? Did you need to fondle the money I'm trying to use for something for a while longer? WHY? Why can't Linden Labs be open to letting us use third party money changers? LL is most obviously are not equiped to handle timely payments. I swear to God, it honestly feels as if they're trying to strangle the economy in SL to DEATH and chase off merchants. Again, I ask why? Yes, you may count me a disgruntle merchant wondering if the time and effort of producing items is really worth it any longer. At least on this grid.

Greetings, The last custom outfit I did cost the lady $30,000 linden. It was a special wedding gown for a long time customer who knows I'm not cheap about custom work. I have done full perm custom work for 10-20k lindens, depending on what is wanted and the timeline involved. On occasion, I've done things for less, but again it depends on the customer, the permissions desired, and what I can reasonably charge. This is my time and skill, and I usually cannot expect to make any further profit from that work, so if I don't charge for it upfront, it's a loss. Having said that, I rarely accept custom work anymore because it takes time from designing for my shop, as has been mentioned. How much could YOU charge as a designer? Depends on your skill, your style, your experience and your reputation. For a really good article to read for any artist designer, in any world, take a peek at this one: http://theabundantartist.com/5-art-pricing-lessons/ Cordially yours, Kembri Tomsen

Greetings, This question always opens a can of worms! When I first started in 2007, my gowns were not like they are today. As the quality of my work rose and my experience, then my prices rose, but not to elitist heights. I've had customers tell me I should charge more, and others tell me I should charge less. It really just depends on the customer and the designer. It also depends on the customer base you build and what they are used to from you. My outfits are just that, outfits from undergarments to mesh and sculpt pieces. Depends on the outfit and the time frame, since I deal with vintage clothing from 1830 to 1930, as to what I use. You cannot base a price on an all mesh piece or all prim, because it's ALL about the texture work. Slapping a quick repeating texture on a piece of mesh purchased all perms from the Marketplace doesn't warrant a high price. However, that same piece of mesh with an excellent bit of texture work applied becomes a canvas for a designer to work on. That texture work also takes time if you want to produce quality work. So how much should clothing sell for? How good do you want to look and how much do you want to spend would be better questions, and that is totally up to the buyer. :matte-motes-sunglasses-3: Cordially yours, Kembri Tomsen

Hello, As a long time designer in SL, I've a few tips for you or anyone else starting out. 1) Do what you want to wear. Don't worry about 'all the other people' doing the same thing. They're not. You should and will develop your own style as you work on your clothing lines. As someone else said, quality work shines. I could not find good Victorian clothing four years ago. So I made my own. I did not do it with an eye to cornering the market, I did it because I love the era. Now I do more than Victorian, but it grew out of a love for good clothing and not finding the quality I wanted. Every good designer develops a recognizable style. It's not a thing that can be faked, it's just what happens when you work long and hard on something you love. 2) Don't have Photoshop? Find and use GIMP. It works, it's free, and it does produce quality work. You'll have to use Youtube tutorials to figure it out, but there's lots out there to help you. Find the Chip Midnight templates. They really do work. You don't have to be complicated or invest in pricey programs to put out stunning work. 3) Never, ever dismiss your own efforts. I saw a promising designer who had in her profile that she was just piddling around. That makes me wonder if her work is worth it. She's asking for validation, but that's not the way to do it. If you do not believe in your own work, no one else will either. That doesn't mean get arrogant, but do realize the value of your work. That's a hard thing to do. Don't be afraid to shine brightly with a passion for what you do. 4) If you want this to be a business, then treat it like one. You may not have a brick and mortar shop or store, but it still takes time and hard work to build even a virtual business. Again, if you do not value it, no one else will either. Also realize that there are few overnight successes. There will be good and bad months of sales, and you'll learn the rhythm of the selling seasons. Dead times? January and late summer. Busy times? Mid-October through New Year's Eve. 5) Have fun and do what YOU want to do. As soon as the fun goes out of what you're doing, you're in trouble. Then it becomes a drag of a job, and that's when a lot of designers burn out. Remember, people are buying your clothing because they liked your style. So don't stop midway and switch things up because a customer said, 'oh I'd love that and buy all of them if you'd only do THIS!' Stay true to your own vision and passion at all times. Even if others give you grief about it. 6) Produce steadily. You cannot keep customers or hook new ones if you only put out something once a month. Try for once every couple of weeks, or even weekly if you can. Having said that, don't put out crap. There's enough crap wear on the grid. Always put out what you consider your best. This includes freebies if you do one. Freebies are a whole nother issue in the design community. I limit what I put out, or I'd be constantly doing nothing but free work. Some designers do it monthly to groups, others do it more or less frequently. Freebies can be your calling card to people who do not know your work, but that doesn't mean you need to have a boatload out. Same goes for hunts. Once you're established, you may get all kinds of hunt offers. Be selective. 7) Run your business with honor and ethics. Make sure you are not infringing on IP rights, and be informed on what to do if someone infringes on yours. Treat your customers courteously and reasonably, but don't give them the moon on a platter. Know how to smile from the wrist down when replying to anger or derision, and make sure you get up and away from your computer at regular intervals. It's good exercise and a wonderful way to refresh your creative sources. Finally, if you do make a success of your business, be proud. There are few that can say they have started and built a business in Second Life and are still around after a year. :-) I hope you will be one of those few. Good luck! Kembri Tomsen The Curious Seamstress