SL Shopping Made Simple

House by Onsu.

With all the sales events, weekend specials and talented designers in Second Life, it's easy to go crazy and loose with the $Ls. 

Believe me, I know.

I recently moved to a lovely Second Norway parcel and I tried using one of the thirty or so houses I already had in my inventory. None of them were "right," or I'm just displaying spoiled princess tendencies. I'm not sure which.

I found a new house that I love. I struggled to force myself to only use furniture and décor I already had and I managed to stick to it, mostly. I did have to do some light hunting and gathering, making sure everything was just right. 

I am not a fan of trying to find virtual household items. I'm not a decorator by any stretch of the imagination. I struggle to achieve a specific look without using my whole prim allowance on one room or going broke. 

But I have a process. 

The Marketplace is a struggle for me. There's just so much to wade through and sometimes it's hard to figure out how something will be categorized. I still use it, but I have more success scrolling through the Second Life Home, Garden and More group on Flickr. I can usually find ideas for different looks. I try to recreate what I find using my available inventory when I can. When I try and fail, there are usually links to the specific décor on the MP or the event where it's being featured.

Speaking of events, there's an easy way to find what you're looking for fast. I use Seraphim's website to preview what's available. When I see something I absolutely HAVE to have, I make note of the actual name of the item, teleport to the event then use "area search" to locate it. In Firestorm, you can find area search by clicking on the World tab. (Make sure you've clicked "Disable Camera Restraints" in the Advanced tab.) After you locate that awesome new thing, click "zoom" to find it with your camera, right click, buy and there you go! No endless flying around a packed event, waiting for stuff to rezz or getting yelled at for bumping in to people. An added bonus, you're not tempted by all the other yummy new creations. 

These tips won't do anything to help your prim allowance and they won't make it any easier to hold on to your cash, but I hope you found them useful regardless.

Do you have special tricks for shopping in Second Life? Let me know in the comments!

Don't forget to keep living your best second life. We'll chat again soon.

Disclaimer: Links to other sites in this post are not sponsored. I did not receive any compensation for their placement, they were used only as a convenience for the reader.