A Thought for Designers

OK. I really need to get this off my chest and then I will stop stewing about it all :D

For the last few weeks I have been out looking for great places, fun shopping and "good free stuff". And I have found a lot. AND I AM THANKFUL!!!!! I appreciate all the content creators who are sharing with us.

There is, however, a flip side that I have not mentioned. Most likely you have come across it too, but in case there are any designers reading this blog, I wanted to put it out there...... There are a lot of VERY famous, expensive, couture type shops that are giving away VERY marginal things. No names and no hints. It is not my intention to shake any fingers at anyone.

However, there is a store with some great looking jackets with VERY spendy price tags that gives away T shirts with lovely designs and seams that are not even CLOSE to matching. There is another high class (by reputation and prices) store who is actually giving away BIAB stuff on their main walls right next to outfits that would break my clothes budget for the week. The list, unfortunately isn't a short one.

This boggles my mind. I of course am NOT a content creator, but wouldn't it be better to simply not have free items than BAD free items? I realize that the value of a freebie depends on the use it will be put to by the avatar, but as a consumer I would have (and DO have) second thoughts about buying what "looks" like a very lovely jacket from someone who put out things with terribly mismatched seams. If they feel that those items are good enough to give away as examples of their work, how good do their actual products stack up? I am not likely to spend $600 or $700 Linden on a test.

The retailers that "I" remember are the ones that gave out great things -- especially over and over. For example, Digital Dragon Designs gave out many lovely things during Advent. I only picked up a few, but those I took were simply lovely. I REMEMBER them in a positive light--the same with Second Mirage, House of Zen, Samara Studios, and many of the designer mentioned in this blog.

Everything that is free doesn't need to be wonderful, of course. New designers don't have all their skills down in the beginning and their items can still be fun and well intentioned. My problem is with the folks who have seemingly "made it". And, I humbly suggest that they think a bit harder about what they are presenting to their prospective customers :D