Lucky chairs Vs. Camping

Shhhhh, not so loud ...

I have a lucky chair in my store, but I have not noticed any big surge in traffic or sales. To be fair, I haven't gone out of my way to advertise it much though. I got one of the 'silent' chairs because I despise objects that shout. I put three prizes in the chair and it's completely random which one comes up, there's no indication of what the 'next' prize will be, any more than the 'next' letter. I didn't put 'crap' in it, but I'll admit my product line is niche to begin with so it's not high demand stuff like designer clothes etc.

Still, I get an average of one IM a day from the chair that somebody has used it. I look at it like chicken soup -- it can't hurt.

-Atashi

Lucky chairs seem to generate the most traffic when they have clothes, shoes or some other avatar accessory. If the prize is something really nice it can generate quite a bit of traffic. I know that I have found quite a few really nice stores by going lucky chairing that I would not have found before. Good prize = traffic. Good merchandise = customers.

It bloody well does if it's still got its metal overcoat! .. <rubs head>

.. and a good prize is a good advert. Seeing for real how good a designers product is, is an excellent prompt to investigate further.

Vale, I've always loved your stuff. I saw the Lucky Chairs and posted on the groups to encourage visitors to your store, its definitely getting your shop exposure and if even 1 in 5 of them stop to buy something I reckon its worth it. hehe I even got a dress for myself off the chair! And if peeps like me show up you're on a winner because I always end up shopping when I get there, I love my purple chinese dress!

If your willing to give away I say its great! But some lucky chair owners( atleast at the start of these things ) some were so so cheap and bitched if you won on their chairs. ( but these days many are not that way ). They are nice devices really and alot of fun. The concept is great. and people like Julia Soothsayer just are the most lovely people in the terms of lucky chair owners......I not promoting her her but really she is the prime example of why Lucky chairs are so big.

Usagi

I've been Lucky chairing for the better part of a year. The answer to your question is simple. Because it's quicker to buy it. I'll cite Sensual Cassanova's store before she re-designed it. She had 2 chairs side by side. Both had quality merchandise in them, equal to anything else she had for sale of similar types. Each chair was loaded with 15 prizes, with a long clock time set on each prize. I won maybe 3 or 4 of them. I would be waiting for weeks for the rest. So instead i bought the rest.... well, those that i liked which was around 10 of the remaining 12 prizes. I'm not alone in this practice.

But that's not the purpose of chairs. They are a marketing draw. They bring a customer to your store. After the person wins the prize, if they like it, they are inclined to buy more. The most recent example i can think of is Designs by Victoria. that store had 4 chairs (down to 2 now) just before Easter. I estimate that i spent around 3000L in that store buying other things while waiting for the chairs to change. Or French Spirit, which for every item i won from the chair there... I bought another from the wall while waiting.

Not everyone does this, but enough of us do to make it worthwhile to the merchant. So they lose the sale on 1 item that the chair just gave away. Many merchants make up for this in other ways. For example, Panjen puts only exclusive items in the 2 chairs there (you cannot buy them in the store). The draw there is that to get the item, you have to come to the chair there. While there, the person is likely to be perusing the walls. Or, perhaps the people will be chatting amongst themselves. I can't say how many times i've been asked where i got this outfit or that outfit (some won from chairs, some i bought). More marketing for the merchant.

And before Lucky chairs, there were raffle balls. How many here have been to Bare Rose and won one or more outfits from the raffle ball there "...just for being here!" (I won my first new outfit at B@R when I was less than a week old)? Or Awesome Designs' raffle ball? The idea has been around for a very long time. Who was first? Shep Korvin's Lucky Chairs or the raffle ball (both existed when i started SL a year ago)? Does it matter? Lucky Chairs are a good marketing tool and benefit to merchants.

Advertising is critical. If no one knows you have it, you won't see much traffic. If you add the words "lucky chair" to your ad in "places" then it will come up when people hit search for the keywords "lucky chair".

merchandise in the chair is also important. Many places drop freebie trash that can be found at Yadni's, in their chairs hoping to generate traffic. Word gets around quickly in the chair groups. Many chair groups maintain their own lists of chairs. Freebie trash chairs usually get removed from the chair lists or added to a "don't bother with this place" list. Another list is the no-script stores... these are disliked because they block the lucky chair landmark scripts.

Just an FYI:

Okay I just got to say that this is a bit overboard hehe now people are criticizing the giving away of free stuff?

if I give away a free TV and it is a bit older model and has no remote your gonna hate me I guess. This kind of mentality is what makes people stop giving away things for free period.

Half of the freebies in second life are not a result of actualy intended to be given away free but due to some kind of wierd abuse be it the permissions got messed up due to server issues or someone exploiting something etc but they eventually get labelled as freebies not because they are supposed to be them

Now your gonna bash people who put stuff you dont like into a lucky chair ? which probably cost them money in some form or another either in time or in actualy lindens?

Oh and wait now you aren't letting peopel turn of scripts for griefers? and want to have a landmark directly there? that's nonsense period end of sentance.

if its supposed to be an advertising tool then you want people to see your stuff and FIND the chair landmarking it directly so you can get your LOOT and run away fast is not the purpose of a lucky chair. People dont have to put them up nor do they have to abide by any secret rules of lucky chairs. Reminds me of someone you help out at christmas time with a gift basket who throws it back because there is no cranberry sauce in it yet you spent 200 bucks making it for them IT WAS FREE man people got to get this into perspective here big time

*runs to pull his lucky chair down and throw it in the trash can along side the money tree*

All I can say is WOW!

No Wilhelm, I'm not bashing anyone. I simply said that merchants that drop freebie trash in their chairs will usually find that chair hoppers stop coming to their establishment.

By freebie trash, I'm referring to objects that have been sitting in Yadni's since 2005 and longer. Cost to acquire them was maybe 1L for a box of 40-100 items back when I started and I understand they are 0L now (please correct me if i've mis-heard the current price... i haven't been back to Yadni's in many months). They are 0L because some of them are also in our "library".



The permissions bug lasted for less than a day. It came into effect thanks to one of Linden's updates. Linden had taken the grid offline to deal with it, very quickly. I would say that very few things fall into this category.

Allow me to draw an analogy:
You go into Store 1 & Store 2. Both have lucky chairs.
Store 1 has an item that they made and sell (or perhaps it is a unique item that they made only available in their chair..... whatever... the point is, it's their item, and it's quality).

Store 2 put some clothing item that came out of a May 2005 box at Yadni's... the seams don't align properly, it is monotone color, no texture, and the item is not representative of anything the merchant has to sell.

Which merchant shows that they respect their potential customers? Which merchant shows that they put some thought into this? Which merchant would you return to and buy from?

um yes they do if you post the photo of the item and use the advanced settings like I do. some places put the box beside the chair instead showing what is in it.

There are different ways to use it. I just hope people dont start throwing freebies back at me because the "aren't good enough". I got the chair cause I find them neat but if i am gonna start getting grief over the "quality" of item i stuff in it which can vary over time as I tend to only stick one prize in at a time. Sometimes its an expensive item sometimes its not so expensive.

I am beginning to think though people are looking at lucky chairs the way they look at money trees by some of the info I am reading. I'm not sure they are a good idea now either as a result and I may just put it away because I dont want grief if someone sticks their nose up at something because they dont like it for whatever reason.

the permission bug lasted like all christmas and in some cases people are still finding stuff what i hate is snobs. its like those who give me hell over money trees I put lindens in it that i spend money on and some guy is mad at me beacuse i wont let him and his 20 alts pick at it

now you want to have shops that allow scripts to be turned on (not always the case) and dont have a central landing zone (not always the case) seems to me your very picky of the issue

If i take the time to make items and put them in the chair or have purchased items from others for variety and had them made or decided to later down the road release something as a freebie or maybe the permissions were wrong and it becamse one your gonna hate me? I just got the thing and am still trying to figure out what the best way to use it is. Im beginning to think they are not a good idea if your gonna have what i stick in it and hate me as a result. I work hard like to help out at times what I dont like is to be treated like crap because you dont like the stuff i give away for free?

Also some things that end up in those free places are in fact not supposed to be free in any event this sucks and i'm going to have to rethink the usage of lucky chairs because its causing a whole new type of greed which i dont really like much.

Also everyone has their definition of freebie trash and I have seen a lot of issuse as a result of some people who did stuff out of ignorance and some of the stuff was not actually "freebie trash" only percieved as such. Anyhow I'm not sure I want to get involved with a bunch of people who run around and criticise freebies. I originally was just going to give them away without any raffle balls or chairs or anything just put one on the floor. I may go back to that lord knows its looking like its not going to be worth the hassle because i'm being graded on what freebie i put in this week.

Anyhow such is life i'm not into feeding greed which is what this is looking like. YOu make a list of stores many of which if they are small ones will have scripting turned off to reduce lag and prevent griefing but you wont go to the store because it wont let you use some automated script. My place has everthing turned on but not everyone does but its not turned on so you can use your scripts there its turned on so people can operate some of the games like the chess and checkers. If those games etc did not exist on my place the scripts would be turned off along with object entry and build to prevent griefing, but a bunch of people now wont let me because of a lucky chair

again it sucks and i can't believe what i am reading.

What do money trees have to do with the topic of Lucky chairs?



Honestly, while there might be some people who will. I myself, won't. Me, if i don't care for what's in your chair, I'll simply not sit in it. If i really don't like it, i'll simply not come back. Hate you for it? Why would anyone do that? Do you feel there is a reason for we chair hoppers to hate you? Honestly, there's no reason to give a second thought to a merchant that one doesn't care for their products. On the other hand, people always remember the merchants whose product they like.

BTW, if you made it, or had it made, or bought it for your chair as you've described, then you are not talking about the same thing that i've been talking about.



First, you indicate here that you haven't even set out a chair. Next you say that you are being treated like "crap" because of what you are giving away..... except for one thing... you're not giving anything away, you said so yourself, or did I misread that?

Wilhelm, I have no idea WHAT you are giving away, or what your store is; nor do I care. I'm sorry that you feel persecuted for something that has not even happened. For all i know you will be giving away a truely wonderful prize, once you actually do set up your chair... if you actually decide to set it up.




Ummm, no. You've missed my point, i think. My assertion was and is, that the whole point of the Lucky chair is a marketing draw to bring in customers. The merchant has the power to control just how much of a marketing draw their chair is, by the actions that they take or fail to take.

money trees were supposed to be used as a means of advertising while at the same time giving something back to the community but peopel got picky over time now the entire money tree thing is one sided people look at them as a sole source on income and create alts and abuse them never use the store and want to land right beside them and not look around so its looking like the lucky chair is now being used the same way as a one sided tool. Instead of saying thanks for the new hair or the new jacket or the new dress you hold the dress up and say "ick the seams dont match, the hair is the wrong colour i wanted blonde and the jacket i dont like the way the sleeves land or you rank it on the actual monetary value of the item" its supposed to be a gift and a free one I personally dont look at gifts people give to me and decide how much they are worth and whether I Like the person based on the value of the gifts i thank them for their kind thoughts and realize they are going to the effort of providing such gifts. so if you dont see this as another form of greed like the way money trees worked out then i'm sorry your likely one who looks at money trees as a source of income as well and only that.

i never indicated anywhere i didn't set out a chair i got one about 4 weeks agao and have not had time to set it up properly dont read between lines that dont exist

if you look at my first post at the bottom it says

*throws the lucky chair in the trash can along side of the money tree*

hence i had one or i would not be picking it up and throwing it out

i have been given grief over a money tree and a trivia money tree and I dont want grief over a lucky chair or to be ranked in a group over it or whatever or have my business ruined due to some unwarranted reputation or be criticized because I wont let you run your scripts

read your first post that I replied to.

Now groups have been created which means that people are busy rating shops with lucky chairs not on the actual stuff they sell but what is in the chair. I got it as a way to give out stuff for free because it was more fun then plopping it on the ground. I saw nothing that said it had to be a 500L freebie anywhere.

Anyhow such is life I"m responding to your first post not your attempt to back up actions which look like greed to me afterwards in an attempt to not make them look like greed.

Awww, I love you too, Gillian

Thank you so much for the positive feedback, I think I'm doing well so far but I'm a long way from being one of the 'big boys', so a few kind words from a customer is like wind in my little sails.

Vale

Seems to me that you're acting a bit trollish. As i'm reading this thread, what I see in the lady's posts are she is talking about quality of an object not the value. I read her saying one thing and I read you taking it out of context. Look at your money tree comment here for an example. I see you getting kind of hostile when the lady makes an effort to explain. Ya know, back in my college days, I had a professor who said that overt agression and hostility are the tools used by those in an indefensible position. If ya don't like her opinion, say so and move on.

i've gotten some cool stuff going 'lucky chair' hunting.


i put one in my shop for a few days....i only took it out cuz i needed the prims for more vendors


they r fun

I have a lucky chair in my shop, and yes, it's increased traffic!

I always put something in my LC that you can't simply buy. I might release it to purchase in a month or so, but whatever you get in my chair is gonna be unique for a while.

Just a tip: as Shep (the creator) stated in the instructions, be sure to make the item COPY ONLY or people will just harvest items to resell. Well, OK, most people won't, but a few bad eggs will ruin it for the rest.

I <3 lucky chairs, they give people free samples of my work that they can show to friends and hopefully those friends will come to my shop to look around too. And it's just fun to make experiments to see if they'll be popular!

I would like to try it too I have all kinds of things I made that I may never sell because it doesn't fit in with what I do sell. Gardening kit, modular housing and a few neat scripted items I was gonna stuff them in a lucky chair and eventualy maybe down the road they might become sold somewhere or likely not. I just thought they would be nice for people who can't make stuff to have the gardening kits is really cute I am told I just dont like some of this thinking about the scripts not being able to function in the area (I had no idea anyone made a lucky chair finding script but I dont think its fair to not use an area or delist or list or like something based on a strange application etc) Anyhow I am going to rethink the chair thing maybe just give them away as regular freebies.

I might try it for awhile possibly but if i decide to release the gardening kit as a freeby in 2 months is that gonna make me "evil"

hehe okay if you say so but at least i dont put people down

so I will be polite to you and elaborate.

The thing that got me was not the freebies part but the part where he said that the groups somehow found a business "not good" based on the fact that they had disabled the ability to use scripts NOT the freebies part so that their little devices didn't function

firstly turning of scripts is something a lot of people do so that you reduce lag and to prevent griefing of both the owner and customers

Now a group has decided and irrationally I might ad that they aren't gonna go to a place because their lucky chair locations script doesn't function

*boggle*

yes that makes perfect sense plus he is saying we aren't thinking about customers on top of it when we turn off the abiility for griefers to use scripted greifing tools

The general consensus as I've gathered it this past two years in SL is that it is not evil to eventually give away something you once charged for, any more than it is evil to put such items on sale, for what it's worth.

coco

P.S. Ima gonna get me a Lucky Chair! It does sound like fun!

Then I have a prize for you when its updated ^^

well 3 of them so far... have to look at the rest soon though hehe

Don`t lose sight of title of this topic. Indeed lucky chairs are alot less stressful to sim/island then camping chairs/money giving devices.

Another factor YES people put junk in some lucky chairs or cry if you win. Remeber people that vist lucky chairs are more then likey will return and buy items from your business.
Good business sence tells you, give to the customers and they will return. BE a cheap greedy business owner and they never come back. People that set their licky chair to 45 mins and up are asking for a downfall. I can understand content makers to wanting to give items away. But really the more your items are out there, the more they are exposed and you will get REAL dwelling and buyrs in your shop..............