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Freyja Nemeth · 08-10-2008, 05:04 AM

I've definitely come to expect that prices can vary a lot more in SL than in RL, but there's still a range that has established itself as a 'normal' variation for me. Beyond that, I start wondering what the person was thinking to price their item like that.

For female skins, I have paid 1200 for single makeups several times. Above that, I start to expect several options (packs of several makeups or several brow colours). For example, I've bought the Pixel Deep skin in several tones, but at 1600 or so (I think) I consider it a bargain for what you get in that pack.

(I continue to wish that more skin creators would adopt that method or another reduced-cost method of selling add-on makeups -- like a scripted system where the first purchase of a skin is at a higher cost, and additional purchases are priced as add-on makeups.)

For clothing, I think I have paid up to 1500 once or twice, and certainly over 1000 a few times. With clothes, it depends so much on what it is and what you get, so I think its much harder to price than skins. Skins, unless they're speciality skins and novelty skins, have a fairly expected usage pattern. With clothing, you might be buying something for a special event and not expect to be using it much again. There may also be a lot more very similar items out there.

I am more likely to pay higher prices for fancy ballgowns and historical or fantastical costumes than for modern clothing, because there's less to choose from so it doesn't drown in a sea of things. For modern clothing, I think PixelDolls is extremely well-priced (plus its full of stuff I'd actually want to wear IRL -- one of the few stores I shop regularly at more 'for myself' than for my 'character'), but I can also see the prices being higher than that for most people since they'll prioritize modern clothing higher than I do.

Accessories (jewellery, masks, etc) are similar to clothes for me, but with an even more hard-to-predict usage pattern. Part of the problem is also that they usually come in such a variety of colours, metals, jewels, etc that I can't make my mind up. ;P That's why I buy just about every set that Tekeli-li puts out -- its a single purchase (usually in the 300-400 range) for everything (since its scripted), so I don't have to feel afterwards that 'darn, I really should have gotten the whole pack'.

I'd say that's definitely the most efficient way of getting me to buy accessories. I hardly ever think twice about those purchases, unless my funds are looking a little low. And that just means a little wait.

It beats fat-packs hands-down not just because its a lower price than most fatpacks but because I don't actually feel like I am buying colours I don't want since I won't have a pile of pink jewellery sitting in my inventory unless I change it to pink. So even if I do pay for something I won't use, it doesn't feel that way.

A couple of things always affect what I am willing to pay and how likely I am to purchase something: permissions and demos. I'll pay a lot more for copy & mod than for anything that lacks either of those permissions. Bare Rose is the only trans & mod place I shop at regularly, and that's because the prices are so low. I won't even consider hair or boots that aren't copy and mod, because I know I will need to edit it 9 times out of 10.

Demos are a necessity for skins, hair, boots and certain accessories (like masks, and some jewellery), and they are very, very nice to have for shoes and for clothes. I saved up for my first big purchase (the Venetia gown from Adam n Eve) when I was a newbie because there was a demo available. I doubt I would have gotten that gown without being able to demo it.

So, if anyone wants my money in particular (unfortunately, it is not a limitless supply, though, so I daresay I don't make a great market by myself), you make historical or fantasy items, you provide fatpacks (via scripting is very nice), you keep the items copy and mod and you provide demos.

08-10-2008, 05:04 AM	#32 (permalink)
Freyja Nemeth Queen of Innuendo Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 140 SL Join Date: June 2nd, 2007	I've definitely come to expect that prices can vary a lot more in SL than in RL, but there's still a range that has established itself as a 'normal' variation for me. Beyond that, I start wondering what the person was thinking to price their item like that. For female skins, I have paid 1200 for single makeups several times. Above that, I start to expect several options (packs of several makeups or several brow colours). For example, I've bought the Pixel Deep skin in several tones, but at 1600 or so (I think) I consider it a bargain for what you get in that pack. (I continue to wish that more skin creators would adopt that method or another reduced-cost method of selling add-on makeups -- like a scripted system where the first purchase of a skin is at a higher cost, and additional purchases are priced as add-on makeups.) For clothing, I think I have paid up to 1500 once or twice, and certainly over 1000 a few times. With clothes, it depends so much on what it is and what you get, so I think its much harder to price than skins. Skins, unless they're speciality skins and novelty skins, have a fairly expected usage pattern. With clothing, you might be buying something for a special event and not expect to be using it much again. There may also be a lot more very similar items out there. I am more likely to pay higher prices for fancy ballgowns and historical or fantastical costumes than for modern clothing, because there's less to choose from so it doesn't drown in a sea of things. For modern clothing, I think PixelDolls is extremely well-priced (plus its full of stuff I'd actually want to wear IRL -- one of the few stores I shop regularly at more 'for myself' than for my 'character'), but I can also see the prices being higher than that for most people since they'll prioritize modern clothing higher than I do. Accessories (jewellery, masks, etc) are similar to clothes for me, but with an even more hard-to-predict usage pattern. Part of the problem is also that they usually come in such a variety of colours, metals, jewels, etc that I can't make my mind up. ;P That's why I buy just about every set that Tekeli-li puts out -- its a single purchase (usually in the 300-400 range) for everything (since its scripted), so I don't have to feel afterwards that 'darn, I really should have gotten the whole pack'. I'd say that's definitely the most efficient way of getting me to buy accessories. I hardly ever think twice about those purchases, unless my funds are looking a little low. And that just means a little wait. It beats fat-packs hands-down not just because its a lower price than most fatpacks but because I don't actually feel like I am buying colours I don't want since I won't have a pile of pink jewellery sitting in my inventory unless I change it to pink. So even if I do pay for something I won't use, it doesn't feel that way. A couple of things always affect what I am willing to pay and how likely I am to purchase something: permissions and demos. I'll pay a lot more for copy & mod than for anything that lacks either of those permissions. Bare Rose is the only trans & mod place I shop at regularly, and that's because the prices are so low. I won't even consider hair or boots that aren't copy and mod, because I know I will need to edit it 9 times out of 10. Demos are a necessity for skins, hair, boots and certain accessories (like masks, and some jewellery), and they are very, very nice to have for shoes and for clothes. I saved up for my first big purchase (the Venetia gown from Adam n Eve) when I was a newbie because there was a demo available. I doubt I would have gotten that gown without being able to demo it. So, if anyone wants my money in particular (unfortunately, it is not a limitless supply, though, so I daresay I don't make a great market by myself), you make historical or fantasy items, you provide fatpacks (via scripting is very nice), you keep the items copy and mod and you provide demos.