Virtual Merchants

No Littlething's Indoor Yard Sale and Consignment Shop

2009-06-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've always toyed with the idea of setting up a big sale of all my no-copy objects in Second Life, but the logistics and time it would take always keep me from doing it. So when I saw No Littlething had already set up an indoor yard sale and consignment store, I stopped by.

The store is an attractive two-floor setup with some very nice outfits for L$29 and a slew of no-copy goodies in the L$10 to L$25 price range. You can find animated wall hangings and dance floors on the top floor, and the bottom floor has some very well designed chairs and sofas, all for L$10.

The one thing you need to do when you stop in and buy something is to bring your purchase home with you! No is always restocking the place after customers buy something, so nobody minds if you take a couch off the showroom or rip a frame off the wall. :D

The shop can be found here.

Virtual Merchants Is Back!

2009-04-28T17:19:00.001-07:00

We're here again to report on the best new creators and businesses in Second Life. And best of all we would like to welcome Bionic Creations to our list of fellow SL blogs. Check back soon for an interview with cyberpunk and steampunk creator extraordinaire Sasha2uand4u Shostakovich.

Genuine Second Life Music: Laurel Isle

2009-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Laurel Arts Isle is home to 4 live music venues and a poetry venue. Live music of all genres is featured in either Sunset Jazz Club, the oldest live jazz venue in SL, which is also home to the famous Coffee and Pajamas show on Saturday mornings, with DJ Elfay Pinkdot, and the Classical Ballroom dances on Friday evenings, hosted by DJ Amy Ferguson. Top live jazz singers and players appear on the Sunset stage regularly. The Luxor Stage is an Egyptian-themed open air venue on the banks of the Nile, featuring mainly rock, folk, pop and country.

Classical music is featured on the luxurious concert hall stage of the Cairo Theater, or in the pleasant park atmosphere of the Memphis Pavilion. Cairo also houses the Music Hall series of burlesque and comedy. An interesting replica of a small section of Georgetown, Washington, D.C. stands in the middle of the island... and tucked neatly into a corner of the sim, with its own waterfall, is Sanctuary, the place for poets and their fans to relax and share poetry with Laurel Isle's resident Poet Laureate.

The isle has a great deal of ancient Egyptian theme, which includes the Temple to Amun Ra in Luxor, the Anubis temple in Karnak, and the Theater in Cairo, which lies near the Nile River. The Luxor Stage is an example of ancient Egyptian opulence. The Sunset Jazz Club sits above Alexandria, and owner Circe Broom's home, which is open to all, is in Thebes.

Visitors will find items of sculpture for sale in her store, CV Enterprises, at Potomac and M Streets in the city, including exquisitely detailed sculptures of Bastet. Stunning examples of sculpture and graphic art are spread around the sim.

I was fortunate enough to hear one of Laurel Isle's performances, by one Mr. Brixton Canning. Brixton is a traditional entertainer, the kind you might have hoped to see at a big venue in the heyday of the 1950s and 1960s.

Brixton cut his teeth as a “Real Life” performer on the musical theatre stage as well as jazz and rock clubs across the Midwest of the US. His style cuts an intentionally wide swath across many genres allowing his romantic, soulful and truly inspirational performances to connect with people of varied backgrounds and tastes.

SL’s THUMP Magazine has called Brixton a “complete showman” whose act is “nothing less than professional” with a “song selection that doesn’t give you a chance to catch your breath.” His desire and calling is to deliver more than mere music, hoping that the lasting effect of his offerings are true inspiration.

He's funny, friendly, responsive to the audience, and what a voice! As a writer I regret being unable to relay the full experience of his SL singing performance, but I hope this humble clip from my noisy computer will help do some justice.

Visit www.myspace.com/brixtoncanningsl for demos
Contact Brixton Canning by IM or brixton_canning@yahoo.com for booking information.

Laurel Isle attractions are as follows:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Laurel%20Arts%20Isle/214/225/21 Luxor Stage
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Laurel%20Arts%20Isle/208/92/23 Memphis Pavilion http://slurl.com/secondlife/Laurel%20Arts%20Isle/232/39/22 Circe's Sanctuary http://slurl.com/secondlife/Laurel%20Arts%20Isle/148/72/301 Alexandria City & Sunset Jazz http://slurl.com/secondlife/Laurel%20Arts%20Isle/116/214/22 Cairo Theater

S.L.O.B. Opens in Karmarkar

2008-12-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

VM's very own Saunders Baxton and Lionel Oliva have opened a shop featuring the best of Oliva Labs. Now renamed S.L.O.B. (Saunders/Lionel Oliva/Baxton), the product line features tried-and-true classics like Pogo Sticks and Land Mines, the Apocalyptic Combat Vehicle by Oliva and Fluid Creations, and the Universal Destruction Kit. Shoring up these products are NovaTech, Carducci and SL Exotic Pets, and there's a Christmas vendor with 44 great gift boxes, Xmas accessories, and unique items!

Come down today, and check it out at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Karmarkar/104/89/72.

SL Car Combat Returns in Karmarkar!

2008-11-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

Lionel Oliva Labs is proud to once again offer vehicle combat, this time in the Karmarkar sim. Any arena combat vehicle is welcome to participate, but the 100% Mono Apocalyptic Combat Vehicle is also ready for action!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Karmarkar/86/96/680

The newest Lionel Oliva Labs products are also available at ground level, including the Universal Destruction Kit with 2 free Mono vehicles and more.

Starship Jeffersons Quality Textures

2008-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's one thing to be a quality texture maker, and another to be a quality texture seller. Starship Jeffersons Quality Textures is a rare pairing of these traits.

Located in Sanguine, SJQT has a very eye-friendly layout that shows what you want without having you have to paw (or if you're a furry, hand, I guess) through 1-texture surfaces. Everything is laid out by collection or theme so you can get right to it.

And what themes SJ has!

From futuristic to classic Celtic, Japanese to steampunk, and lots in between, Starship has an impressive number of texture sets and more are being added weekly. His most recent addition, a set of bunker textures, is sure to please the battle-hardened builder.

Look at how the clouds move over the tiles...

One of the more fun parts of any store is the freebies. SJ's collection is right up there, offering such goodies as Daleks, Arcadia freebies, and lots of SJ sample textures.

Many stores are unfortunate to have ad farms right around the corner when you step out the door. Not so here... a trip outside leads to a serene winter scene, seemingly above the clouds. It's a perfect place to demonstrate the effectiveness of his semi-transparent cloud textures, perfect for arranging smooth transitions into one's sky builds.

Here's looking at you, kid. Brr!

A small personal alcove is set next to his textures, featuring works by Kia Greyskin.

Starship Jeffersons Quality Textures is active in the Second Life cultural scene as a sponsor of Primtionary, still one of the most unique (and fun!) events to be found anywhere in Second Life.

Clip 'N' Save SL: The MetaSaver Arrives

2008-10-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen many gift certificates besides CCTV Giant's which have really stuck, but Second Life coupons... now that's an innovation!

The MetaSaver Coupon book is now in its third edition and triple its original size! Not only is it available here in Second Life, but they've figured how to present it outside of SL in a great hassle-free viewer. Whether you're an advertiser or buyer you can check it out here...

The coupon book is delivered automatically to subscribers on the 1st of the month... no messy group messages to swat away and notices to dig for.

MetaSaver showed me my first demonstration, and an effective one, of the Subscribe-O-Matic, a groupless subscription service. I've heard a lot of buzz about it, but it's nice to finally be in a 26th group without having to jump to an alt or dump group #25.

Visiting their HQ was a smooth, easy process and everything is well laid out whether you are a shopper looking to save money or a Second Life business owner looking to advertise. At 478 meters high, the high-tech look merges perfectly with low lag.

Welcome MetaSaver and best wishes for a successful future!

SL's Flower Lady of Copenhagen

2008-10-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Ida Coage's Garden Center is a nice trip off the beaten path if you want to stock your SL garden, or add a fountain, landscaping, or outdoor romantic furniture to your parcel or sim. Most of her flowers fall into the L$10-L$20 range, and her outdoor items range from L$75 to L$249, very affordable if you want to load up your event center, home or business on the cheap. Best of all, her flowers are modifiable, so you can set them to the size you want and fit them into the looks of your other flowers and plants.

Another romantic day at the Garden Center in the Denmark Cop
One of my favorite items is the windmill she offers. Solidly built, she has now added a building size (L$300) in addition to the decorative version she sells for L$75.

Fountains, benches, and waterfalls all decorate the land.

For people who like less frilly things, yet still want to share some downtime together with that special avatar, there is also a wood pavilion as shown for L$200.

Ida's Garden Center can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Denmark%20Copenhagen/204/208/24

VM Fun Places

2008-10-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

For places with pure eye and "WOW!" appeal, we've got this list. More coming as we blog on!

If any of these businesses has moved, please contact us at sumosalesman at/@ aol.com. We'll give you any copy/mod Lionel Oliva Labs product you like for your trouble and if you find the new address please let us know! Thanks!

A Cool Planetarium

Puppy Poppets

Wales Springs

Coffee!

Bootie's Bay

MMD Designs

LINC Island

Goth Magick

Lavanya's Prefabs

"Shopping Amidst the Ruins"

Renegade Warehouse

VM's Up and Coming Businesses

2008-10-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we featured any businesses we felt were moving up in the virtual world -- they've all grown up or moved away since -- but we'll have more shortly and if you know of one please contact us at sumosalesman at aol dawt com. Thanks!

Famous SL Businesses Directory

2008-10-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Below is a list of famous SL businesses we've reviewed so far. If you visit one and they've moved, please let us know and we'll update it. Thanks!

Divivity

Fluid Creations

KittyCat's Kreations

Oblonski Furniture

VooDoo

KaDeWe Mall

Insky Jedburgh

Old Glory Sutlery

Something Fishy

Caskets R Us

LilolOops

We're tying in with Avatars United!

2008-09-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

Virtual Merchants will be integrating with Avatars United's Second Life Group. This means that we'll be focusing on business owners who join the group, so if you'd like to have your business covered, we'll be accepting requests from the group only.

Membership is open to everyone, from newcomers to established professionals, fun seekers, builders, scripters, buyers, sellers, bloggers, singers, artists, musicians, playwrights, machinima makers, writers, and more. Just click on the link above, sign up and you're in!

Thank you,

Lionel Oliva

Plan A Trip To This SL Planetarium!

2008-09-22T20:08:00.001-07:00

While meeting up with my friend Kaffe I came across a pretty trippy planetarium. Located at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ginsberg/139/230/38, it not only features the planets but an always-changing array of cosmic particle objects. Astronomers who can sketch out the visible stars of the cosmos from memory may not be impressed with this artistic interpretation of the heavens, but it's still an enjoyable SL tribute to the wonders of the solar system and universe.

From New Year's To Nativity, TP in... and Buy Some Divivity!

2008-09-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Our intrepid reporter Saunders Baxton made a trip to Divivity, one of SL's most enduring food, flower and seasonal item stores. Owner Vivianne OFlynn was glad to take time from her store duties and grant Saunders and interview.

Vivianne OFlynn: Hiya Saunders :) Welcome to Divivity :)

Saunders Baxton: Ah, hello. thank you for the warm welcome. How have you been?

Vivianne OFlynn: Busy making Danishes and Halloween treats these days. Divivity is a business that follows the seasons!

Saunders Baxton: Your Halloween items look really fun. How did Divivity get to a point where you could sell seasonally?

Vivianne OFlynn: It started out in 2003 as a small greenhouse on a very small plot of land in this same sim; Divivity takes up about 3/4 of the sim now.

Saunders Baxton: I saw the bought-on date for this land... impressive.

Vivianne OFlynn: Well, we occupied it earlier than that. In the very early days, the land was not bought or sold. In fact, the original pieces we got for free from the Governor :) We began with a brand identity and took it from there. Branding a business name is vital. There are too many that are not memorable enough.

Saunders Baxton: I know what you mean. There was... oh, I forget the name.

Vivianne OFlynn (laughs): there is only one Divivity in SL, and we create items using our brand.
For example, many people make liquor drinks using real life brands, which IS against the TOS but no one does anything about it. But we do make our own brand, and we establish it through our products. Every single thing we make has Divivity in front of the description. And we don't offer mods on most things, so the name has to stay. I have even sold businesses in a box to people, but the brand name stays put (laughs). It spreads out as the SL world does; like SL we are not just selling product but the name too.

Saunders Baxton: How else have you maintained and improved your SL presence?

Vivianne OFlynn: Another cornerstone is selling quality product. Many people are in a great rush to create something to sell and do not perfect it. In the old days, that was okay. We had all kinds of sloppy stuff. But now, there is too much competition. My competition here has a larger volume of items, but a lot of it can't take the zoooom in test (laughs).

Saunders Baxton: ah... I've always marveled at the level of quality for food items.

Vivianne OFlynn: Precision in creation, despite a smaller product range, is the way to build a clientele. I would also emphasize customer service to anyone starting out. I stay at my shop and greet and assist people. I read on the SLX forums that people don't do that because they fear scaring people away. But I have found that if someone doesn't want to speak to me, they don't. I welcome them, offer assistance and then scoot. But more often than not, people DO want help, in particular if the shop is big and people can't find things.

Saunders Baxton: Going by that, what is your take on shop owners who use a teleport landing point and force people to look at everything you have before finding what they came for?

Vivianne OFlynn: We used to have a teleport to different locations, but the script was borky and well, we just left it out (laughs). I get peeps to stay longer other ways ;) One thing I do, that they do in real life all the time: I offer weekly specials. Would you care to see the main food shop? I can show you what I mean.

Saunders Baxton: So it is within walking distance then... certainly.

Vivianne OFlynn: Oh yes, we can walk over and you can see more of what Divivity offers. This is our original shop. Actually, if you look at my profile picks you can see our history in Doggerel. Because we have limited space, we do three modes of presenting the product: in boxes, actually rezzed, and in temp-rez vendors. In this food shop I offer items for free and for one Linden. People come here every week to see how I have changed it up... and it takes them a bit of time to find the cheapies. So I don't need them to go teleporting all over, they know exactly where to go to find the permanent treasure hunt.

It cracks me up though sometimes. One guy bought 50 bowls of peas and carrots!

Saunders Baxton: Sounds like a "regular" customer.

Vivianne OFlynn: For sure. And yard sale peeps swoop in for the cheapies. Back in the day, I rented a bit, now I only set up on request for people if at all. So if peeps don't come here, they don't get the goodies. That's what helps bring people here.

Saunders Baxton: How do you write your ad copy and sell your items?

Vivianne OFlynn: The writeups are whimsical , but that is the tenor of Divivity. And to be honest, I think I sell a fair number of things just by the way I name them or describe them. Also, I limit my SLExchange listings. I could have thousands of things on there; what you see is only a small fraction of my stock. Since I am in the seasonal niche, I don't have to have it out all at once anyway. But I think anyone could learn from that.

Saunders Baxton: It all lines up quite pleasingly.

Vivianne OFlynn: Peeps have to change it up a bit. Actually this is a result of later land acquisitions, plus a need to keep it open for people not to feel space-oppressed. So it is a circular walkabout. If you follow me, I can show you one more important location. The greater portion of Divivity, land wise, is over this big bridge. It is the way we started actually, selling flowers and plants. It is a presentation of those items that no one else has done in SL. There are many greenhouses and nurseries now, but they try to replicate those in real life.

Divivity Landscaping is arranged by color, not like any real life nursery I have ever seen.

Saunders Baxton: I see... a greater pattern is at work here. :) It's unique, a very striking effect.

Vivianne OFlynn: Well I actually landscape with the items I am selling, so peeps get some idea how it might look for them. Oh, and across that bridge, some interesting lore I try to promote as often as I can.

There is a very small chunk of land I surround, owned by Governor Linden. On it is a piano keyboard made by Philip Linden in 2002, that the Governor currently sells for 1 Linden (laughs).

Saunders Baxton: I'll make a note of that...

Vivianne OFlynn: I built a piano bar restaurant around it. Come get one! It is a collector's item.

Piano: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.
Piano: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.

Vivianne OFlynn: we serve His Royal High Nuts at the bar, and the place is named Exordium, since that is what he is now.

Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.
Piano Key: Detected 1 clips.

Vivianne OFlynn:: Isn't that thing annoying? The roof of this place replicates his keyboard and plays too.

Saunders Baxton: It's charming like my TI-99/4A. In closing, do you have any more advice for beginning shop owners?

Vivianne OFlynn: Location, location, location. New business peeps need to carefully consider that. We are right next to the Ivory Tower of Primitives sandbox. We get a ton of fly-by traffic that way. And do you realize you have actually walked across an entire sim? Flying and teleporting is over-rated.

Saunders Baxton: It is nice to be able to access everything in a first-time visit, instead of having to mash buttons. Thanks for the tour Vivianne!

Vivianne OFlynn: You're welcome!

Divivity can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minna/54/166/30.

Other On-Site Attractions:

Fruits and Vegetables: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minna/229/236/
Gift Boxes: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minna/52/130/30
Balloon Gallery: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minna/46/101/

Getting Back To Business!

2008-09-13T22:07:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, and thank you for reading Virtual Merchants.

Lately I've been sidetracked by a career change; I quit my job, and went back to my old workplace for a few hours a week. I've also been studying ProBlogger.net's excellent book and I've condensed about 200 pages of notes into a one-page blog guide. I'll be applying that guide to this and my other blogs.

And with the extra amount of time I have, I can now dedicate 4-5 posts a week to Virtual Merchants. I plan to post once a day during weekdays and provide a few guest commentaries and articles during the weekends. If you have any requests, feedback, story ideas, or actual stories, please contact sumosales man@aol.com. Yes, the space is intentional to keep spambots away.

Also, if you like reading about the fun stuff there is out there, please check out Squad Village's blog at http://squadvillage.blogspot.com. Roxie Logan works very hard to get the word out about fun Second Life happenings and her site is always worth checking out. Thanks again for your support!

And check us out at http://twitter.com/virtualmerchant. Follow us and we'll follow you! We won't even ask questions when we do... unless you really want us to.

Last of all, if you're an enterprising writer, and have a story you'd love to get out, contact us in-world (Lionel Oliva).

Cheers!

Tiny Life: Second Life's Puppy Poppets

2008-09-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've never dealt with tinies in Second Life because I thought either

A. Tiny makers couldn't put enough detail in textures and prims, or

B. The market was primitive and alien.

I don't even remember how I got there, but seeing the tiny village at Adelebsen Isle was an eye-opener. Such a thriving collection of businesses!

One that stuck out was Puppy Poppets. Believe me when I say I'd rather be scripting or making explosions, skydiving in SL without a parachute, or even sleeping, than in a 100% cute store.

But Puppy Poppets is more than a cutesy-bootsy booth thrown up at random and slathered with charmingly hackneyed textures. It's one of the best-set-up stores I've seen in SL so far, with a very eye-pleasing layout that lets you browse over dozens of designs, yet zoom in on the items you like.

It's a rare store that deals in cute things, yet actually offers something I can use without running for the nearest cutesy first aid station. And for those who enjoy tinies, Etheria Parrott has put a super-sized amount of TLC in each creation, with more creatures and creature comforts than you can shake a tiny stick at! Sandals, tie-dyes, sculpted 4-prim beds, nose flies (for the outdoorsy types), even whips (crack!),

puppy saddles and balance beams jump out in cheerful chaos at the viewer. Avatars include puppies, elephants (from calico to gold), snowmen, ostriches, and... DNA?!? Whatever you expect to find here, you will still find something totally unexpected, and likely intriguing as well. I bet I'd get a laugh out of the beating heart for big people, the tiny tank, or the tiny stink bombs.

Puppy Poppets is a delight to the heart and eye, a gallery of tiny treasures you can purchase and take home with you. It is found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Adelebsen%20Isle/51/193/24.

SL Art That Leaps Out At You: Amani Gallery

2008-09-06T16:47:00.001-07:00

I like 2D images a lot. I've liked 'em since I was a kid! But since I've stopped in at Amani Gallery in Marketing Island, the L$ is about ready to jump out of my account to buy some of the dynamic art here.

Artist Vroum Short features abstractly deformed 3D and texture-changing pieces here to complement the chromatic Gogh-esque works of Garp Magic, the animated nature/urban photography of Mer Dreier, the Miro-influenced work of Giovanni Ricciardi, and others. Also come view and buy original works inspired by da Vinci, Picasso, Brecht, Rimbaud and Poe!

Again, Amani Gallery can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Marketing%20Island/250/44/27.

Wales Springs

2008-09-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Wales Springs, a place in Second Life where Reality does seem to merge with Second Life.

As you teleport onto the sim, you can immediately see that this is a work of passion, a work of art. Vintage cars parked up at the garage waiting to be refueled, fields of hay waiting to be harvested, a house up the road looking out into the countryside, and the lonely light at the middle of the crossroads.

Truly an ispiration to see what Second Life can now bring to us in this age!

You can visit Wales Springs via this link: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wales+Springs/128/128/0

Photos by Balduin Aabye and Carlotta Ceawlin

Art To Go Opening!

2008-08-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

This just in from Kelly Yap:

Opening for the Art To Go Exhibition I

Sunday August 24th
3-5pm.

DJ CHECKERS will be spinning some traveling TUNES!
VOTING for the Art To Go Art Contest will begin!
PARADE at 5pm from the gallery with anyone in a vehicle participating....let's see how many vehicles we can get in a line and how far we can go on this funky Linden road!

GUEST ARTISTS are Nayeli Writer, Eeyore Ogg, MarieAnn Roogus,Sycho Kidd and Holly Loll
RESIDENT ARTISTS are LawnDart Curtiss, Drumstick Ah, Inkspots Voom, Exosius Woolley, Jankasse Broome, Grandaddy Republic, Kato Salyut, Sonia Stardust and Gillylou Messmer

Be there or be oh so square!

If SL Pottery Is A Lottery, We Hit The Jackpot

2008-08-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight's article consists of three quick stops in at SL's established pottery stores.

I first arrived at Pottery Pavilion at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bietschhorn/208/232/36. My first action was to await the popping of several dozens sculpted prims, thanks to my low-grade eMachine. I first thought I was in the middle of some sort of pod invasion, but everything shaped up beautifully. Two tiers of color-sorted pottery presented themselves nicely, but the show-stealer here was not the pottery but the stunning water temple, lavishly and perfectly decorated with Egyptian textures. Many times I've seen people come close to realistic texturing in SL, but I can definitely say that this place is a triumph and a marvel.

Pottery Pavilion also sells a neat 39-prim Mushroom/palette-swap Tree House for L$300, a 157-prim giant birdhouse for 450L, and a 92-prim tree stump home for L$350. Unfortunately, it's a case of too little, too late; with an impressive 9088m and a traffic of just 8, and the owner not online since July 31 and a L$100000 price tag hovering over the property, the Pavilion's glory days are coming to an end.

For a Mexican flair, El Refugio (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kochoomo/137/105/58) is where it's at. Located both in Kochomoo and JC Anvil's Bungalow Zone, El Refugio features vibrant designs with many sun and moon motifs, flowers, birds, fish, and Mexican abstracts. Pinatas, plaques, wall art, fountains, wrought iron lamps, and many kinds of bistro chairs and tables round out the satisfying selection you will find here. And if that is not enough to quench your thirst for fine culture, ladies may still browse the new clothing store and anyone can browse the dedicated furniture store.

For anyone seeking the exotic SL store, Absinthe Minded Pottery and Pation in Skyridge (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Skyridge/179/113/301) offers a largely sign-free, text-free shopping environment that soothes anyone used to rows of laggy overlapping white text. Potted plants, birdbaths, and urns are the order of the day at 300m (kudos for not having the awful X-shaped flowers you see everywhere else in SL!) and at ground level there is a homey tiki shop with plenty of variety (they even have a stove for those chilly nights)! In all it's very well arranged, and a pleasure to see a place that isn't jammed with numbers and letters, for once.

Thanks A Latte: VM Reviews Three SL Coffeeshops

2008-08-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

Open Latte Coffee Shop used to be my favorite coffeehouse back when I had time. It has a very professional build through and through and radiates luxury and charm like a serene Charles Baudelaire poem. Featuring a fireplace, outdoor patio, library, and a few hardwood-accented rooms, the views are all very relaxing and uninterrupted by ad farms and other detritus. It was fairly happening for any SL business when I got there, with around 8 people. The music was a bit sugar-watery when I got there but it did little to detract from the ambience and they've had better music before.

Solace Coffee House is built high, with a walkaround height of 216m, right around the cloud level. Surprisingly, the land can be found ascending to this height! The realism is supported by waterfalls and a series of platformed walkways going all the way down to 160m. Solace's textures don't stand out like Mill Pond's do, but they're competently done and the architecture is superior, with a misty Pacific outdoor look modeled on Nepenthe Restaurant at Big Sur, California. Lots of poseballs and doodads like the Conversation Bomb, a comfortably close couch-covered interior and a product selection right out of any RL cafe round out this fine establishment. The music is fun and contemporary, laid-back and nothing I've yet heard.

And Kelly Yap's gotten a lot more down to earth! Formerly the owner of a hip, cozy skybox art gallery/coffeeshop, she's brought it all down to the ground and separated it into a spacious coffeehouse (Fiction & Lattes) and her art shop, Artifice. Upcoming events include Art to Go, a vehicle contest, and a L$1000 Traveling Tales Writing Contest, both accepting entries by August 15th.

Loki Ball's Marrowstone Horror Sim Opens

2008-08-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Fluid Creations owner Loki Ball's sim has already evolved rapidly from a tranquil green square into a sprawling Second Life industrial-apocalyptic-horror complex. Stocked with his tried-and true bestselling grunge-gorged builds, the sim is also taking on an unlife of its own, with a giant white-knuckle, three-floor underground arena and much more on the way.

Marrowstone is the home of the Fluid Creations Crematorium, Grungy Industrial Warehouse, Gothic Cathedral, Control Station, and Personal and Commercial Room Switchers.

Newer builds and items featured include the darkly humorous I Gots Gas Station and the dead-serious Demented Motel, and there are countless other interactive accessories on the property to try and buy. Loki's security cameras and multi-animation beds stand out as new must-sees.

That's Loki in the distance.

If you're a brave soul in need of somewhere new to explore, follow the massive sewer pipe into the groundwork for the upcoming arena, which will soon be complete with drains, obstacles, barricades, and more. Several famed SL creators will be providing their creative talents here to make sure this is a top-level attraction.

Buying and using Loki's products on SLExchange is a perfectly fine thing to do, but if you want to see the sum of the parts, come to Marrowstone tonight, set the lights to sunset or midnight, and let the darkness fall all around you.

Coming Soon: Our Coffee, Pottery and Comedy Series

2008-08-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

Second Life business isn't all about walking into a store, waiting for things to rez, buying the best thing, and rushing to test it out. There are some amazing pottery stores in SL where you could visit with friends for hours, coffeeshops where you can soak in some great music, art, and, well, coffee, and comedy clubs where you can come in and take the edge off!

Next week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday I'll be featuring a mini-series on some of the more eclectic businesses in SL. Stay tuned!

SL's Age-Old Problem Fixed by Loki Ball

2008-08-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Friends,

If you're tired of having a collection of objects you know will make you money, provided you re-rez them all painstakingly in the right spots, at the right angles, and setting up shop is preventing you from having fun every once in a while, then you owe it to yourself to check out Loki Ball's Room Switch.

Ranking right up there with Cheshyr Pontchartrain's Tardis and Toneless Tomba's Thinc Press in my favorite gadgets, the Room Switch is unbelievably handy. In a way it's like having 9 times the number of small parcels that you currently own! What the Room Switch does is let you save your favorite multi-object configurations for your land. Rezzing and clearing things en masse has never been more fast and convenient. Want a bar on your land? Put it together and save it to notecard! Do the same with a store setup, romantic getaway, cache of destructible RP (role-playing) objects, or anything else that suits your needs or fancy.

Want to mark down all your goods for sale for twenty minutes? Room Switch out your old setup with the discounted setup, then switch it right back with just an extra touch. Need to disappear into a secret hideaway? Rez a previously inaccessible and undetectable escape tunnel. Got a favorite tried and true event stage you'd like to set up? Go for it.

This is not a temp rezzer; the Room Switch rezzes one-rez setups at your convenience and leisure, and once they're set up, your object configurations are there with no extra temp-rez lag.

If you're an established merchant who wants that little extra time-saving edge, or you're just starting out in Second Life, you owe it to yourself to start saving time by purchasing the Room Switch. Try it out today!

SL Snowmen Will Never Be The Same: Blurred Nightfire

2008-07-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Blurred Nightfire is one of Second Life's up-and-coming designers. Since his early days as a coffee cup designer, he has branched out into items for home and garden, including two stunning fountains, a unique joke-telling snowman, a charming snowman snow globe, and a top-secret project we'll cover in an update. Summer hangouts will never be the same!

Q -What has been your biggest challenge?
A - My biggest challenge was starting up my business and getting people to recognize my products for their uniqueness. It is never easy to start from nothing.

Q - How have you succeeded in your business?
A - I have succeeded in my business by being praised by other builders on how well my products are put together, as well as creating products that have those extra features other products do not have.

Q- Such as?
A- My fountains allow you to change texture, water color, and light color too! Also, my 33-prim fountain features water cascading in a spiral. It looks nice without a lot of extra parcel space.

Q - Where do you get your ideas from?
A - I actually get my ideas from looking around at objects in real life and seeing what can be added to them, as well as other objects in Second Life. Just more or less thinking, "Wonder what people would think if that feature was on this object?"

Q - How do you keep yourself motivated to keep working?
A - I keep myself motivated by keeping busy. Since I know once I stop on something, it takes a little bit for me to get back in to it again to be working efficiently.

Q - How did you decide on what you were going to make?
A - I actually just fell into making fountains, since one day I made a fountain and people were impressed with how well I paid attention to detail. From there it has improved and I am starting to move on to making other products for outdoor use. That way, I will be able to cover a wider range of people who need items.

Q - How did you start your business?
A - It all started with the help of friends who offered a free spot of land, here and there, because apparently they all enjoy my creations I have made. I've tried my best returning the help for their being so supportive and such good friends!

Q - What advice would you give to others ?
A - Network, network, network! Make as many friends as possible but stay true to them and help them when they need help with things, but remember try not to be taken advantage of! Also if you are going to build or script, stick to a category, so you won't be stuck on the same object and won't get bored, but be sure to enjoy what you are doing.

Bootie's Bay...AHOY THAR!

2008-07-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all, thanks for dropping by to the blog and this is a first time blogger to this amazing blog here! Let's hope I can give you some of what I see as I explore around Second Life here! Do remember that you can visit what I get up to on my own scrapblog ^_^ I always save the best bits here and I think this sim I have visited will rock your socks!

So the first of my voyage will be at the Isla Dela Vida. At first glance, it does look like there would be something very strange going on, like why is it very quiet? Where are the bots? What am I doing here, and as I ventured on, all is not what it seems...

So that is all I can show you of what is in that WONDERFUL sim, heck it would ruin the surprise of what it has in store for you and noone likes spoilt surprises! I for one sure don't! But in all seriousness, this has to be one of the most beautiful, high quality, entertaining, spooky, top craftsmanship in Second Life that I have ever ventured yet!

Another thing is the music, it is very addictive, and does absolutely 100% matches the theme of the sim. It is what gives you that feeling that you are actually starring in your own film as the superhero of the hour. And if you want added spookiness, set the Environment on as Midnight mode, or if you prefer my style, Surreality Delight Mode.

There as we can see, it does feel like that you are at the top of the world so to speak. With great rewards awaiting you as you solve the mystery of this strange but yet exciting island, one must be mad not to explore this place!

So if you are still not itching to explore this place, I really urge you to check it out. Soon all the shops there will be filled to the brim, and you can have adventure, explore, roleplay, play, chat, have fun all in the comfort of this sim.

And finally the SpySectometer:

Design: 95%
Fun: 90%
Speed: 65% (Could be due to the Second Life lagginess on the day)

Must See?: Yes
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isla%20dela%20Vida/19/165/25
Second Life Direct Link: secondlife://Isla%20dela%20Vida/19/165/25

Overall: 84% (Excellent!)

Two-Minute Teleports: Second Life Shorts

2008-06-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

As someone who wears the same suit day in day out (oh, and in SL too), I found myself a little out of place in Camelot Gardens. Luckily the people were still polite and I had an outfit waiting for me on the steps of the great hall.

In the past I've scripted vehicle weapons and RPG/combat effects, so I checked out The Cannon Company in Caledon Kittiwickshire. The Couples Hansom Cab out front was a virtuoso work of Victorian building and texturing, with seat cushion textures that, for once, didn't look like they were ripped out of a game of Pong, Surround, or Secret Collect. The rendered shadow was the crowning glory.

The cannons inside looked as good as authentic, with representatives from many eras of conflict. They fired easily enough, at a touch, and gave off clouds of smoke that rotated and drifted off in what looked to be particle six-packs (not quite my cup of tea, but people have razzed me for what I thought were fine particles, so until smoke looks like smoke, touche). On the walls I found some elaborately illustrated ads for Steam-Powered and Reactor Rayguns, the Sherlock Holmes Edition Hansom Cab, Steam Powered Chair, 2 Cylinder Steam Engine/Pump, and a wildly creative 3-level Shoe House with tracking eyeballs, doors, telescope, and an observatory. For those seeking a simpler good time, there were 29-prim white birch bark and aluminum canoes. Overall things were a bit primmy and pricey, but that's not a bad thing when you want quality, something that won't redraw itself every time you step around it, like sculpted prims. Going by the solid architecture of the shop itself and the professional level of the ads, combined with Caledon's reputation for fine things steampunk and Victorian, it's easy to infer there's some serious quality sitting up on these walls.

Stop by today and let me know what you think!

You Have Been Warmed! SL Sweaters at MMD Designs

2008-06-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

When I came to Mariana (Marianagelina11 Oh) & Mino (Minotaurus Whitfield) Designs, I got a chilly reception. It was freezing!

Since I lost my suit to an SL glitch that turned it into some overalls, all I had on was my poker T-shirt and some jeans and shoes. Standing in the virtual snow, I found myself reaching for a shiver animation.... when a sweater beckoned from across the open-air cabin. MMD must sure save on heating!

MMD mostly features women's winter outfits, dresses, sweaters, scarves, handwarmers, hats and pullovers (I'm guessing they're called Pullis on the vendors) and the like, but they do have wares for men like Chapkas (thick winter hats), five sweaters, and a shirt/sweater combo. Prices I found ranged around L$120 to L$350, about average for Second Life clothing.

The driveable sled (L$500) was a nice touch, but I got a shocking surprise when my friend Blurred tried getting on it too. Suffice it to say that it was made with couples in mind.

I bought a sweater and chapka here. My avatar was short, so the included collar went up through his neck, but all I did was take it off and it was a good fit without it. The sweater texture looked good, with plenty of texture detail and color variation. There is enough variety in the outfits, especially for women. The thick chapka looked fine too, enough to ward off a blizzard.

The environment is a well-designed winter mall setting next to a ski lift. The store is welcoming, with a pot of coffee placed at a small table for visitors. Icicles suggest a lot of cold, and the snow makes you want to bundle up... and buy a sweater.

Mariana & Mino Designs can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/MeetingSupport/226/19/21 .

Lionel Oliva's Top 10 Favorite SL Gadgets & Items

2008-06-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

In Second Life, there are a few things that I think SL would be a lot less fun without. This post will change over the weeks as new items enter the SL marketplace and my attention span wanes. Hopefully what remains will be my top 10 favorite gadgets. For now they are:

10. Cheshyr Pontchartrain's Tardis
If you own a store, chances are you have a teleport point set. The Tardis is great for getting around your land without having to whip out landmarks.

9. Apocalyptic Combat Vehicle
One of the coolest-looking and sweetest-handling vehicles in SL, especially in hover mode. A honking touch-activated cannon, Havok 4-based combat system and a sound relay HUD are frosting on the cake.

8. ASM-1000 Audio Stream Manager
I bought an ASM-1000 last year and I've been using it since. Friendly (or as public-friendly as I want it to be), well-designed and a pleasure for bringing out the best music to my land.

7. GGG Gold Nugget
Holy traffic increase, Batman! Aside from SLX and Apez I haven't seen anything linked to a website that works so fast in Second Life. When I first bought it I got my first visitor in ten minutes -- at 5 AM in the morning!

6. Black Box's Sculpt Studio
The manual still leaves me scratching my head, but it's a pretty solid system. I got a free upgrade to 3.8 from 3.0 so maybe I'll set some time aside and see how it works again.

5. Universal Destruction Kit
From destroying glass to fuel tanks to vehicles and RP items, the uses of this kit are many. My inventing it after 90+ hours of fine-tuning doesn't hurt the rankings either ;D

4. Jwoulf's minigun/Desert Eagle/Hellbring:
Great for testing collision scripts in whatever flavor of blow-it-uppishness you want.

3. Blurred Nightfire's Fountain
Ooo. Now at a low-low 8 prims from 33.

2. Loki Ball's Room Switcher
Handy handy. One prim can contain several preset rooms. Powerful, flexible, cheap!

1. Concrete shop -- copy/mod for L$30. Put four in a square setup. Stack them on top of one another. Mod to your heart's content.

Second Life Spirits At KittyCat's Kreations

2008-06-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

A very nice texture-changing tun at KittyCat's Kreations.

When I step into a lot of shops in SL, I get spammed with a lot of object chat. Random-sounding SLURLs pop out of nowhere without being asked for and I often wind up swatting landmarks out of windows that pop up. A mute for you, Mr. Object Giver.

Imagine, then, my surprise when I heard a Neufchatel decanter whisper this:

[20:11] The high Swiss mountains were home to the herbs that made this liquor, Lionel Oliva. They are honored to have you consume them!

Whoa! Nothing but pure product! And reasonably spaced apart timewise -- I didn't have to wait for a wave of green text to wash back down my screen before I could click on anything else.

[20:13] Edouard Pernod whispers: This exceptional absinthe, more rare and valuable than the rarest cognac, comes to your palate with a flavour and aroma of bygone times. KittyCat Ninetails, only the finest is good enough for you!

[20:15] Pernod Fils whispers: Ahh, this is how Absinthe is supposed to taste, the louche is wonderous, the aromas heady and the taste..ahh the taste... Lionel Oliva, what a treat!

KittyCat Ninetails was gracious enough to be interviewed at KittyCat 's Kreations while fully helping out a customer who stopped by. Usually when I edit an interview I like to weed out interruptions, but this transcript will show you the kind of dedicated, flexible merchant KittyCat is.

VM: how long have you been in business?

KN: Since um..February.

VM: Wow, you pick up things quickly.

KN (giggles)..I got so addicted. It's so much fun making stuff.

VM: Did you originally sell SL drink decanters? Or did you try something different?

KN: The only thing I have made is drink decanters...I keep thinking I want to branch out into food. But then I come up with another drink dispenser idea or another line of drinks.

VM: I see. Was this somehow inspired by your RL work or was it something that just came out of the blue?

KN: Well, it was inspired by generosity. I bought a friend a decanter and it had ... I think ... 30 prims, and he could not set it down, it was over the prim limit. So I thought..hell, I can make it for less. And I did, it was fun, and I never looked back.

(To customer) Hi! If you have any questions, i will be happy to answer 'em.

(Customer smiles)

KN: But in real life ...I am an accountant.

VM: I see.

KN: I simply like alcohol..and pretty things..and I think if we are gonna fantasize..we should have good stuff to do it with, and all the stuff should be unique. It irritated me when I was taking drinks from decanters..and all of them said the same thing..or looked the same.

VM: Yeah... You have a nice aesthetic for your place.

Customer: Alcohol tends to make things prettier as you drink.

KN: Oo, I like that line. (grins)

VM: And your decanters definitely say different things. :D

KN: Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder *giggle*

Customer: Ha ha, yes.

KN: I have over 500 drinks. I did a count today! And every one is different...different texture, different saying.

KittyCat Ninetails stands next to her boot decanters.

VM: Pretty impressive! How many a day do you make? Does it take long, and where do you get the textures from? Or is that a secret? :D

KN: I also make my own sculpties now for some of the decanters. I use Rokuro mainly..am learning to use Tatara and Blender..but haven't got them down pat yet. I made that moonshine jug sculptie. (grins) Some of the builds..like the magnum barrel..take over 100 textures. I buy them, and I download them. And now I am trying my hand at making textures. I made -- well, put together anyhow -- the texture on the Campari bottle. A lot of the decanters change texture too. I did not make the sculptie of the archer lady..nor did I make the boat in a bottle..though I did do all the drinks in both.

Ahoy matey! Pirate-themed drinks when yer rum runs out.

Customer: Do you have examples of the different mugs and horns the barrels dispense?

KN: Help yourself. They all dispense. I sell decanters; the drinks are free.

Customer: Thank you.

KN: Oh, interesting. Let me fix that.

Customer: kk

KN: Wonder why its got mead in it? Must be one that I was muckin' with. (makes an adjustment) Try now.

Customer: Thank you.

Heart of Mead whispers: The wonderous taste of this liquor resounds with honey and history, echoing through the pages of time, decanted just for you, Customer, to enjoy!

Customer: Very nice.

KN: Yep, it is. Whew! Would hate to find out my barrel didn't dispense cause the name was more than 25 characters long.

Chocolate Strawberry whispers: Oh, this is definitely the way to enjoy your chocolate coated strawberries, Customer, the sweet taste of memories is made with this!

KN: It's a real pain, especially when dealing with sake or vintage wines. None of them are short names. Some of 'em are a bit yappy. But what I do do, is research every single drink. For example...absinthe... good absinthe...vintage absinthe..is not green. It's brown. And you drip water into it through sugar..and the essential oils parcipitate out..causing the absinthe to go a milky color..slowly. It's called louche and it won't get you stoned. Most of the hype about absinthe was written by Victorian era doctors who confused the effects of long-term alcoholism with the effects of the drug.

Customer: I saw one on SLX that dispensed Absinthe Ale Beer Blood wine Espresso Honey Mead Hot Chocolate, may I ask which one that is? Sorry, I copy and pasted from the site.

KN: (Giggles.) Any of them can. I have a menu and I can just drop the drinks in. Sounds like the medieval barrel though.

Customer: Yes, that is what it is called.

KN: I can make one up with any drinks you want in it. But let me dig that one out so you can see. If you click on the flame skull it will give you a menu of drinks.

VM: There's so much I don't know about wine and spirits. It's certainly an education and then some coming in here. How many hours a day do you put into SL?

KN: Most days? 10 or so.

VM: What would you say was the biggest challenge you've faced getting a start in SL? And what advice if any would you offer someone just trying to get started?

KN: LOL...take the building classes! My biggest challenge was fixing my own mistakes, things like not knowing why everything I built turned red. I worked like mad to make it so they did not, then found out turning beacons off helped a great deal.

I started out building by eye...and making stuff level...then found out by accident how to build properly. You don't hafta recreate the wheel. Also, buy your own land as soon as you can. I had my servers for SLX and OnRez and Hippo at my house...and the house was on a sim where I rented a store and a house. The sim was sold..and they gave us less than 4 hours notice to move.

VM: Jeez.

KN: It's how I wound up here. This land was given to me to start, the first 512 m, anyhow. Not the best location..but it's mine. At that time, I only had about 40 decanters or so...maybe fewer. But..in every single item, I had the landmark for the store too. It was two days of solid work to move.

VM: Yikes, that sounds brutal.

KN (to customer): If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
(To VM) That was soo not fun. So now I am going to keep this spot. It was nasty -- not their fault -- but nasty.

VM: I'll be sure to landmark it if you're staying put. This is a nice store.

KN: Thanks. (Smiles) I have 9 locations now...but this is my main...and the only one with nearly all the decanters I currently have out.

VM: Well, I'll be sure to visit it again! Thank you very much for your time KittyCat.

KN: You're welcome!

KittyCat's Kreations can be found at the following locations:

Main Store

RP Locations:

Medieval Times
Medieval England
Elf Clan Fantasy Market
Ravenscraig Village
Pirates' Plunder
Karamoon
Bikers
Knight in NOR

Non-RP locations
Dejavu
Drakul's Cove

Report relocated business

We're starting back up!

2008-06-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time and after renaming our blog to comply with Linden Labs' branding policy, Virtual Merchants is coming back with plenty more Second Life business reviews!

Coming soon we will be featuring stores by Loki Ball, Kittycat Ninetails, and others.

Scripts, skins, gadgets, weapons, vehicles, unclassifiable works of sheer zaniness, sounds, animations, gestures, textures -- if you can find it in SL we'll be finding shops to write about in the weeks to come.

Thanks to all of you who have remained loyal readers. And if you're an owner of a quality store and would like to be reviewed, contact me in-game.

See you here again soon,
Lionel Oliva

Report relocated business

The Mark Ferriter Gallery Opens In Bellatrix

2008-03-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

Artist Mark Ferriter has brought over 20 of his real-life paintings to his gallery to the Bellatrix sim ( http://slurl. com/secondlife/Bellatrix/77/174/27 ). A native of Eliot, Maine, Mark now lives in Massachusetts with his young family.

His specialties include city paintings (Midwest Coffee House, Milwaukee Art Center, Chicago), surreal works (The Swingers, The Digger, Romance), still-lifes (Glass Still Life, Underwater Still Life, Brillo), and portraits (Girl 2, Breakfast, Mona). All his works are available for L$200 (modify/transfer). The gallery also features a wide selection of art from Apez, RL and SL photography for L$20, and fine vases from Shana Kinsei. Chairs are available to enhance the viewing experience and the general public is welcome!

Report relocated business

A Cool Little Music Hotspot In Second Life!

2008-03-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

I admit it, with all the scripting and scripting and, well, scripting that I do, I don't get out in Second Life as much as I used to, or should. There are new wonders and attractions being built in-world and yesterday was no exception. Why yesterday? Because the music venue you see in the snapshot above has been open and jamming for less of 24 hours as of this posting!

I got a random TP from my equally random friend Jinny -- every time I stop by it's at another happening music venue -- and Live Music Hotspot was no exception. Lots of people in a festive mood, and the owner Guitarhero Dougall was there enjoying the scene as musician Michah Janus performed acoustic covers of Tom Petty's "Free Falling" and U2.

Guitarhero had this to say about the venue in yesterday's press release:

"I have created LMH to provide the SL public a music venue for its enjoyment. There will be a chain of these venues, operating as non-profit organizations, around SL. Musicians come and go according to their personal schedules, and this allows us to bring you more live musicians than most other clubs in SL! We are open 24-7-365 and the stream is always on! Stop in, hang out and enjoy the music!!!

"As such our tier and stream payments will be paid for by venue tips. If all goes well we may be able to bring you featured artists in the future! I did it once before with everyone's help. Let's do it again and make this the best live music venue in SL!!! It is by musicians for musicians and music lovers around the world and around the clock!!!

"Many many thanks go out to the people who are donating the land and sponsorships and their time and efforts to make this the best live music group chain in SL. Without you I could do none of this.

"Be sure to visit our partner and land sponsor, Fun Finders, with ZYNGO instant and daily payouts, and a shopping mall with rental space available too! LMH is also proud to announce sponsorship by OD Designs, which is backing me up at every venue I am in charge of to ensure the enjoyment of our musicians and guests.

"Also stay tuned for our second venue opening, a Live Music Hotspot at OD Designs. I will send out the opening day announcement when it is ready, so look for it in the next few days!"

To join the LMH group, just click here... check them out, it's not that often I have that much fun at a live music venue in SL and this has been a refreshing change!

Live Music Hotspot can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/JT%20World%20II/212/93/23 .

Checking the Events calendar, I saw I had already missed Joaquin Gustav (Argentinian Classical Guitar) and Barakademi Barzane (European Electric Guitar) but I hope to catch more great acts featured at LMH soon!

I gotta run... Thump Jaxxon is playing some of the best metal I've heard off or on SL. Later!

Report relocated business

Second Life Furniture At The Big (And The Little) Oblonski

2008-02-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

As an SL blogger, I made a big mistake today. I was prepared to write an entire feature on a massive furniture store at Antiquity Township East. Turns out that wasn't even the main store!

Think this is big? Wait till you see the main store!

Oblonski Furniture specializes in classical furniture with a 19th-century influence. If you are looking to add elegance to your virtual property and sidestep items that were strained out of a single mangled sculpie or two, this is the place!

Little Oblonski is still a sprawling block store as large as or larger than most stores you will see in SL. Harmoniously placed in the middle of Antiquity Township East, Little Oblonski's neighbors include RiARNYA Flower Shoppe and Antiquity Furniture.

But once inside, you forget about the rest of the sim quickly. Blissfully non-Top 40 music greets you and sets a pleasant tone for the remainder of your visit.

Furniture, from tea sets to dainty chairs to couches, sofas and full-sized fireplaces, adorns the store in well-arranged sets. Chaises, lamps, vanities, artwork and even a concert piano round out the selections.

Lionel Oliva hard at work, Part 1.

On my first trip in, I thought most of the furniture might have been a little too diminutive for my tastes. However, on this second trip in (I'm there as of this writing), a mid-sized chair, with its expressive animation, ranging from contented to coy, did the trick for me, and priced at L$180, it looks like I'll be coming back for it soon. I usually look down on no-copy items, especially furniture, but this Regency Chair seems to be worthy of the investment. And I like the transferability in case I ever decide to have a yard sale! Despite my instinctive avoidance, on worries that I'd break the furniture by sitting on it, I've come to like most of it. I still have a sneaking suspicion that the animations were designed for women only, but most are universal enough to allow use by a metrosexual.

The subtle feminine bent continues across the store, with the most pointed examples being a writing desk, a couch with a reading animation, and a vanity, all with an (F) in the floating text. I don't know about the hair-brushing with the vanity, but a writing desk with some guy animations would have been a nice addition to my office in Pudding Hill.

One of the furniture sections I liked most was in the temp rezzers; things there seemed a little more solid and more my type. While none of them ever showed me the furniture head on, the slight was mainly because I couldn't photograph them without a little craning.

Another area that caught my eye was the fireplaces. A few didn't really register with me, just out of personal taste, but one modern fireplace with the idealized head of a great cat was a work of art, and I would like to buy one when I get enough of my own sales.

Big Oblonski I like a lot more; it seems a lot more fun and happening. The lower floor has a few mystical items, like the F-V Tarot Deck. The choice of all furniture types seems about double, the Maar Bazaar hawks musical instruments, and Kheph's Creations sells Victorian and steampunk designs too. I even found a reasonably guyish desk I could catch a few SL winks at without worrying about fanning myself or sighing in my sleep. Outside it is like stumbling into your cool-crazy great-aunt's best yard sale ever: there are sculpted, color-changing flowers, some well done 3D vines, patio furniture, even a Chaos Machine and a rabbit hutch!

Upstairs, parked in front of some vibrant, classic posters, is a great array of games I never thought I would see in an antique store: Whack-A-Mole, Phrase Invaders, Zombie Meltdown, and the best awfully-named, functioning arcade game in SL: Fist of Discomfort! The music here is the same as Little Oblonski's, SOMA FM, which I've liked since my newbie days of camping at Alicia Stella's.

To sum up, both stores have their pluses. Little Oblonski is great if you know what you want and don't have time to get enjoyably lost in the store. Big Oblonski is a sprawling, fun crawl across two floors and out the door. Try them both out sometime! :D

Report relocated business

We're coming back... and now, a little something out of the ordinary

2008-01-30T00:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight I read the story of Patrick Curl, a man who is trying to lose several hundred pounds. He is recording his progress on his site, http://www.patrickcurl.com/, and is looking for sponsors for every pound of weight he loses (his original weight was 555 lbs.). Whether you could sponsor a pound or more that he loses, or simply visit his site, any way you could help is appreciated. Thank you.

Lionel Oliva
Owner, SLMT.blogspot.com

Report relocated business Advertise at SLMerchanttimes.com

New Innovative Forces Coming To Second Life

2008-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

Report relocated business Advertise at SLMerchanttimes.com

For A Second Life Swim Check Out PondLife's MoonFall Bay Sim!

2008-01-05T23:28:00.000-08:00

PondLife is excited to announce it just added a new open space sim , MoonFall Bay, featuring a guided scuba diving tour though an extensive underwater cave system, swimming with seals and surfboarding as a few of the activities available. MoonFall Bay also offers unique tiki bars, beach blankets and towels along with a great selection of beach and underwater decor. Come by soon and discover paradise.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nassau%20dAlliez/149/8/22

Report relocated business Advertise at SLMerchanttimes.com

Press Release: LINC ISLAND

2008-01-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Grand Opening of LINC ISLAND will be taking place Monday, January 7, 2008, through Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 1 whole week of festivities!

What we offer you is:

- A Grand LINC ISLAND tour every day at 11 AM SLT by LINC CEO Knibbel Cioc-

- 2 LIVE DJs everyday, one at 1 - 3 PM SLT and one at 5 - 7 PM SLT with different music themes every day - for DJ timetable see bottom of this announcement.

Hosted by LINC Staff member Violet Nishi and LINC Staff Assistant Sherry Darwin:

Monday - Wednesday and Friday: LIVE Singer or Band!

All Week Long: Official opening of LINC Beach Club

Opening of our 3 LINC clothing shops, representing our first official RL brand, SL-tagged LINC clothes hosted by LINC Staff member Arron Jacobus

Free LINC shirt - jeans and lifestyle products!

The LINC ISLAND Tour will take you to:

Club LINC- Virtual Reality Room- Ice skate Rink- LINC beach Club and Beach- Inner Circle aka 'The Dome'- Winter Lake- Art Gallery and Exposition- Our 3 LINC Clothes Shops

++ FREE ADMISSION! ++

We hope you enjoy our opening week and always remember,
Life Is Not Complicated!
Yours Sincerely,
Arron Jacobus Violet Nishi Sherry Darwin Knibbel Cioc
++ If you would like to support us please forward this event to your friends ++

DJ TIMETABLE

Monday 1-3 PM SLT Casel Botha - Trance Dance Techno Soft - Club LINC
5-7 PM SLT Aothacos Ferraris - Rap RnB Hiphop - LINC Beach Club
Monday, January 7 Launch: LIVE singer Noma Falta - Blues - 1 PM SLT

Tues1-3 PM SLT Duts Dawg - Romantic Songs - LINC Beach Club
5-7 PM SLT Darkwulf Lykin - Rock - Club LINC

Wed 1-3 PM SLT Casel Botha - Trance Dance Techno Soft - Club LINC
5-7 PM SLT Duts Dawg - Salsa - LINC Beach Club

At Launch Wed January 9: LIVE singer Noma Falta - Blues - 1 PM SLT

Thu 1-3 PM SLT Maxxim Taurog - Techno - LINC Beach Club ** not confirmed yet **
5-7 PM SLT Aothacos Ferraris - Rap RnB Hiphop - Club LINC

Fri 1-3 PM SLT Pede Loon - Jazz - LINC Beach Club
5-7 PM SLT Stu Balut - Reggea - Club LINC

At Launch Friday, January 11: LIVE Band 1 PM

Sat1-3 PM SLT Pede Loon - Trance Dance Techno Hard Club LINC
5-7 PM SLT Darkwulf Lykin - Blues - LINC Beach Club

Sun January 1-3 PM SLT Legal Arado - Goa Hardtrance - Club LINC
5-7 PM SLT Stu Balut - Country - LINC Beach Club

++ If you'd like to support LINC please forward this message to your friends! Thank you! ++

Report relocated business Advertise at SLMerchanttimes.com

Evoking the Goth Magick

2007-12-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

RFyre's naughtier twin

This is the second in a two part series on GothWear in Second Life. Our first post reviewed formal wear designer Raven Pennyfeather and her RFyre shops. This review looks into a set of designs at the Evocative and Evocative Magick shops that compliments RFyre, owned and operated by Paul Lapointe and BastChild Lotus.

Where RFyre starts at the eyes and goes to the heart, Lapointe and Lotus go from the eyes to the belly and deeper. The GothWear designs at the Evocative shops are edgier and sexier, but possess the same high standards of texturing as the RFyre designs.

Lapointe and Lotus have been a team for about a year now. Lapointe specializes in clothing design and high quality armor for Second Life role players, while Lotus delivers a great selection of jewelry, both gothic and high fashion. Between them they create a synergistic set of styles sure to please those whose fashion tastes in Second Life stray from the merely realistic to the fantastic.

For the record I now own three outfits from Lapointe/Lotus, and two nice sets of jewelry. These were not simply impulse purchases. A very close friend showed me the shop and told me that some of these things would suit me, and she was right. Why do they suit me? Why would they suit any dancer?

Because Lapointe/Lotus clothing is dam sexy, that’s why. For someone wanting to make a statement on the stage, to be noticed, to be dramatic, it works like cash money.

There are two main locations to find Lapointe/Lotus designs. The older location is at the Evocative Sim, and the new locationis at a sim called Evocative Magick. The layouts are different, but full of the same great products. The new store is an improvement though, for one important reason. When I explored the first shop at the Evocative sim I found myself getting turned around and lost frequently. It was hard to tell the difference between one location and another, especially since they tend to use some of the same designs for different genres. The new shop at the Evocative Magick sim has the shops in separate buildings so that you can tell where you are, with no mazes of displays to navigate.

In an interesting way the duplication of designs in different sections of the stores is a strength for Lapointe and Lotus. It shows how the designs work well in multiple genres. For instance, one of the outfits I loved can be found both in the Neko gear shop and the Gothic Obsession shop. The outfit works quite well for naughty times on stage, even minus kitty ears and tail. The urban wear is great as goth, and vice versa. These designs cross genres very well.

I met a girl named Curveee Lilliehook while on one of my research trips to their shops. Curvee told me that it was her first time visiting Gothic Obsession. I asked her if she saw anything she liked, and she said that she’d already fallen in love with some leather low-cut pants. I just smiled; I had bought that same set the day before.

I spoke with Lapointe and Lotus in preparation of this article, and enjoyed the love story aspect of their business. Paul was working a shop already when BastChild walked in, and a relationship soon emerged. She told me that she started with designing furniture and progressed to jewelry and clothing. She laughed when she told me that her first design was a lamp that Paul loved, and how supportive he’d been all along. I don’t know how the lamp looked, but if her jewelry is anything to judge by it must have been a damned good job.

I only have one critique, aside from the difficulties I had navigating in the old store. The selection is still a bit limited for my tastes. But this may not be their fault. It may be more a case of “I really love this stuff and want to see more.” I’ll leave that decision up to the reader’s judgement. And I hope you do go and have a look. Go to Evocative Magick and check this place out for yourself. If you like goth/urban/neko, I think that you’ll be glad you did.

For those of you who like to stay at the leading edge of fashion releases, Lapointe and Lotus have started their own blog. I’ll be hoping to see the designs coming off the presses there myself. Though the blog is still a bit rough it bears mentioning that I got one of my best belly laughs watching a video they have linked at the bottom of the page.

I give Lapointe/Lotus a big smile of approval for their great designs.

Report relocated business Advertise at SLMerchanttimes.com

Burning the Fyre Darkly

2007-12-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

Raven Sets the standard for formal GothWear

I love my job, I love my boss, blah blah blah. Oh wait, I really do come to think of it. What kind of second life is it where you can meet some of the most talented designers in Second Life, get handed leads by the dozen and explore cool and beautiful places, and spend virtual money on virtually wonderful clothes all at the same time? A GREAT one, that’s what kind.

This is the first of a two part series on GothWear designers who’ve done a marvelous job of designing goth/punkish clothing. Loyal readers already know my predilection for this genre, and my willingness to reward good designs with easy access to my PayPal account. For the first installment we visit RFyre, creator and vendor of beautiful gothic formal wear.

Just to remind you of my criteria for great commercial sims, there are three targets that I hope for a commercial vendor to hit. Great designs, in an unusual setting, at a great price. RFyre hits on all three, though if you want the newest top of the line styles coming off of Raven Pennyfeather’s computer you’d better be ready to pay her a fair price for her work.

And it will be worth it. I cringed upon receiving this assignment, knowing my own lack of willpower in her shop. Like most all great designers I’ve met Raven was very gracious in answering my questions during an obviously busy time for her, and after spending some time with me she asked her Assistant Harper Beresford to follow up with details. Harper was just as friendly and helpful as Raven.

The sim is lovely. Isle RFyre is a compact but extremely well laid out island. Three simple but spectacular features welcome anyone willing to venture outside the shop. A wonderful Spartan statue by Starax Statosky, a lovely seaside resting place, and a residence decorated by Raven and some of her friends. I hope I’m not causing her a problem by mentioning the house, but I presume the lack of ‘no trespassing’ signs and security orbs speaks of her willingness to share.

The shop itself is large, dominating the craggy hilltop within an ominous looking fortress. Raven manages to prevent that ‘cavernous warehouse’ feel by breaking up the space masterfully, with the bottom floor dedicated to her designs, a basement with mix and match and outdated pieces along with some other vendors, and the upper floors studded with galleries for other vendors in theme. I was extremely pleased to find some Zoe Llewellyn pieces in the basement. You may recall my review of Temenos and Zoe’s fine work in an earlier post.

Always on the lookout for a good bargain I was also delighted to find a collection of $50L hairs in the underwater basement. Although the color choices for RFyre hair were pretty basic, it was easy for me to find a few in black that suited me well. One of the few advantages that those of us of Asian origin have in Second Life is a pretty good guarantee that you’ll find your hair color in any vendor in the grid. Swimming while shopping was fun; it gave me a chance to use some animations in my AO that rarely get exercised.

The shop is rarely empty, though lag doesn't seem to be a huge problem. I met a well dressed neko named Kithin who was visiting on the referral of a friend. He'd never been to the shop before, but was soon stationed in front of a vending station contemplating the purchase of a nicely detailed outfit. Kithin told me that he might soon be moving a few of these designs into his wardrobe. My guess is that he will.

It’s Raven’s full costume formal designs that sparkle in the fyrelight best. You’re greeted with some of the nicest, most detailed medieval/Victorian/goth formal wear for men and women that you’re going to find anywhere in Second Life. To date I’ve purchased five complete outfits from RFyre, and despite the inevitable piece or two in the collection that just doesn’t fit my style or body shape, the majority of the outfit always hits the mark and gets worn repeatedly.

On this trip Raven showed me a newer outfit called Fete which had recently hit the shelves. The red shade set was sinfully juicy, and I could practically feel the smooth velvet and satin swishing against my thighs, nearly sending me in a headlong rush to my closet to brush real life formal gowns against my cheek.

In short, the textures are rich and detailed, the prims fit well even though I’m not standard SLBarbie shaped, and the overall feel was elegant and delicious. This observation was backed up by the full-caps WOW that I got from my loved one when the outfit was viewed on me. The only critique that I would offer is unfair, since so many of my outfits are used for more than one kind of dancing. I find it useful for the, ahem, *underthings* to be sheer and/or skimpy cut, for those times when that special person will see me wearing them. The panties and undershirt could have been a bit naughtier. But as I say, not a fair critique, since the aim of RFyre is formal wear in a gothic theme.

Raven Pennyfeather has done a wonderful job and is to be congratulated. She is assured of my future purchases if the trend in sim and clothing design continues, and I’d suggest that you stop on by for a peek at RFyre of your own sometime. For those of you who like to watch new outfits come online via blogs, you can watch the new House of Fyre blog to get new release info on her designs. Her wares can also be purchased on SLExchange.

Next we review a nice companion designer to your RFyre wardrobe, LaPointe/Bast Cat Designs.

Get In The Christmas Spirit At Santa's Workshop!

2007-12-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

I spend most of my time in SL blowing things up, from my BlackBurn Oil Drums to various things I give hit points with my BHP System. However, when I set foot on the snow-covered land at DarkDharma Daguerre's Avatar Isle, the year's chaos, hustle and bustle dies away, to be replaced with modern holiday music and the silent snowfall.

The store is magnificent. The way it is set up inside, there is such a soft sell of its products you could walk completely through without buying a single thing, and simply enjoy it as a reminder of how Christmas used to be. Or you can load up with a great selection of folk art, decorations and cutouts to ready your home or business for Christmas!

The free presents under the tree were great! Each package made the most of opening gifts. One was called "A present just for YOU!" and another cautioned me not to shake it. How cool!

The downstairs area, a kitchen and living room, are impeccably designed, with Christmas sounds coming from all around. These pictures don't do the experience justice, what with the snow outside and music accompanying the decorations perfectly.

I noticed a stairway leading up, and wondered who could be upstairs waiting to wake up and get their presents... would it be Mr. and Mrs. Claus?

It was the first time I had ever seen elves in SL. I set all my sounds to 0.0 and walked in so as not to disturb anyone sleeping.

These elves (L$200 apiece) were so cute I almost went back to Lionel's House of High Explosives, but Christmas comes only once a year, so I read each elf's thought balloon (take a look in the picture above -- they are charming) as I walked back and forth across the second floor, from the fireplace to the stairway.

Every square meter of Santa's Workshop has something cheerful, homey, and Christmasy. If you're down in the dumps and don't like the holiday, come by here. DarkDharma will show you how it was meant to be.

Business moved? Click here

Dark or Not, It's a Piece of Paradise

2007-12-16T09:27:00.001-08:00

Dark Paradise has great prefabs for that special build

Back on the trail of great sims, I couldn't help but notice the great build that a neighbor had put up in my home in Winterfell. A quick peek beyond the wonderfully intricate textured facade took me to Darkling Tempura and Desari Deledda, who is putting together some furniture and artworks worthy of notice.

As you know, a shopkeeper who sets their creations into a lovely themed surrounding gains quick access to my paypal account. Desari and Darkling have made this happen at Dark Paradise. You can stroll along a lovely water feature, gaze at the intricate scrollwork on the columns, or be impressed by the huge Starax Statosky sculpture dominating the pool.

The furniture is well constructed, perfectly textured, and the poses built in worked fine for my friend and I. This is not always assured, since out heights differ greatly, so worthy of mention.

In addition, the prefab houses were marvelous, showing clean design and masterful texture work. As I said, any house that can capture my attention from a distance of 300m is worthy of my notice.

One critique, in investigating the story and review I came across the Dark Paradise website http://www.darkparadise.us which was rather dated in its information. More current info might have been nice, but may be available through regular client log in.

Regardless, Dark Paradise is well worth a visit.

One Goode Second Life Bookstore: Bobby Goode's!

2007-11-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

Owner Bobby Goode is proud to announce the grand opening of his bookstore, Goode Books, at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lynx%20Valley/83/68/26. Mr. Goode's store is dedicated to showcasing SL's best authors without taking one L$ in commission or selling fees from these authors. The prices are excellent, as low as L$5, and ThinC books are the order of the day here.

From Mr. Goode at the grand opening, now in progress as of this writing:

Hi everyone, thanks for attending. This is the official welcome speech. I know time is at a premium once the holidays get underway, so I appreciate your being here very, very much. I can’t tell you how proud I am of this project and how grateful I am to everyone who has helped it come about. Please, look around! Check out the shop and books. We have virtual beverages and hors d'oeuvres at the bar, and there’ll be a variety of music and readings as the event progresses. We also have a fireworks display planned before we call it a night.

To bid Bobby welcome and good luck, come down to http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lynx%20Valley/83/68/26.

Tales from the bottom of the blog

2007-11-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

I saw the owner of the Spilling Coffee blog wax poetic about the searches that brought people to his blog, and recently I picked up AdSense Detective to see where my traffic was coming from.

So here is a bottom 10 list of the most curious, unexpected, entertaining and unique keyword combinations that brought people to our humble blog:

10. Second Life particle blood eyes The thing that gets me about this one is that I keep meaning to make some of these, so if you're still looking, IM me sometime.

9. completed round booth seats Never, ever in a million years would I have added this to an article. So thank you for coming by and I hope you do find some.

8. groove merchant I'm guessing there's a store in SL called Groove. Ah, here we are... Groove Prefab Designs. (Tping in) Actually, where is it? The club sure looks good though. Ah well, back to the article. Oh, wait, here it is.

7. red light beams second life Psst... hey mister, I got a transparent red prim for L$2.

6. king in casket From the people who brought you Serf In A Box.

5. cadaver hangers Likes to keep his cadavers neat, I guess.

4. Second Life particle script unwanted Hmm... Lionel Oliva's School For Unwanted Particles... nah.

3. Dominick soldier Looks like my friend Dominic Roffo lucked out on this one!

2. 20 (I should have thought of that one! Coming soon: articles on 19, 21 and 22.)

1. Second Life, pink elephants Um... Mr Greggan? :D If anyone can make you one it's him.

If you're one of the people who entered these search terms, please leave a comment! It's nice to meet you.

o RL-ly? Stories from outside SL

2007-11-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

$5800 worth of Virtual NES Furniture Stolen

In Europe, a 17-year-old Dutch gamer amassed over $5800 (58,000 pixels) worth of goods from Habbo, the former Communist Bloc's reaction to Second Life.
Read all about it

The Low-Hassle Castle -- And 200 More Prefabs

2007-11-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

One thing I don't like about buying from vendors is the chance factor. You could be shelling out big money for a not-so-cleverly disguised remake of one of the founding Lindens' freebies, paying for a misspelled product, or in some cases, not even getting it. And while I'm on that last issue, I'd like to thank the item seller who "refunded" my money by running L$100 through my vendor -- and getting back 90% in commission immediately.

And the other thing I don't like about vendors: the ton of no-mod stuff out there. Come on, I know how to make a floating text script, so you don't have to hide it from me. And maybe I'd rather not have a no-mod Library texture spread across my purchase like an oil spill.

But on a more positive note, I came across designer Sara Sullivan's Mind's Eye Prefabs while looking for a good building or two to sell on Apez. I liked the cut of the Mounier's jib, even when all I could see was a single photo. And to paraphrase Victor Kiam, I liked the castle so much I built a business around it.

A lot of builds in SL are cavernous, boxy, and give you the impression you just paid a lot for three or four textured stiff prim sheets.

Not so with the Mounier.

Now that's an arrow slit.

When Ms. Sullivan came by to rez the castle, I was amazed. At under 350 prims, I still had a LOT of prim space to play with on my rented 4096. And it was massive, too. No rinky-dink slap-togethers that looked more like plastic or plywood than solid, immovable stone.

Sara's architectural expertise matches that of my friend JC Anvil. She's loaded the castle with twists and turns, passages and towers, crenellations and chambers. Spiral staircases wind, lengthy corridors give the impression of luxurious, unhurried design, views from the side and central towers are magnificent. If you're put off by the puniness of a lot of builds that don't match the scale of RL builds, come by today and wander around for a while. The Mounier maximizes its roominess inside without giving up the solid walls you'd expect to rely on in medieval times. The ramparts and rooftops make for great tactical battles, and I've been inspired to modify my CGB script to allow realistic structural damage.

And for those of you who prefer a darker build, there is also the Ruxton Castle for sale in the heart of the castle. You can make as many copies as you like for just L$4000... less than a week's pay at my old job.

Flagons of mead, coming up.

There are a few very minor things I would improve on the Mounier. The railing and top door seem a little thin to me, the frail stained glass seems a mite out of place in this megalithic masterpiece, and a legion of hearty warriors ought to be able to sit at the table together in the dining hall. But the best thing about the Mounier Castle is that I can fix these things with just a texture here and there, rip out the dining table, drop in an archery contest, wine bar and banquet table, and my guests and I can enjoy the rest of what truly is a fine build.

To see the copiable/mod Mounier and Ruxton castles and 200 buildings from ~L$200 to L$120,000, come to Oliva's Homes and Mansions at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Graybar/196/221/31.

Kiss the Sky, Persian Style

2007-11-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

I spent a few hours at a furniture/skybox seller named Lavanya’s Prefabs the other day, and have some good news to report. If you’re looking for lovely builds for that special skybox, you have some great options at Lavanya’s.

There’s no shortage of prefab skybox vendors out there. Loyal readers know that the three things a vendor must deliver to gain an unqualified ‘yes’ vote from me are, and I quote;

1. Great Quality
2. Low Price
3. Interesting Shopping Experience.

Lavanya’s delivers on counts one and three, and needs to make no apologies for not hitting on number two.

First, the furniture and skyboxes are, with only one or two exceptions, some of the highest detail stuff I’ve seen to date. There’s no question that if you’re looking for interesting furniture or lovely skyboxes you’re likely to love their pieces. The designers, Ardent Mars and Lavanya Hartnell are talented and interesting, and I love supporting vendors who really put themselves into the package. The selection is not huge, but you might find yourself considering a remodel to build around one of these pieces. They’re that good.

I especially loved the tree house build and the slave arena. The tree house stopped me in my tracks, and made me consider breaking the covenants on my land by placing it in the middle of a medieval sim. The slave arena took me to my collection of silks for a quick dance on the slave auction platform, but probably enough said about that little moment of weakness… :)

The prices are a bit steep, especially on the bigger skyboxes. They say so on their sign; you’re going to pay a premium price for a premium product. I do appreciate honesty in a vendor. But again, the quality is there, and I don’t mind paying for quality if I find exactly what I’m looking for.

The shopping experience is nice at Lavanya’s. The shop is very uncluttered and attractive in a minimalist way. I especially loved the way they enclosed some of the shopping areas with transparent walls. You can see the entire build from most any location, but you won’t fall to your death if you accidentally step off the edge. It’s dangerous for someone as distractible as me; I call it the “ooo look over there” factor.

All in all a lovely build with great products. Have a peek at Lavanya’s if you’re needing to put up that special private place. They can be found at Cervinia (230, 48, 301).

Second Life Update: Red Rock Mesa Expands

2007-11-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

I managed to catch a bit of a show by Komusa Tokugawa at the Red Red Concert Area in Lota. It was the best live blues I've heard in SL and the crowd was going wild. Just take a look at this photo and see for yourself. If you enjoy live SL music, you owe it to yourself to join the Red Rock Mesa Arts Cooperative group for further updates!

Whoo Doo? Yoo Doo with Voodoo at Temenos

2007-11-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Your crack reporter has stumbled upon another Second Life shopping gem. As you know, the run of the mill shopping experience is not for my crowd. Not only do we want high quality at low prices, we want an unusual shopping experience while we get fitted out. Temenos Island delivers on all counts.

I ran into Amy Faulkes, a loyal Temenos shopper while on my last research trip to the shop. When I asked her about Temenos she said it’s always been her first choice for neko gear, and she was on her way to sort out some new boots to go with her outfit. I had previously seen a couple pairs of gorgeous boots in the shop, so I’m sure she left a happy customer.

It’s a delight to find a sim owner who can not only design great clothes and send them out the door at a great price, but who knows how to design and build their shop to present a unique face. Zoe Llewelyn has put together a beautifully strange shop, one that grabs your attention and holds it like a spooky movie.

It takes more than just a quirky shop to take this reporter to her paypal account though. Even for a non-neko Temenos has a lot to offer. Great clothes, skins, tattoos and accessories with a twist. For me the hoodies were an excellent deal, and at the time of this writing I’m sitting in some lovely lace delicates purchased at a seemingly insane low price from Zoe.

Ms. Llewelyn doesn’t stop the show at the shop though. Her profile presents a picture of a talented designer, and her first life page makes one both sympathize and feel the voodoo vibes. She lives the role, and leaves room for belief that it’s not just an act. You can find her own net efforts at Boneflower , a beautifully designed blog at Google blogspot.

It’s a master craftswoman who paints such a total picture. One feels as if one is buying not just a great set of clothes, but a great story to go with it. Temenos Island comes highly recommended by this reporter for your shopping and sightseeing pleasure.

NEW SECOND LIFE SPORT: POGO STICKS AND LANDMINES

2007-11-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, Lionel Oliva is pleased to bring a sport that will revolutionize the events of Second Life: Pogo Sticks and Landmines.

What you are looking at is a one-prim, low-lag landmine with enough oomph to send you sky-high, quite literally. Combined with the fun of being on a pogo stick (and I highly recommend this deluxe pogo over the freebies we offer) and mouselook, Pogo Sticks and Landmines will bring you and your friends from

this

to this in a moment's notice.

Pogo Sticks and Landmines is sponsored by Greer Larsen, Old Glory Sutlery, and Hall of Heroes. Do come by and give it a try... with a deluxe pogo, we think you won't... er... mine playing, and with the ASM-1000 sound system from KHE, you can blast mines with tunes from country to chillout and a lot more!

Events will be forthcoming and game officials are welcome to apply to Lionel Oliva. Business partners welcome. Bring your friends too and enjoy this unique Second Life opportunity at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hawkins/195/117/97.

SPECIAL EVENT! This coming Friday night we've got 600 prims free and we're dropping a TON of mines at Oliva Enterprises' 4096 for the SL-wide debut of Pogo Sticks and Landmines! Buy your stick at the door, there is a L$75 cover charge which goes 100% toward your pogo stick. Prizes will be announced and handed out!

First We Take Manhattan, Then We Take Berlin

2007-11-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Loyal readers know how seldom this reporter writes about actual malls. There are so many unusual shopping locations available in Second Life, and so many real life malls near me in Los Angeles, I normally can’t find the inspiration to even visit them, let alone write about them. KaDeWe has some things going for it though, so this is a tale of what they’re doing right and room for improvement.

KaDeWe is a mall that reflects a real life shopping mall in Berlin, Germany. You can find an excellent website advertising the mall at http://www.kadewe-berlin.de/index2_engl.php . The recent opening of the SL annex was reported extensively by German television and print media, and attended in world by hundreds of shoppers.

The Second Life mall is a nice experience. A hostess waited in the mezzanine, greeted me in her best German/English, and asked if she could help me find anything. While I recovered from my shock at this courtesy a well-dressed man wearing a ‘security’ tag came by and also asked if I needed any assistance. I virtually pinched my virtual arm to see if I were virtually dreaming.

This is an upscale mall, and you better be prepared to pay upscale prices. I did purchase a nice business outfit, which fit me to a “T,” and am considering the heels I lingered over for stop back purchase. I saw some lovely gowns as well, very unique formal affairs, and should a special date come up I will return for the red/black number I admired for ten minutes.

While exploring the mall I ran across a unique camping system, billed as the “advanced camping” group. This supposedly allows you to wander within a certain range from the camping box and still collect your Lindens, rather than having to sit in one spot. Brilliance! Now campers can spend while they earn at the very site they’re working.

I spoke to one camper, the first well-dressed and fitted out male camper I’ve ever met in Second Life. JohnG told me that he lives in the western portion of Germany, about 600 kilometers from the real KDW shop in Berlin, but that he’d visited there once. I asked him about the real life store. He responded that “…my first and only one visit in that store was such an impression... if I would live in Berlin - believe me - I would stay there very often…”

Even the campers are upscale at KDW

There is room for improvement at KaDeWe. The mall is huge and it spans several sims. Lag can be a bit of an issue while you cross boundaries. Like all shoppers I can become irritated at having to watch myself creep across the floor, glaring at a horde of campers who aren’t helping matters any.

Also I was a bit mystified at the third floor, which spanned the entire mall but had no actual retail, only mockup textures of shops. I suppose they’re leaving room for expansion, but why do that and make the lag worse? It would be better to scrap the floor until they actually need the space, in my humble opinion.

Still, a positive shopping experience for when you want to get dressed up and shop in style. KaDeWe can be found in the aptly named KaDeWe Sims, of which there are four at last count.

Post Your Own Business Listing on SLMT's Google Group!

2007-10-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

We now have our own Google group! Join to check out a whole lot of great businesses in SL and add your own:

http://groups.google.com/group/secondlifemerchanttimes

Not only will people link to your SL business from this blog, but the best entries will be featured here at SLMT!

Bring your best Second Life items to BidSL... and bring more back!

2007-10-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

BidSL is going to be big. That much I can tell from just a few minutes at its website and first in-world presence (more locations are coming soon)!

http://bidsl.com is where it all begins. Here, you are welcomed with a well-marked website offering: well-written in-world auctioning tutorials; BidSL's forum; helpful FAQs; links to in-world HQ; top auctioneers; franchise info; live auction info; BidSL Anywhere; and classifieds! The site is very easy to navigate but doesn't sacrifice depth in doing so.

Feel like fundraising? BidSL Anywhere lets you integrate its auctions into your party, event, conference, or other big SL to-do!

Crave the excitement and fast pace of auctions run by a live auctioneer? BidSL has some great news. In addition to the automated Second Life auctions running 24/7 at BidSL, live auctions are held on Saturday mornings (Second Life time). The live auctions are run by an auctioneer and feature high value and unique items. Everyone is invited to attend and to shout out bids! Just be sure to get there before the sim fills up!

BidSL is also working to encourage SL and RL items, businesses, services, and SL land for sale! Be sure to contact them if you have a suggestion or request for these live auctions, which take place in front of the in-world building in the billboard area.

Registered auction users can post classifieds for a fee on-site, and include a picture.

Again, the site is BidSL.com, and the company can be visited in-world at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bonghwang/143/77/59/. See if you can find my auctions! Getting set up was really easy and this week it's super-affordable: I only paid L$7 for each weekly rental!

Plenty of interactivity however you reach BidSL.

Lots of room for buyers and plenty of opportunities for sellers!

Happy SLloween From Second Life's Baddest Horror Store, Bleed Designs

2007-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

From the moment heavy metal blasts you in the face and you appear in a portal filled with a circular haze of red light, you know you're in for a ghoulish experience at Bleed Designs.

A shower of blood screens the scream queens from the squeamish, and then you are in the moaning, groaning, clanking heart of Bleed.

A store so big textures took ten minutes to load in (though of course you can speed it up by walking around).

Bleed is the largest store I have yet to review in SLMT. Inventory sprawls across the walls in several rows and displays, daring you not to find something to tickle your morbid fancy.
If you turn around the moment you pass through the doorway, you can see Bleed's selection of pillars, Gorean habitats, demon gates, blood fountains, spooky trees, newbie tools, and cutouts, complete with links to SLX and SLBoutique.com for people who like to browse online stores. A few Gothic club layouts and Bleed's famous HUD/Bloodstorms round out the morbid mix. A small niche on the entry wall features loads of Halloween sounds, and I took a chance on a slick-looking copiable store for 1024m plots (L$500) between the sounds area and some more appealingly gruesome wall art.

For people with a Resident Evil/biolab fetish, the left wall features sci-fi components, all under the name of "The Compound". A few curious-looking items, the "Ightant Lueurs", resemble bio-tanks often seen in the movies. Equipment like water filters, air pads, acid barrels, office chairs help round out the bio-horror motif. A copy/modify vesion of The Compound goes for L$20000, while the "Midway Package" version goes for L$13500.

The left doorway leads to a free-standing morgue building caked with gallons of dried blood. Inside this bare-floored building are vendors for the basic and deluxe Morgue Sets, as well as the individual components, such as Cold Storage Cadaver Units, Cadaver Tables (with pose and worklight!), Basic Embalming Tables, cabinets, and all the creepy extra little touches you expect from a forced trip to the morgue. Heart and muscle dissection charts, medical jars, fire alarm, Haylon Gas Jet (activates when you shout "OUTBREAK"), and Blood Bag Hangers, all fall under this latter category.

Back in the central area, a gift coffin kiosk stands alluringly in the center of the blood-spattered floor, offering coffins with credit from L$250 to L$10000. A second kiosk offers creepy teleport effects and sounds. Behind them stands rows dedicated to Bleed's prefabs, such as Necrotica Manor Series, Mythril Skybox, Creepies Diner, Chapel Chronos, Castle Bloodstone, and great utility builds like the 3-Floor Department Store (as cheerful as Silent Hill 3's) and the Gothic Vendor Stall. A wooden shelf nearby holds adornments like a Dragon Mirror, Ram's Head Crystal Ball, and Prince Consort Candle, items perfect for rounding out the lived (died?)-in sense of your own castle or crypt.To the right of the prefabs stand gruesomely effective sets such as The Brood Incarnation, Terror Wings, a haunted confessional booth (Dark Confessions), the Tormentia Table, a buzz saw called The Gutter, and an Aged Grandfather Clock. Of note is an especially promising-looking Home Position/Landing Point Portal Platform, with a walkway, glowing blue light, and long talons.

Nine thrones, from the new Metal and Flesh to the Hellshadow, next adorn the walls above classic horror art. To their right are more cool-to-haves like the Midland Park Bench, the spiked ball from Phantasm, the 2-prim following/greeting Eye, and Amorphous Metal Gravestone. Bleed's great particle equipment, from Reincarnation Vessels to Blood Rain to Cemetery Fog and Downpour, fleshes out this wall.

In the center are Bleed's crown jewels: Necropia, the 1671- or 2071-prim manor; The Unholy Cathedral; and variants of Necrotica Manor. Cleverly placed beneath it, like one of Joel Comm's Google ads, is a doorway leading to even more products. And straight ahead, each item set in a black-edged drop of crimson, lie the individually sold contents of the Creepies Diner, a horror masterpiece that comes in both a Basic (L$3000 [copy]/4500 [copy/mod]) and Full Extras (L$8000) version. Can't spring for a full horror diner but just have enough for one hellacool item, like the Bleeding Urinal, Vending Snack Machine of Death, or the fiendish Mirror Mirror? You can buy it here!

To the left lurk dozens of textures for the aspiring horror builder/machinima star. Between these and the Creepies items, Dismay Wilde has cemeteries: Rest Haven, Highfield, Resurrection, and All Saints. Miscellaneous extras include her Coffin and Gravestone Helper Kits. The opposite wall features DJ and stage equipment, including an impressive prefab club, complete with DJ booth, seating and tables. Sold separately, there are also eerily charming Podz speakers, pyrotechnics, blacklights, and a UFO DJ booth!

And on my way back out of the room, I happened upon a 200-prim gem of a bar, with kegs, cage, multi-directional seats, drink givers, and more. At L$750, that was less than L$4 a prim!

In leaving, I realized that the horror tradition is alive and well in SL, and there is nothing to worry about... only to fear. :D

Bleed Designs can be unearthed at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lyashko/73/61/55.

View technorati.com Powered by BlinkList

Groove Out, Man! Sign of the Quaternion

2007-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

If you're the sort of person who enjoys a bus trip with a battered paperback and groovy tunes on your iPod, drinking coffee and playing Frisbee on the square, Victoria Wheeler's Sign of the Quaternion is for you. With a major in rotation and a minor in trippiness, Victoria's items either entertain eccentrically or edify the erudite. Many of her items, as her store name suggests, use rotation, and a few items feature her RL inspirations, from Marley to Munster, Brother Rawn to Great Grandpa John. And there enough freebies to turn a newbie into nouveau riche.

Sign of the Quaternion can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Insula%20Inferi/197/176/33.

SIM OF THE MONTH!

2007-10-18T05:40:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

Traci and I are working on a Sim of the Month award! We're looking for the best sims in Second Life.

However, since we're not sim owners (yet), we'd like to see what sim owners themselves take the most pride in, what their biggest challenges are, and so forth.

Just contact either of us -- Lionel Oliva or Traci Yiyuan -- in-world if you'd like to submit your sim for consideration or suggest criteria for choosing the best sim!

Builder of Dreams: Second Life's Insky Jedburgh

2007-10-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

About a month ago this reporter decided it was time to create a special home in Second Life, one that would meet my somewhat unorthodox needs. A good friend who knows my need for exploring the weird and wonderful sims of SL led me to a special place and a custom castle manufacturer named Insky Jedburgh, the Builder of Dreams.

Insky built a place called Fizzdrake Castle, which I explored last summer. Although it's not a commercial sim, it's certainly worthy of its own writeup. When I knew that I needed a medieval build to fit into the covenant of the sim I’d picked out for my own land I looked up Mr. Jedburgh and found his sales lot at Twilight Gates.

Any SL Master Builder is going to excel at picking and placing textures, and Insky is no exception to this rule. Inside and out, the textures are marvelous… rich designs well matched and fitted to the structural look and feel of the builds.

Textures worthy of a master builder

To make matters even better, you’d expect to pay much more for such lovely designs. I found the prices to be a very pleasant surprise, considering the quality of the builds and the ease of the interface. There’s a huge selection on the lot as well, to make sure you get the perfect building for your perfect need. I even saw a complete “village kit” with multiple buildings to set up the centerpiece to your own medieval sim.

Hello Sailor.... : )

Topping things off is Mr. Jedsburgh’s courtesy and helpfulness. I asked for a few special favors and he was spot on in helping me out. I’ve found a few stuffy sim owners in my time, but Insky is top notch and friendly to boot. I felt like an important man had taken his time to help my SL experience be truly special.

In short, if your tastes (or land covenant) lead you to a medieval build, you can’t go wrong at Twilight Gates with one of Insky’s designs.

Shopping Amidst the Ruins

2007-10-06T01:59:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks off I returned to one of my greatest SL passions, exploring and writing about the gems you can find If you’re patient and persistent. I found a lovely sim on a post apocalyptic theme called Saijo.

Saijo is actually a group of sims built as a storybook/RP site, some of which areas are damage enabled. If I have to tell you what that means you might want to think twice about going there before you’ve visited a good weapons/shield store. Enough said?

Even the light beams are beautiful

The attention to detail in this sim is awesome. And yes, tucked here and there are shops featuring cyberpunk and excellent vehicles. I’m not going to tell you exactly where they are. The magic of this sim is in the search, and there are a million places to look. A great time on a dark evening when the wind is blowing outside and you feel the need to be in the dark.

Spin receives a new shipment of bugs from Linden Labs

I’ve been blessed by serendipity throughout my life. Today was no exception. I ran across the sim owner Spin Martin, and he suffered my endless questions about his beautiful build very gracefully.

Spin makes me feel right at home...

Spin tells me that a cast of regulars shows up to role play here, not during the normal prime time SL hours, and he’s working on staffing the sim with non-players and robots. During my first visit a drone robot came up and scanned me. It was a familiar feeling for a girl who dances on the stage from time to time.

Now which mutant skin goes with this hairdo?

Next time you want to feel the ache of civilization lost, open your favorite drink and come to Saijo. Settle in, wear your best grunge or cyberpunk, strap on your black widows and have a fun quest. I highly recommend this sim for an interesting night of shopping.

Thank you Traci!

2007-10-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank my fellow writer Traci Yiyuan for her dedicated work on the Times. Without her articles this blog wouldn't quite be the same.

Fifty pounds of stuff in a five-pound bag: Second Life Merchant Times on the move, & collapsed posts

2007-10-04T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

Looks like I'll finally getting rid of that albatross of a platform I have at the Second Life Merchant Times in Hawkins. Hopefully the layout inside my cool new store from Bleed Designs will be better-looking and you'll be able to see it soon.

Our vendor now gives out 80 -- count 'em, 80 -- freebies from Arcade Asylum. She's been kind enough to give them out through the Second Life Merchant Times with the agreement that they're not to be re-sold. So when you come by, please pick up an SLMT vendor if you would like to hand out some great freebies to your friends and customers! Our vendor is just 2 prims, but not only does it take people back to this page, but it also gives a "Friends of the Second Life Merchant Times" landmark box out to people. If you're good enough to put our 2-prim vendor on your land, we'll put your landmark in this box!

Some of you may be asking, "Why is that such a big deal?" I'll tell you. All of our vendors are updatable! That means when everyone else updates their vendors, they'll all start giving out your landmark every time someone clicks to visit http://slmt.blogspot.com/!

Just use the "SLMT In-World" link on the left to get your free updatable vendor with freebies!

COLLAPSIBLE POSTS UPDATE:

I've been wrangling with the site format for some time now, and trying to work in collapsible posts so that way people can see the most teasers on the front page.

It has been a nightmare. Put so much as one special bit of code in the regular section, and the whole thing goes haywire, reduces the print to 0px, and worse.

So, in order to allow the greatest number of pictures per post, to bring you the best visuals from SL, and to give you the best format for each blog entry, I am kicking collapsible posts out. I thank everyone who has read the blog no matter what the format, and would like you to know I will be tying pictures back in for maximum presentation.

Lionel Oliva

A Sutlery For Second Life Soldiers: Dominic Roffo's Old Glory

2007-09-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Dominic Roffo is proud to announce the opening of his store, Old Glory Sutlery. Featuring Union soldier outfits and artwork upstairs by Lily Lewellin, OGS is a small store, but with a great L$800 21-piece Union soldier outfit, a L$150 Kepi (cap) 4-pack and a L$600 Union Officer Sword Pack. Sit by the pot-bellied stove and spin yarns with other history buffs!

Mr. Roffo would like to take this opportunity to thank Lily for the large share of the work she has assumed in creating and maintaining Old Glory, and let her know he appreciates it.

For those south of the Mason-Dixon Line, whether in RL or in spirit, there should be a Confederate Forces release within the next week.

At A Glance: Officer’s Sword Pack (Modify, Copy, No Transfer)

Contents:

Sword Sheath, steel
Sam Browne style belt
Crimson Sash (flexi-prims) or Gold Sash (flexi-prims)

Sword Blade with 3 built-in animations

A great deal of care and work was put into these historically accurate, highly detailed items.

Dominic's Officer's Sword Pack includes items called Gold and Crimson. They both have the same items listed below, the only difference is color of sash. This sword is appropriate for officers of all ranks and all items have been bundled for convenience.

Sword and Sheath (everything except Sword Blade attaches to stomach as an object): The sword is attached and worn hanging from a hook on the belt – per period, it is not to hang forward in front of the waist. This position will not affect unsheathing or sheathing the sword. There is excellent detail on the sword blade, handle and brass knuckle guard. The sheath is shown as the more durable steel type common in the war.

Belt: This is a regulation Sam Browne style belt (strap across shoulder) with all appropriate straps and 1851 U.S. Contract Issue brass buckle – a gorgeously detailed group.

Sash: Constructed of flexi-prims, it comes in two colors, crimson and gold. There were regulations for the appropriate use of each color, but the fact is they were used interchangeably, so regardless of rank or service, Civil War enthuisiasts can simply wear the one they prefer!

Scripted Swordplay

Animation instructions are simple for the sword: attach to right hand.

Sword commands consists of three Draw Sword animations and Sheath Sword.

Each draw has a separate idle pose animation.

Fighting with the sword involves holding the LEFT mouse button down. If it is released it one will need to press it in again to attack.

Officers may also press a directional arrow key or the corresponding W, A, S or D key to attack in that direction.

History of the Model 1850 Sword:

The sword was adopted April 9, 1850 and was the standard until the adoption of the Regulations of 1872. General Orders Number 21 of August 28, 1860 allowed a lighter alternate straight bladed sword called the Model of 1860 to be worn in place of the heavier Model of 1850. Photographic evidence suggests that the Model 1850 was more popular with officers during the Civil War, but in 1872 it was the Model 1860 that replaced the Model 1850. A Model 1850 staff and field officers' sword is much more likely to be Civil War era than a Model 1860, which was used to 1902, and more likely to be postwar.

The Model 1850 staff and field officers' sword was adopted at same time as the Model 1850 foot officers' sword and bears some resemblance to it. The staff and field officer's sword has a more elaborate half basket guard that bears the letters U.S. and other decorations. Both typically have 32 inch etched blades. Both may have leather or steel scabbards. These weapons were privately purchased by the officers and vary in the richness of their decoration. Some are presentation grade, extremely fancy weapons that were not intended for routine use. The design was based on a French pattern. Many of the Model 1850 swords were manufactured in France or Germany and imported into the United States.

Old Glory Sutlery can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Steelhead/67/95/29

RELATED GROUPS: The Civil War, Old Glory Sutlery Group

View technorati.com

One of Second Life's Sharpest Gadget Designers: Golden Oriole

2007-09-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine how much time it has taken Oriolus Oliva to make all the items I saw at Golden Oriole, to merchandise and label them. Everything shouts out "quality" from the storefront, a half-open house, to the logos, lettering, and graphic editing.

Endearing amounts of detail -- and that's just the package!

This will be perfect for a small storefront, no matter the era.

Every picture is a work of art.

Live your own Renaissance! Populate your home or office with these fine maps!

This authentic armor will have Oriolus Oliva passing his plate!

Lots of fine glassware and pottery available to decorate with!

Got five minutes? Make your own pottery! I got to keep mine.

Golden Oriole can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Twisster/162/89/31.

View technorati.com

Visit our friends in-world!

2007-09-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

The following merchants and friends have been kind enough to place a Second Life Merchant Times vendor or vendors on their land in Second Life. If you would like to help out, please come down to http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hawkins/179/110/81 and pick up a Second Life Merchant Times web-linked vendor. I hope to have an update server in place tonight so as more freebies are added to the machine, you won't have to worry about coming back here to replace your vendor.

Without further ado here are our friends and supporting businesses!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Belial/206/89/45 BuZY Mall and Motel. Home of scalable Chess sets, soccer kick games and great stores :-)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Yass/45/115/301 JC's Cove -- home of the best beachhouses, tiki and accessories!

View blog authority

SL selling points... from a long, long time ago

2007-09-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

For anyone who's ever had to think up a Second Life advertising campaign, I found this scrap of paper tonight, notes I had taken from a sales book from the 1940s:

Wants You Can Satisfy With Your Product

Eating (yes, SL food is actually a viable business! Just visit At-Cas to see!)

Pursuit/hunting (SL combat)

Acquisition/collection/possession (ahem, 20,000 inventory, anyone? :D )

Escape from pain and/or suffering (isn't that what a lot of SL is all about?)

Wants You Can Satisfy With Your Product (continued)

Escape from fear (this one was difficult to apply... but something that could protect my inventory from loss would be pretty cool. :D )

Avoiding disgusting things (Anti-griefing comes to mind)

Being active (Again, what SL can be all about)

Emotional excitement (Dancing/Platinum beds anyone?)

Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting (Artwork, textures, builds, particles [like rising steam from a prim turkey], prim food)

Mental activity (Games, random scripted eye candy, combat)

Overcoming interference (Your own skybox, all by yourself, no boss, no worries...)

Positive aspects of your product to emphasize

Profitability (A lot of people are in SL to make a profit)

Time-saving (Gawds, I hate lag, so if your product doesn't bust my sim, I just might buy it.)

Effort-saving (A lot of businesses take a few hundred steps a day to run. Cut down the time to execute these steps, increase people's profits and free time.)

Recommended by others (When in SL Rome...)

Easy to get (I hate having to flip through 10 pages of a vendor... make it accessible and it's often an easy sale!)

Easiest thing to do/easiest way to do it (Again...)

Cost (Market competition is tough!)

Pleasantness (SL can very often be a fun place, so selling into that desire for a nice time can pay well.)

Usefulness (My favorite item isn't something complex... it's a Bubble Bee I shrunk down that flies like butter. In second place? My mega-buttoned Tardis!)

Protection (Shield and anti-griefing are viable markets.)

Reputable maker (Branding is alive and well in SL. Word of mouth works wonders!)

Means of selling you can use in an ad campaign

Commands ("Enjoy ______ ... ") ("Use _____ ...") ("Protect _____ ... ")

Exclamation ("THE AMAZING 4-PRIM BATTLESHIP!")

Rhetorical question ("You don't want to be griefer bait, do you?")

Dilemma ("Will you leave your spending money out in the open, free to spend as you want... or will you put it into a secure, stable fund that pays for itself in a half-year?")

Inspiring generalization (think of any ad campaign that gets away with simply calling something "cool")

Picture of satisfaction (from using your product)

Picture of dissatisfaction & loss (from using someone else's!)

Complimentary argument ("If you want ________ [success, low lag, lots of friends, an organized inventory, etc.], here is our product.")

I know these notes are off the beaten path, but it was just a little something I wanted to bat around the Internet for Second Life businesspeople who are stalled for advertising ideas. Let me know how you liked it by posting a comment!

View technorati.com

Something Fishy: Second Life's Best Aquatics!

2007-09-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

SPECIAL NOTE: Something Fishy has been greatly rewarding just by being explored without any advance knowledge. If you're the sort of person who enjoys plunging smack-dab into the middle of a sim you've heard about, without needing to know any details about where you're going, take this landmark and come back to this article later:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Something%20Fishy/138/107/22

The moment I arrived at SF, I knew I was in for a great time. Something Fishy's design makes it a great virtual reality, and I didn't want my tour to end.

With 80s music blasting, sun, seagulls and an airy open setting that extinguished all my lag-filled nightmares, I landed by a bungalow in the center of the island, and immediately noticed the shape of the whole place: a giant fish with bubbles and "Something Fishy" written in huge lettering!

The authentic aquatic tunnel architecture -- never mind the creators just throwing all the fish against a wall and hoping they sold -- drew my eye next, and I wandered through under water, surrounded by exotic fish, jellyfish, treasure chests, starfish, mermaids, and anemones. With the music now off, I easily heard the calls of a few whales, coming from the NSBW (tm) Whale Call (L$190). This handy device has adjustable sound range, volume, and silence intervals to help set any atmosphere in your underwater environs. And for L$149-L$890, Something Fishy offers the Nature's Smart (tm) line of intelligent fish, jellyfish, and whales. The male and female Baby Whales being offered take up 7 meters, 15 prims, randomly surface, spray water, have their own sound effects, and even follow an adult whale (sold separately) around!

Nothing but nice open space in the sky and plenty of eye magnets on the ground.

Go underwater without getting even your avatar wet!

Something Fishy offers the Nature's Smart (tm) brand of realistic SL wildlife products, including this whale and whale call.

As I was walking around... Hey! It was the fish lady, Maggie Morgan! I struck up a conversation with her.

When I asked her the history of Something Fishy, she told me, "It used to be all squished on the mainland, but I was there three years (inspect the blue fish tanks, you'll see they're 3 years old), and it was really really really hard for me to give it up."

I asked her if she had to use a lot of prim plastic bags to carry over the fish. She laughed and said yes.

Maggie Morgan: My items have evolved a lot in the past three years. However, there is still a market for my original fish.

Lionel Oliva: I see... which are they?

Maggie Morgan: The big blue tanks. The fish and tanks are 3 years old. Never changed, tee hee. What else can I tell ya? We have gone from those stiff fish to flexi realistic-looking fish to sculptie dolphins, rays and sharks.

Lionel Oliva: What is your latest and greatest collection?

Maggie Morgan: Well, the latest and greatest are my hawkbill turtles and rays. The dolphins are over here.

Lionel Oliva: Impressive. So I see you can even buy a fish as it's swimming around!

Maggie Morgan: Yeah! The dolphins have sound, and papa, mama and baby are all different, one prim. The tails wiggle too. I made all that stuff down there in the water too.

Lionel Oliva: This is years ahead of the last dolphins I saw.

Maggie Morgan: Thank you, thank you.

Lionel Oliva: How long did it take you to make all this and set it in place?

Maggie Morgan: Oh, this area? I sat on the end of the pier one day and just said to myself... "What would people like to see?" Probably took about 5 hours total. When things actually calm down I might add more. The reef walk took days.

Lionel Oliva: I've always wondered what kick-starts these gigantic businesses.

Maggie Morgan: Well, I'm just a lil' girl in SL who sells the only thing she could learn to create. But I wonder too when I see other businesses. I hung out with this guy who was creating casino machines three years ago, and he said, "We gotta find something for you to do." We found fish. (points to more fish) Are they not cool? They're animated.

Lionel Oliva: Very lifelike. Do you have an art background?

Maggie Morgan: No, I am self-taught in graphics. I work for the government in IT. And actually, the sculpties were not created by me. I have an exclusive contract with an exceptional sculptie builder. (laughs.)

Lionel Oliva: My brother was the same. He started drawing fish when he was 5 or 6... the most amazing collections of color and form you'd ever see from a little kid.
What else do you hope to add here?

Maggie Morgan: I have momma and baby blue whales. Next I want orcas, and I have an idea for my lower-priced line of fish for those who watch their money. Want to see my reef walk?

Lionel Oliva: Sure....

Maggie Morgan: So yes, I think I'm going to make them flexi, but keep the aquarium-seized ones priced low. Nothing to set the world on fire but we have to think of newbies and such. This reef walk took days on end. Here are some really great jellyfish too. They change color at random and are free-swimming in an area selected by their owner.

Over at the old place, there was no room for anything more than vendors and sales stuff. Here i tried to create an enjoyable environment: swimming with the dolphins; this walk; a beach; you know, more than a store.

Lionel Oliva: Yeah... that's what my publication goes for. Hello JC!

Maggie Morgan: Hiya JC. Welcome to Something Fishy.

Lionel Oliva: This is my friend JC. I have the Times building on his land at JC's Cove.

JC Anvil: Hi you two. This place is cool!

Maggie Morgan: Ty, ty. I'll have to check the Cove out.

JC Anvil: Sweet! Still working on the beach actually. I love your waves here too.

Maggie Morgan: I have the wave guy's vendor here. That's another thing, Lionel. I have quite a few split-profit items. Working with other folks works out well. I've been contemplating buying the hippoVEND System and giving my stuff out for others to sell. Because my fish already swim, displaying them in a vendor took some creativity, which brought me to Jacks.

JC Anvil: My friend 10khz Tone has built a packaging system that will work with his vendor system. It's going to be pretty cool. Are those Aunti Flan's?

Maggie Morgan: Yes, Ante Flan's.

JC Anvil: Ante... lol... I guessed.

Maggie Morgan: I have three little stores here. They all belong to good friends, so they're gratis. My good friend Walter is one of the shop owners. Plus this lady I know has some plants for sale. Did you guys get your free mosaic?

Lionel Oliva: Not yet.

Maggie Morgan: Here. They size to anything and still look good. That mosaic's only free month for the month of September so if anyone wants one he or she should come by ;)

Lionel Oliva: Well, Maggie, that should just about wrap up our interview, but I wanted to thank you for your time and wish you continued success with Something Fishy.

Maggie Morgan: Anytime, Lionel! :-)

Do you think, eat, breathe and sleep fish? (Well, maybe not eat, after you visit :D) This bed can at least take care of the sleeping part. Fish swim around right in the headboard!

Over 100 fish to choose from and dozens on dozens of accessories to accompany your purchases!

The space in SF is luxuriantly designed, with open space, welcoming leisure areas and vendors alternating harmoniously.

A good business helps you forget you're visiting one.

Large and small round aquariums (L$300) stand on a wall in front of a lighthouse.

Wall-mounted aquariums, transparent aquariums, round aquariums... this one changes textures!

Mr. Jellyfish does the wave a few feet from shore as a seagull flies by.

Not exactly a fish person? Take your pick from ducks, jellyfish, dolphins, and several lifelike types of mermaid like the one shown.

Something Fishy can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Something%20Fishy/138/107/22 .

Technorati Cosmos: other blogs commenting on this post
More blogs about {http://slmt.blogspot.com}.

SecondLife's Coffin King: Caskets R Us

2007-09-01T08:54:00.001-07:00

We stopped dead in our tracks and had a fit of coffin when we saw this sprawling funeral emporium. The owners are gravely proud of their deadlihood and spend hours a day decomposing odes to its Gothic appeal. The CRU crew is two couples, Tiger and Elektra Noh, and owner Naughty Desoto and creative director MsTootsieDoll Lamourfou. As Elektra describes MsTootsieDoll, "she's the visual coordinator/decorator, Naughty's loving wife, and the store would not be what it is today without her :)".

Lost souls welcome!

I wouldn't make a wish on this horse :D

Plenty of atmosphere accompanies your wandering across this giant store, with the sounds of Dark Soma to accompany you on your melancholy way. Try a ride on the merry-go-round, and also look for a free gift!

A tisket, a tasket, we're going in a casket.

Love and death need not be mutually exclusive.

Whatever your eternal rest needs, Caskets R Us has it, from simple tombstones to elaborate mausoleums. These aren't just run-of-the-mill variations on white slabs: you'll find dark stone, moss-covered structures, even tombs with flames, horns, and giant skulls.

For those unfortunate souls afflicted by vendorphobia, there is a chance to haunt the grounds. Structures may be purchased where they stand in CRU's free-standing graveyard, located between the tomb-like vendor section and the haunted house, which is sprinkled with various unsettling apparati. Check out the attic for a setting reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft.

As for racing fans, there is a CRU racing track! Right click the teleporter in front of the haunted house to warp up.

Caskets R Us Too can be exhumed at http://slurl.com/secondlife/On%20Dok/190/123/91.

New Publishing Partner: Findingblog.com!

2007-08-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank Findingblog.com for offering their directory service to help get the word out about slmt.blogspot.com.

If you would like to help, feel free to link to us, make SLMT your home page, or tell your friends!

Thanks,

Lionel
Second Life Merchant Times

Get Slacking at Renegade Warehouse

2007-08-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

My lack of skateboarding ability never stopped me from wanting to look good in slacker clothes, or hang around in slacker places. Imagine my delight to find Renegade Warehouse, an extremely well themed little clothes shopping district in the Berard Sim.
Atmosphere is everything at Renegade Warehouse. From the holes in the asphalt and squalid sewer ditches downstairs, to the very vending machines, the owner Kaejo DaSilva has put together an entirely pleasant SL shopping experience. I’ve run across very loyal shoppers every time I’ve visited Kaejo’s place.

Even the vending machines are in theme here

As someone who could live practically anywhere but chooses to stay in Los Angeles, I must admit to being drawn to the seedier side of life occasionally. A stroll past the very well executed wall tagging, squeaking rats and burning fire barrels at Renegade Mall fulfills the best of both worlds for me. It’s a lot like an adrenaline driven slide through parts of LA. This shopping mall will be a refuge from the glitz and glamour for this little slacker girl for some time to come.

My favorite Tee is that one right there....

During my first weeks in SL I practically lived in a couple of shirts purchased here. I found the prices to be very reasonable even by Second Life standards. The men’s clothes are as well done as the women’s. Nothing like a tattooed man in the right tank to get a girl’s blood circulating in the right direction….

In short, if you’re looking for sexy and casual clothes for men and women in a fun setting, you can’t go wrong at Renegade Warehouse.

For A Taste Of The SL Orient And More: Builders' Eden

2007-08-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Best Aabye on her Best behavior.

Big Tigers, Little Prices. L$5 apiece.

Best Aabye is the first SL player from China I've met. She's been building up her land, first into the free-rent Agent Shop, and now, Builders' Eden.

Builders' Eden is a triple treat: a mall, a contest/events area, and my favorite, Agent Shop. The mall features Levnia.C, Where Worlds Collide, JcoCool Oh's Shop at http://www.exiang.net/, and plenty of available space at L$120/week for 30 prims.

The contest area is for the public and mall vendors alike. If you join the group Agent Shop, you'll find Best throwing design contests for cool product ideas! The first design contest is for a trophy (which ties in very conveniently with the award ceremony :D ). Prizes run around L$200. Agent Shop members are also encouraged to host their own events in the contest area!

Last of all, Agent Shop is a free-rent zone, commission-based melting pot/vending spot with a unique method of merchandising. Aspiring tenants are given Best's own Magic Boxes, which hold a product and product image, and pays Best 30% when an item sells. They are then set up on a grid system. You don't have to have a mad line of products, or sell only super-expensive items. Getting an item set up for sale usually takes 5-10 minutes. I have to admit I like not being stuck with a rent tab at the end of every week and getting booted out on a slow week. Plus the no-rent option frees up money for better advertising.

If you want some items with an exotic flair, come to Builders' Eden. No duty fees either!

Best and her assistant confer in the background as their Wonder Chairs churn out L$ and the Contest Board awaits new entrants.

Best's able assistant shows off a dress at her shop in the Builders' Eden mall.

Captivating items like this await you should you find yourself homesick.

A great balance between free available vendor space and imported products.

I have no idea what those things with the pointy ears are, but I want one. Maybe several.

Builder's Eden can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Quiricosta/191/226/39.

Richardson Photography: RL Photography, SL Value

2007-08-26T17:25:00.001-07:00

I stopped in Alex1 Richardson's photography shop today and found a great selection of RL art, professionally framed and arranged in a spacious gallery setting. His subjects, taken from nature, are portrayed in deep, lush colors and his photos make fine adornments for an office, club, home or other structures.

Prices are great, ranging in the low L$100s, and even better, Richardson sells L$500 gift certificates for just L$450. On a budget lower than that? Not a problem! He also sells L$250 gift certificates for L$225 and L$150 certificates for L$140.

Richardson Photography can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Foale/99/190/28.

If you want to see more of his works, Alex1 also has an exhibit at Hope Capital (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hope%20Capital/223/131/64).

Richardson Photography also sells originals for art collectors, with prices ranging at about L$6000-7000 for the only copy in SL. Again, owner Alex1 Richardson would be glad to respond to all questions in-world, and he would be glad to meet you today. Please stop on in and tell him SecondLife Merchant Times sent you!

SecondLife Merchant Times on Technorati!

2007-08-26T12:31:00.001-07:00

Technorati Profile

FINALLY! A Good Place To Get A SecondLife Job

2007-08-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

Ever try to apply to a single employment posting? You may as well throw a straw at a thimble while everyone else starts throwing bowling balls. Usually the IM-overwhelmed staff turns you away, or worse, ignores you completely.

James Blusterberger contemplates being treated like chopped liver after being turned away for a dancing position.

Then you have to go through Search one more time, picking through a cloud of keyword spam-enhanced advertisements. Good luck to you, sir or madam!

Fortunately, there is a solution. Second Life Jobs. Start your search easily by profession and take it from there! Avoid wearing out some poor frazzled staff member whose best answer to all your questions is a canned notecard.

Check it out today if you want extra income in SL: Second Life Jobs. And tell 'em Lionel Oliva sent you. :D

SecondLife Native Americana: Red Rock Mesa

2007-08-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

For an unforgettable visit, owner Boondoggle Gruppman invites the SL public to Red Rock Mesa Sanctuary in Fucosa and Lunaris. Come walk among this expertly landscaped, attraction-dense Native American marketplace while enjoying the music of nativeradio.com!

This is one of the first sims I've been in where the points of interest spread out evenly to the vanishing point. When you are close up, Red Rock remains a visual delight. Check out the outsider art, Native Spirit Drums and Hopi pottery by Boondoggle, and Native paintings by Maria Duke! If you need to step away for an hour or so, this is a perfect place to unwind. And if you need longer, Dennis Slocombe runs the Red Rock Inn Bed & Breakfast! Best of all, more is being added to Red Mesa, including live events, a cantina, and more ruins.

Hopi bowls and Native art.

Boondoggle builds yurts for housing, and if you need a custom yurt he would be glad to work with you. He also offers landscaping services, with priority given to Native American themes.

To see just a tiny sliver of these unforgettable sims, visit http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lunalis/80/230/98.

If You Have A Fashion "Oops", Fix It Up At LilolOops!

2007-08-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you want to look smart, fresh, and oh-so-sassy, teleport your sexy self to Lilo Jun right away! She's got all the accessories you could ever want for your female avatar. She's redone the basics with a hot, well-varied selection of T-shirts, dresses, shoes, pants, even HUD earmuffs and color-changing backpacks.

You want something different, you get it at LilolOops!

Can't fit into something like this? Lilo also sells avatar parts to match!

She may have washing machines here, but the clothing quality certainly won't leave you out to dry!

Pants so hot, lawns wilt when you pass by in a pair.

These shirts are just the right Thing!

Aye, them be some sexy leggins!

BRAND NEW! Color-changing EARMUFFS!

ALSO BRAND NEW! Color-changing BACKPACKS! :D

Skirts and shoes, just go ahead. Choose.

LilolOops can be found at the following locations:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Reignier/74/145/35

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ganesha/179/110/22

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Le%20Cimetiere/149/162/62

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Anushka/152/52/103

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hadong/7/153/148

Portal to... More Portals...

2007-08-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

The quest that began with the Techno Mages wonderful build at Blue Lagoon (Hyles) led next to Scripted Doors and Windows by Lee Ludd. For all you builders out there, novice or seasoned professional, Mr. Ludd’s shop is a “must-see.”

The scripts that operate these doors are very good. I appreciate being able to walk right up to a door and have it slide open without fuss… it makes me feel like I’m being treated like the royalty I am (LOL).

As if that weren’t enough, the artwork on some of these doors is lovely. There are a ton of choices similar to what you’d find in an upscale RL home, but there are also exquisitely crafted pieces of art.

I was also impressed by the purchasing scripts for the doors and windows. At the point of sale you get to decide whether you are purchasing single or double doors. Also, you can gain automatic discounts if you’re buying in bulk, which could be quite handy for you budding landlords out there.

In short, what started as a research trip for SL Merchant Times ended in a purchase for my own modest home. Ahem. Make that four purchases, as I couldn’t decide between the artwork, and decided that I’ll cycle my front doors based upon my moods, which can change quicker than the score at a Dodgers game.

Hmmmm... which one goes with these shoes?

If you find yourself in need of (or desire for) a lovely set of doors, visit Mr. Ludd’s shop. You won’t be disappointed.

Tooter Claxton Avatars & Vehicles

2007-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

A shop as good-looking as its products.

To be honest, I don't buy many avatars. I kind of like the one I've got, but while checking for a skeleton avatar, I found a virtually photorealistic avatar shop arranged masterfully on... a tent trailer, of all things.

Here I found, marketed as vintage magazines, a selection of humorous avatars. I've never seen a plucked chicken avatar, lizard, lounge lizard, pink elephant, fly, rat, beer guy, voodoo doll, Brunnhilde (aka the renowned opera singer), eye beast, skeleton, walking hand, or even (perhaps because I never call lately) My Aunt. But they're all here, all of them high-quality and backed up with sample images before you buy. Prices range from L$50 to L$250. I tried out the Little Bug avatar and one girl wanted to squash me and another noob chased me around without saying a word for two minutes. To say they evoke a reaction is an understatement.

Clever.

Shown here is the Walking Hand avatar. I almost bought it, but settled on a rusty airplane for L$10 (I got what I paid for, though I would have paid to be able to slip a Collide Go Boom script inside and send it to the bottom of a hill in a pile of prim wreckage). The other vehicles there, including the Thunderville motorcycle, are sleek-looking vintage vehicles any gruff burly guy would be glad to call his own. I didn't test them this time around, though I have my eye on that low-riding Thunderville.

Tooter Claxton's mini-shop (with landmark to the main store) can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Anushka/186/70/102

The main store can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Oculea/182/217/49, next to Tooter's up-and-coming project, Salon des Clochards Riches.

Thanks to Mr. Claxton for visiting SLMT and I'll be back for the Thunderville! :D

Welcome To The SecondLife Merchant Times!

2007-08-14T18:34:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome to the SecondLife Merchant Times, a blog devoted to the best, most unusual businesses in SL.

We have upgraded our template and will be transferring posts over from our backup site at http://slmt2.blogspot.com. We hope to move four posts a day but in the meantime if you would like to visit it, please do so. Thank you for visiting SLMT and we hope to see you again soon! Ace reporter Traci Yiyuan is hard at work on the next feature!

Go Fly A ... PEACH?!? Eccentricities by vanettda Lassard

2007-08-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

Today it was a hop, skip and a jump from unusual to eccentric to refreshingly bizarre. Where I landed was vanettda Lassard's store, Eccentricities.

Eccentricities in Straminsky. Eccentricities in Straminsky. Extra mincities in... Dang it!

Great creations from the Spirit Lodge, The Sultan's Bed, and Breakwater Shop Space to the Furry Home, Roman Hideaway and Upscale Shop! And the SLX link takes you to even more!

After walking into the store area I saw some freebies, including popcorn bowls, a primitive avatar (no, the avatar wasn't primitive... just prehistoric!), and fairy wings. Clicking on the SLX link, I saw:

"That's right ... a flying peach, complete with seagulls and spider threads. It is not a complex build nor will it change the world, but let me tell you when you hang with a few of your friends inside the flying peach it is hard not to do so with a smile on your face.

Some friends of mine refer to it as the "un-sky box."

Buy the Flying Peach and get the optional deck and couch for FREE.

The Peach comes with three parts; The Flying Peach itself, a peach leaf deck with railing, and a couch.

Why the couch? Well, it's like this; I tried to build a perfect door for the peach but each attempt took away from its overall "peachiness." so one day while I struggled with the balance of the universe I decided to sit on the leaf and think this problem out. Since the peach as a whole (there is a circular couch with poses inside) is linked together I was magically transported to one of the linked poses inside.

I found the door! So now I was sitting inside my wonderful transparent peach ... but how do I get out?

Yep ... a couch strategically placed on the outside of the peach.

Sit on the leaf to get in ... sit on the couch to get out. No messy scripts!

Of course the whole set up is copy/mod so you can add as many poses or scripts as you want. As a matter of fact, you can remove the deck, ditch the couch, drop in a vehicle script and FLY the SL skies in a one-of-a-kind-aircraft.

Personally I just like to sit with my lady and watch the sunsets from 800m. Peaceful, alone, and wonderfully unique.

* Lots of custom one-of-a-kind textures
* Copy / Mod
* 55 prims (even less if you ditch the deck and couch!)
* Great place to sit and hang with friends.
* Don't like transparent vistas? Select inside texture, set trans to 0 and you will be surrounded by a beautiful star scape!

Feel free to IM vanettda Lassard for more information or a private viewing.
Or visit vanettda's blog for all his building updates!

Eccentricities can be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Straminsky/184/48/502

Update: Satir Textures

2007-08-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Pardon our Satir-ical take on this fine textures store in the retro-post I had to make (dated 8-5-2000). Hopefully these snapshots should help cleanse the visual palette and show you what the store has to offer:

Architectural magnificence: Satir's specialty.

Superb texture quality for the aspiring builder.

Ideal surfaces for covering castle walls.

Around 250 well-done textures in all await your appraising eye at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Yass/14/243/302. Satir's Textures is conveniently located in JC's Cove. Visit the Cove for pottery, particles, textures, fine buildings, aviation gear, superhero avatars, and a copy of the SecondLife Merchant Times!

Blue Lagoon

2007-08-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

My two favorite kinds of SL shopping are the well-done superstore and quest shopping. In quest shopping, of course, you find an extremely well designed sim, try to contact the builder, and hope they’ll share their sources.

I was delighted to find the Blue Lagoon (located near the Hyles Telehub) one day when the Lindens were wisely protecting my Visa account by shutting down all teleports. Blue Lagoon was built by Lazarus Marat, one of the Techno Mages, a small group of designers and scripters who have enriched SL with their creative talents.

Now this is a commercial sim; you’ll find items that show a $$ sign when you hover the cursor, but its main interest is in the special things that are placed here and there to catch your eye and make you hold your breath. I was enthralled by the scene globe in the outside garden patio and the exquisitely drawn and scripted doors throughout the site.

This globe features scenes from all around the world.

Mr. Marat quickly responded to my pesky IM’s for “where did you get those doors?” and “do you know any interesting places to sightsee?” Thanks to Lazarus I now have a ton of great building ideas, as well as the names and landmarks to some very talented designers for building supplies.

In a world of nasty little strip malls and snobbish sim owners, Blue Lagoon is an oasis of beautiful design backed up by a friendly, responsive human being. Stop by next time you need inspiration and some wonderful eye candy.

Blue Lagoon can be found at http://http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hyles/170/227/23 .

Lionel Oliva's Top 10 Favorite Gadgets

2000-09-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've been on SL since December 7, 2006. In that time I've happened on a few good gadgets I keep using time and again.

This month, the top ten are:

10. Puppeteer. Animate your objects the way you like! My next project is a giant treasure chest building that opens and closes on command (IM me if you're interested)!

9. JWoulf's Orbiting Cage Gun. Easy to modify, keeps low-level pests contained, and works great in tandem with my Collide Go Boom script for clearing unwanted/unfinished builds.

8. Ronin Labs' Prize/L$ Egg System. People love getting free stuff, going on Easter Egg hunts and getting L$. Best of all, I can put my company logo on the eggs too.

7. Flight Band. Keeping my head in the clouds was never so easy or smooth.

6. Apez vendors. SL can be expensive fun and having a stream of stuff (not necessarily my own) to sell helps cushion the blow!

5. Escape Particle Machine. Except for a small bug with sources and one with saving, this machine has worked very solidly, generating particle scripts very flexibly.

4. ThinC Press. For a very deep selection of publishing options with your printed material, you can't do better than ThinC. Solid book design options you'd be happy with in RL, website linking, landmark inclusion... I couldn't be happier with an L$800 investment. And the updates are prompt as well, even though they're done by a human!

3. Cheshyr Pontchartrain's Tardis. I've gotten updates time and again, a little improvement here, a big improvement there. It's always been neat seeing the changes. Buy yours today and save with every upgrade!

2. My Personal Sized Bubble Bee. Flies like a dream, small, maneuverable, and I've given them out by the dozen. Makes exploring new places sheer fun. Just barely surpassed by...

1. The ASM-1000 Stream Manager, from KHE. Search features, dozens on dozens of great radio stations in different genres and sub-genres, favoriting, access list, group land usability... I spend 60% of my time in SL on my land so I can enjoy the music. I've already bought four and with the September special going on I'm thinking of buying a few more as gifts! Low-prim, high fidelity!

Technorati Cosmos: other blogs commenting on this post
More blogs about {http://slmt.blogspot.com}.
View blog authority

Special Low-Tech Post: Blogging SL From A 2000-Era PC, Satir Textures @ JC's Cove And A Gallery Opening!

2000-08-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had to dig up a few old files for my friend Lothar, so I am blogging from my HP Pavilion 553w. Using the highest technology available to me at the moment, I have come up with these carefully re-created snapshots from Yass.

Notice the impressive storefront at Satir. You can be assured the textures inside are even more grandiose.

Lionel Oliva peruses his extensive inventory as he marvels at the selection of top-notch textures, well worth their L$350-L$1000 pack prices.

I had 40K in memory left, so I visited the Thrumberton Stick Gallery at Art Snob. I was lagging horribly (my fault, not SL's), but I was able to shut down all my other programs and snap this memory-devouring mouselook shot:

It wasn't a bad little gallery, but the people didn't really seem... well... drawn to a realistic art style. One patron sniffed, "What's he do, take his time on every one?" I didn't think they were that bad. Later a gaggle of excited attendees were discussing the merits of a blank prim outside. Several of them called it sheer genius.

Satir Textures can be found in JC's Cove at... at... um... I think there was a 5 in there somewhere.

An update will be coming shortly. :D

Lionel Oliva's computer ran out of memory after saving this one last file.