When is a FREEBIE not FREE

Ok picture this scene...I'm in my office under the store lounging in my favorite chair, listening to Radio Nigel and working on a new dress. It's been a day since I sent out a FashCon or Group notice and it's slowed down but business is good and steady. I have live models on both stands spinning, wearing the newest Sn@tch hotness and greeting customers...all is right with the world and all of a sudden I get an IM from one of the models "Ivey, you better get up here" and I look at the map and in the back of my store I see 20...30...40 green dots all at the spot where my hidden freebies are located. I teleport up and hear this..."ok everybody, this is where the freebies are! One is the Backseat Prom Date Dress in Purple in front of you and the other is the Cry Baby set on the wall under the shapes behind you!" I was aghast. So much for my freebie hunt promotion. I let them all get what they wanted. Grumbling the whole time. One of the models said I must be making a lot of money cause of all the people. LOL not one sale. No one cam shopped, no one even left the area where the freebies were. They took their loot and left. I felt raped. Is that all I'm good for...a quick freebie wham bam thank you ma'am? Oh wait,. I didnt get any thank yous.

This has become pretty common the past few weeks and honestly I've considered stopping doing freebies at all which makes me really upset to be truthful. I'm a huge proponent of the "Freebie" I lived off freebies and givaways my first few months in SL. I purposely put together a large freebie and discount section in my store and every branch location has a freebie bag or traffic cone in it. I do them for a few reasons. One cause I know what it was like to be new and not have any money to buy decent things. Two because it brings in good steady traffic. Three because this weeks freebie could be next weeks actual sale item. Its just good business. It never hurt a designer to give something away...that has been my motto until now and you may say what are you complaining about...this is a ton of traffic for your store..but is it worth it? When is it is actually hurting me to give things for free?

These freebie "Groups" are sprouting up all over. Some started by ligitimate SL Freebie bloggers and some independent, but what happens is someone in open chat announces that a freebie is available and lists the location of it and the SLurl and hundreds of people in that group swarm the store at once, sometimes crashing whole sims. Some people are very considerate and some not so much. If they can't find a freebie they are looking for (it's been moved, or the sale has been OVER FOR TWO DAYS, or they are just too lazy to look for it) they start to argue with the people that work there. My models have been threatened, I have gotten many nasty IMs because a freebie that I took down at the end of an announced sale is gone. I've had people shout over my whole sim that my store was a "rip off" I've heard stories of other store owners that have yanked up their group freebie when the mob rolls in and advised the freebie was for group or customers only and they have been verbally attacked and threatened.

This is getting completely out of hand, hence why I wanted to do this post. I don't want to stop giving freebies. I love doing them and for some people they really help. But to the ones that only take advantage of freebies and never support a designer by purchasing anything or passing a landmark to friends or even bother to say a thank you once in awhile after collecting multiple freebies from a store. To the ones that neglect to read an entire announcement on a sale or freebie and report it incorrectly to 2000 people in group chat....this is for you.

The new policy regarding freebies at Sn@tch, The Hunger and Retox stores.

1. A Freebie is not an entitlement, it is a gift

2. All freebies and hunts will be announced in the proper channels with the item, the time it will be out and may or may not include the location. See number 3

3. Some freebies will be listed as "Hunts" which means the location will not be announced and you will have to scan the vendors in the store to find what is on sale.

4. The location and item on sale may and probably "will" change without notice!

5. Ivey Deschanel and Roblem Hogarth reserve the right to REMOVE any freebie at any time we wish. These are OUR items, not YOURS and we say when and where we will give them away, period!

6. All Freebie items are Mod/Copy only!

7. If you argue with employees or the owners, harass and bother other customers or shout on sim because you cannot find a freebie or one has been removed...YOU will be banned from the store and the entire Pulse Sim without warning. If you behave this way at our store, we will not have you harassing other stores or residents on sim either.

8.If you don't like it, don't come, but know if you do come and step over the line, you will be banned permenantly, muted and reported. I want business, but I don't want YOUR business so bad that I will suffer for it or let my employees and customers suffer either.

Cherlindrea posted a list of freebie etiquette on her Blog and it is indeed FABULOUS! Read it, know it, LIVE IT http://fabfree.wordpress.com/freebie-etiquette/

As I said, I don't want to stop making freebies or having sales. The ones who are doing this are ruining it for you all, so there is only so much I can do. Police yourselves as much as you can...when you see a friend being an asshole, call them on it. Give hints about where hunt items are instead of leading someone right to them. ACTUALLY READ THE BLOGS AND NOTICES ALL THE WAY THROUGH. When I say a sale is for 24 hours. It's not for 24 hours from when YOU read the notice. SL time is SL time not YOUR time zone. A thank you once in awhile would be really nice. I don't do it for the thank yous, but I may want to stop because I don't think anyone appreciates what I do and the time it takes to put these "FREE" things together. And please please don't harass or argue with in store employees and other customers. You are ruining business for people who are giving you GIFTS. Does that make any sense at all?

Anyways, thats my rant for today. I'm bushed. Feel free to comment, and I would love to hear your horror stories about things that have happened in your stores from other designers. It's nice to know you're not alone. Maybe if we all put some kind of say in this now, we can curb this mob mentality before it gets too insane and the people that really appreciate our gifts will get them. To you that do...keep coming. We love to see you and we love to make things for you!

I was gonna do a post on the new Hunger items now, but I'm gonna relax a bit in my comfy chair and listen to Radio Nigel. Nite!

Ivey

Ain't it a Cryin' Shame...I'm Sooo TIRED

Wow this has been a wild two weeks and I've gotten so much done I don't even know where to start. This post is I'm sure going to be a little random, so bear with me. I'm a lil' dizzy from the freefall. Okies....new shit. I'm running out of wall space, so I'm either going to have to resize all my vendors or build up lol.

Should probably say this first...This group freebie was released on Tuesday and is still up in the store on the wall somewhere for $0 L. Take advantage of it while it lasts. You get the Crybaby Girl Tee, Star Spiked belt on the jacket layer and grungy blue and black striped tights. This one isn't up much longer. And don't hassle the models. It's a hunt...duhhh hunt for it -winks- Look for this Vendor!

I did do a little remodel and brought the skins and shapes down from upstairs. The Velvet Skins are out (well one tone anyways...man I hate seams so much. More tones and makeups coming soon. For now we have Dramatic and Innocent in 7 lip colors all named after wines...mostly cause I couldn't think of anything else to call them. All come with the "Lurefish" facelight and freckled version.

Two new shapes are out, both petite. Drucilla is slender and sweet, schoolgirlish, perfect for kyoot lil nekos and faeries. Holly is more exotic and glamourous but still under 6' tall. Both available for $300 L and copy/mod so you can play and make them how you like.

"Wild Child" was inspired from of all things...American Idol which my fabulous BF Roblem is forced to watch and puts up with (amazing guy). I saw these pants on a contestant and had to make them. Jewel-toned patches cover these black way flared jeans and it comes with four suede cropped tops and a very cool sheer scarf belt. This one is a favorite with the in store models.

Someone at Club Mutation suggesed this "Stop Rape" Tshirt so I made it come true. It's completely offensive and not for someone who doesn't want a little violence in their life. But hey, they say even bad attention is good attention right? Male and Female versions included, tintable and like all clothes at Sn@tch, transferable so you can give one away to someone you don't like very much.

I was in a really 80's mood when I made "RELAX" (I almost called it Love is a Battlefield but resisted). It's a nicely textured thin knit black turtleneck sweater and SIX colored and striped tights with legwarmers. Frankie say...wtf yea. I almost went there. Very Cozy!

This was a customer request and a great idea. She loved the "Badass" set but the starry applique jeans only came as capris, so she asked me for a long pair. I made them in two layers, slightly flared and a skinny underwear version to wear under boots (I haven't taken off my Sinistyle Deception boots since I got them)Hot idea...thanks to the person who asked for them!

Ok and last for this post...FINALLY I made some long gloves. I wore a set by Roslin of Fleur in one of my Hunger ads and everyone kept asking me where I got them, so I sent her a ton of glove business. At last I have my own (her's are better and come in three lengths but mine are ok and way cheap for 10 colors. All are tintable so you can get just the right color for every outfit. Still you should get a set of Fleur's. They are fab!

That's about it for now. I'll be back with another post later of all the news with the new "Hunger" store and gothic clothing line and probably a little editorial on some freebie etiquette since I have had some run ins lately with a small percentage of Freebie hunters....what I'm referring to as "Freebie Twaffles" thats Twat Waffle for those of you who havent heard the term of endearment yet lol. Anyways...I'm out, have a great night SL and come see my Sn@tch!

Luff & PEACE, Ivey

Don't take offence, but if you do, it could be YOU I'm talking about

Sn@tch is starting a new campaign with our new slogan "Think Outside the Box". This slogan I think says what I want to convey with Sn@tch designs. I've done a lot of thinking lately, especially with what is going on with the "Designer Elite" and "Couture" in Second Life and with the theft of content creator material. For the start of the campaign I went to a free business in a box store and bought several dresses and outfits all of which are pretty much garbage. Shit I wouldn't spend one red L on and things I hate like solid texture clothes without depth or realism and holiday themed items like underwear shaped like a heart -pukes- I tried on all these outfits and dressed them up with accessories and took ad shots and what do you know? All of a sudden I had "couture" I could release any of these crap clothes as designer just cause the ad picture looked hot. It reenforced my belief that for the most part...SL fashion like RL fashion is all in the marketing. I see excellent creators that make amazing shit with empty stores and no traffic. Why? Cause they dont know how to market their product. You can make stuff all day, make fantastic clothing or accessories but if you don't market it properly...advertise it and network with actual PEOPLE. It will just sit there on the wall gathering pixel dust. As a member of fashcon I see a lot of different designers clothing. For the most part the ads are unimaginative, boring. The same poses, the same clothing over and over in different colors. And then I see some amazing stuff come out and I go wow! That person reallly gets it. I hope they do well with this! And that is the stuff I will buy. I see blog after blog by so called "fashionista reviewers" of the same small number of designer's items. This fashion elite group that apparently has a corner on the SL market every time they release something new...but can't be bothered to answer an IM from a customer or retailer. The ones that have been or have set themselves on a pedestal so far above the rest of us that they have forgotten what communicating with people is like. I'm one of the starstruck fangirls. I've recently had the opportunity to meet some of my favorite designers lately and I'm so happy they turned out to be very real and very genuine people who aren't even aware of their own celebrity. I won't be naming names here but when I first started soliciting vendors for my own sim, there were several very rude designers that completely dissed my requests or were actually MEAN about me asking. Sn@tch will never be like that. I will never be like that. It still shocks me when people say I am in a league with some of the people I admire so much. But it's not just for their celebrity that I admire them. it's for their skill at content creation. I don't give a fuck if you get blogged every damn day. Or if you belong to an elitist group of SL fashion royalty. I buy what I like...not what is IN. So this campaign of "Think Outside the Box" is just that. Don't buy something just because its an exclusive, limited edition -coughs-bullshit-coughs- and don't buy something just cause some blogger says you have to have it to be cool or because some holier than us designer made it. Buy what you like...buy what makes you happy, whatever rocks your box. That $800 L "diamond" ring is just a prim. That $1200 L "couture" dress is just textures. To the designers, I don't mean this as an offence. I'm a consumer like any other who just happens to be a content creator as well. I don't put myself above anyone else...There will never be a Sn@tch exclusive or a Sn@tch party where only the "elite" are invited. I just make clothes I want to wear and hope others like them enough to give me some change for them. And to the people that are so paranoid about their items being stolen that they refuse to make anything else, or even go so far as to shut down their stores...all I have to say is go because you will always be afraid. There will always be theft..always people copying the stuff that's good. That I know of I've had two people already copy my designs. One went so far as to wear the same wig in her ad (now that's some balls). Does it make me want to stop creating? Hell no! It makes me want to make sure people know my name, know my brand better. It makes me want to dig in and make more...make better! I never plan on limiting myself or cringing in fear of copycats. To the consumers, the customers...I challenge you to think outside the box too. SL is what you make it. If you buy shit, buy knockoffs people will continue to make shit and knockoffs. Support your favorite designers...advertise for them. I sure do! All in all it comes down to this. Let your freak flag fly, have fun and live your SL life the way YOU want it. Don't let drama and elitism be your end all and remember...designers are just people...just like you, even if some think they are more than that. And it's relief to find out some of my SL heros ARE that...they're doing what they love because they love to create. Not so they can be famous. Just think outside this small box we are cornering ourselves in. You dont have to be famous or wear 1000's of lindens worth of clothes and accessories to be fabulous...

These "Couture" outfits are available at the Sn@tch Main Store LOL

I took couple days off...

Yea yea...I can take time off too. Hell I work 24/7 and its all for the love of creation and for you my loyal customers and patrons hehe. I'm so fulla shit. But I do love you...and I love the boys so I finally made something else you can wear. This is "Harcore" Been wanting to make some bondage pants and a belt for awhile so I threw these together with some hot tees and made a set for ya. The t shirts include a Rob Zombie, a Skinny Puppy and a Bling is Dead Shirt all on the jacket layer so nice and long for ya. The belt has multiple rings you can hook things to cause it's mod and the pants are textured and stitched and covered in zippers.


And for the girls too...just cause I hadda. A Swallow's Tee, Misfits and a cropped bling is dead t shirts. Ohhh by the way it says on the back "and your poofer is pissing me off too lol



Last thing for today is Devil Doll. It's the first dress in the new "The Hunger" Line and wow, sales on this thing have been tremendous already. Look for the new "Hunger" store. Coming very soon. Oh and btw...wear panties with this one. It's reallly short.

Thats it for this post. But more to come...I'm about to go on a little valentine rant! weeeeee...

LBD, stockings, underthings and tatts OH MY...

What a wild week it's it been. Made a lot of new friends...sales have been fab and I show no sign of waning creativity when it comes to making shit. I hired some live models that are amazing and perfect, and we're very close to deciding a winner in the Sn@tch Logo Contest. Only one more day to get your entries in by midnight Sunday! I made some fun stuff this week and I'll start with a simple little black dress called "Undercover" Roblem calls it the Mullet Dress. Business in front and party in the back. It's very deceiving...but look close and you may find out the wearers thinly veiled fetish...

"Badass Bitch from Hell" was inspired by Aemillia Case's (Philotic Energy)I had to use it in the ad. I wanted to make a tough girl set...she's a little hard edged and way sexy..prolly likes her metal heavy and her Jim Beam, straight up...Just like her men

I watched the Craft again last week and decided to recreate their school uniforms for the dirty little girl we all have inside us. "Jailbait" comes with three tops (sweater, jacket and a tied white blouse) black knit knee socks and a uniform skirt that's a little longer than the ones I usually make but it still wouldn't pass the kneel test. This one is a ton of fun to wear out and gets lotsss of attention.

And then we have my first foray into lingerie...these sets come with two layers so you can mix, match, wear with tatts and layer for more color options. Each pack comes with 10 different colors. The only one not pictured is the black and white combo. The stockings set has 11 pairs...I encluded a taupe for the slightly tan leg. The Bindi Collection is one of my fave things. I love silk and sari fabric and the patterns so I wanted to get that feeling of soft. These are all slightly sheer so wear with caution -grins-

I also threw together a little black stocking set which includes three types of fishnets (seamed, torn and over the knee zippered in the back) and a pair of black nylons and black bindi panties. This set is priced great at only $75 L for all you see. LOL sorry my cute ass isnt included...

This hot little sleep outfit is available in store thru tonite only for FREE...after that it's going on the wall at $100 L so get em while you can. It's a soft grey jersey with the Sn@tch Logo, red and grey itty bitty panties and scrunched knee socks..."Jersey Girl" was the best I could come up with -eyeroll-

Anddddd finally, my first full body tattoo. Sold in all three layers...it's skulls, guns, fire and stars in superbright colors and I called it "Bang Bang" for the song from Kill Bill. It just reminded me of the desert wedding massacre for some reason and it was a shitload of fun to make.

More coming realll soon and some guy shit, I promise...til next time blog readers...Ivey has left the building. Buh Bye!