Advice on Sales!!

Rha contact me when you come in world and ill show you the items. I dont want to stoop down to his level so I wont post it here.

Actually the blog oner ent me an IM saying he hd seen pics of th two and could see the similarities and differences and said she will put it back up as long as there re no legal issues. I sent her an IM back explaining what had happened about all this so hopefully she will put it back up but at least she took the time to talk to me.

I wish it was easier for me to prove it was my work with PSD files. But all my work is prim work o it is vry hard to go well I made all this it is mine... esp with the use of copybot etc these days. Hoever the two items have MANY differences so I know Ihave ntohing to worry about there. I am just dreading more ims at the moment Cos they have all been shit yelling and ranting at me

I hope you are aring this person for harressment, and of course mute them
and the same for any others that im you on his behalf

I won't be on tonight, so will catch up with you tomorrow hon

gonna step away from the PC for a bit

OOh, Amaranthime, okay. here goes. (this is something I've been meaning to blog on for a while, but haven't gotten off me lazy bum to post it)
First use these (granted, I have a total bias because they're mine but they're also free, so..)
http://uncensored.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=738998
or if you don't have an SLEX account, here..
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Eyre/41/107/23.
So, when making a top for example, use the template that is made for the top as one of the layers of your image (Layer A). When you first put the texture that the shirt will be out of down as a layer (layer B), before you cut away any arm or necklines, make sure you have layer B selected and then go to Filters -> Map-> Displace...
Now if layer A is a different size than layer B, layer A will not show up in the drop down menu you will see in the Displacement window. To fix this, you can select one layer at a time, go to the Layer menu ->layer to image size. This will make the layer the same size as your image, so that there is no overlap or "underlap". In the Displacement window, select layer A as the displacement map in both the x and y areas. (this is so hard to describe without pictures >.<
anyhow. After that is all done, go ahead and cut away any arm or neck holes etc.

wooo hooo i got a script which i can put in my display boxes so that people can choose between copy or transfer permissions

was 1000L but i think it was money VERY well spent

jacq thanks for those maps, I am gonna try them in photoshop as an overlay layer and see how that works

not sure what the displacement thing is (I am guessing you are talking about GIMP)
what would that be in photoshop?

I think I photosourced like the first 2 or 3 things I made, then I saw someone's blog where they were talking about a particular designer's things as being 'all hand drawn' like that was a wonderful thing and was decided that was the way to go Often I work from my imagination but I also plagarize the heck out of some real life designers I look at their clothes and pick something I really love and think I can do and proceed to come up with my own version of it. When I do, I keep a picture of the RL outfit in the folder with my version of it. I have a great deal of fun trying to come as close as I can

Under distort in the filter tab (cs2) is displace, i think that works. Will have to try it

Thanks I will peek in there see what I can find

same here only like first 2 or 3 then saw the same thing, ppl talking about hand drawn, and how awesome it was, so I decided it was time to learn and hone my skills and I started searching for tutorials, and how to's and making my own brushes as well as picking up brushes that might be useful (some I have never used after getting them, and some I ended up finding the most unusual uses for hehe)

I love working by hand and imagination, it is so much more rewarding and it feels as close as I can get to painting in RL, which I LOVE to do, I so need to get back into that


I wonder if there would be a market for my RL craft within SL, huge trust factor as they would need to disclose mailing address to receive the item, I could also I suppose put it on ebay and link to the auction.... hmmm that might be an idea...

*sits that idea on the back burner for awhile*

I'm really sorry E that he's doing it again, if there was any way we could help i definently would. I know what you mean Rhaorth, i'm trying too use totally hand drawn but it's very hard still learning where to place brushes and i've no idea how to make my own lol. Same with patterns i use Google Image alot for that.

I do both- the photosource and the drawing. Laces I tend to hand draw but I walk around with my little camera all the time so I shoot stuff all the time. You should see the weird looks I get in stores And the neat thing is you can use really oddball things as a source and still come up with "cloth" - One of my dresses is made with a photo of an antique deep diver's brass boot! I have used random bits of online images also, like for a clean edge line or similar, where i just havent been able to get the brush to do it right.

I do a little photosourcing every now and again but i am trying too stay away from it but stuff like jeans with the seams and pockets i can't do so i photosource them. If i could get the seams and pockets in i would not photosource but they look a little funny at the mo if i don't lol.

Oh that displace tool i've just started using it's a very very fun tool

I'm going to try that displace thing tonight when I get home- I know I have a lot to learn still.

So- how was everyone's sales this weekend? Mine were not as great as last week but nonetheless- there were some- won't complain!

I was wearing my new Wisteria Gown- no pics posted anywhere yet- sorry- but I did release it at the Shiraz and Main stores if u guys want a peek. Anyway- I met Mickey briefly and she commented I was a walking billboard - Also, my lover suggested including a notecard with what came from where- I was wearing purple hair to match, Eclectic's Bleeding heart hair sticks, shoes from CCTV's place (He has the most awesome shoes you guys! I don't recall the name of his store) and a Tree of Life Bikini over it all.

Hope you guys had a good sales weekend- makes me wonder what i will come up with for next weekend!

Sounds great Amar and i love the notecard idea, many good places do it especially for skins and shapes

My sales were very good this weeked and amazing yesterday, so quite a few of my designs and a few of my other stuff. I finally got around to adding the lucky chair and my traffic has increased quite a bit which is helping with sales for sure

Oh and Amar that displace is loads of fun once you get the hang of it, i'm trying to find a good tute for making like a glitter effect on fabric proving much harder than i thought lol. Have a great idea for a gown but i need the glitter effect too set it out.

My sales were REEAALLLY good this week and i am SO SO happy about that. I think over the week I had 50 sales?? (not inculding any dollarbies I have out etc) and one or to of those were repeat customers who had been to my store before so that was really positive.

I also got down to the Dog market and put out a vendor space there which is free (there may still be a few spaces folks) and have had one click on my LM giver today so not bad. I have made two sales so far at the vendor Jojo kindly offered to me. I am happy with that because it is two sales i likely wouldnt have made otherwise.

I am also raather proud of my PJ's. They are far from the best out there and you clothing folks could have done way better Im sure but I have never tried anythng likethat before and I made my own pants from scratch for them (used Rha's singlet template she made for me for the top though hehehe). It is good to knkow I can do soemthing like that occssionally. It isnt soemthing I want to get into in a major way but understanding the basics of hat kind of stuff will really help with texture creation for my items.

I am playing with bumpmapping and trying different forms of bump mappng in gimp at the moment with awesome results.

Well, I did the FabFree posting Friday night and Saturday where I gave away one free pose out of 5 different vendors. It was a huge success. I gave away about 140 poses. But I also set a new sales record for net one day pose sales on Saturday.

I made a few new friends too, which is always a plus.

Of course Sunday was a vast wasteland, but hey, I needed a rest anyway.

It took me about an hour to write the script that issued the rebate. That was the most productive hour I have ever spent in SL.

Now would someone care to create the notecard, box my items andplace them all in the prims and add the script to all th boxes in my store??

I got this awesome script that allows the buyer to choose between copy or transfer. But it is going to take me FOREVER to set it up in all my boxes *giggles* but i know it will be worth it so I WILL get my butt in gear in the next few days

where'd you get that script

Bumping from oblivion

And wanted to say guys sales have improved of late

I have noticed since I dropped my prices that more variety of items are selling
sales are about the same money wise, but because the items cost less, more are selling (which is good, more out there, more advertising, more customers, etc)

I have been wondering something though, we all talk about sales and getting sales and sales are good etc

what would each of you define as a good base sales per day (not number of items, but the amount of lindens in net sales)

I will be upfront on mine, for me I require approx 500L in sales (above anything I may have to spend that day on ads or sculpt maps etc) in order to cover my monthly fees

now 500L per day may not sound like a lot, but there are days when I get 0 sales

there were days I was inspired by a new sculpt map I saw that would cost 1500 or even 3500 L
so on those days I needed to sell at least 2000 to 4000L to meet my minimum income for the day

needless to say, I do not buy sculpt maps and such anymore in that price range
(I sat down a couple months ago and did the math, it shocked me when I realized most of the time I was in the red in covering my costs)

so what is your minimum sales to cover your cost (be it tier, or premium or even if you buy textures, or sculpt maps, or any other tool useful to your trade, as well as upload costs for anything you might need to upload)

100L/day in sales would cover my tier, but as a small, little known merchant without my permanent location even built yet (I really will get around to that someday), I rarely sell that amount per day. My sales tend to come in several a day and then nothing for weeks.

However, my products and the store I'll eventually get around to are for my own pleasure in learning SL building/texturing skills and brings me enjoyment if someone likes them enough to purchase. I don't rely on that for my income in SL. I teach and have a rental that provides most of my tier.

But, one thing I promised myself I would keep in perspective...I would never have more tier than I could comfortably pay for out of pocket as an "entertainment expense."

~ ~ ~

After almost a year and a half in SL, I'm finding myself re-evaluating my goals and what brings me pleasure from being in SL. When I first arrived, SL revolved around my role play community. Then through my job at a club, I slowly drifted from the role play into spending about 90% of my time at the club - actively working my shifts, doing the employee scheduling, and just being there even on nights off.

After meeting my partner, another shift happened and we enjoyed exploring SL. Every day was a new adventure. We built a home together, went horseback riding regularly...dancing started fading into the background.

All along I was taking classes and then entered a mentorship program to teach. My focus changed to taking all the classes I could, sometimes 3 per day.

After holding several very successful yard sales to clear out some excess inventory and included a few of my own builds, I thought "Why not try my hand at selling some of my own items on SLex" and was THRILLED when I sold my first item.

I'm enjoying learning all the marketing tips and selling a few more items, but at heart I'll always be an instructor - it is my first love.

Which brings me to the present. I am spending a lot less time in SL, generally to tend to something business-related or take a class. My partner and I spend more time communicating via other venues than in SL. I'm enjoying having the time to resume my RL love of reading again.

And if I decided tomorrow to sell my land, just build for enjoyment and be "homeless" I would still enjoy SL.

~ ~ ~

Errmmm, so the basic answer to your question is 100L/day in sales would make tier, but at this point I don't expect to make that and the other commentary were thoughts that have been processing through my brain.

well I am lucky. I dont have teir costs or premium costs. The only costs I have are the liabilityfor the group which i pay 15L a week for and I will have 30L a week when I pay for the spot in Rha's mall thingy (im keeping that cos i think the exposure is worth it). Beyond that I onlyhave costs when i upload a texture and unlike clothing designers I use a lot of the same textures over and over... esp gem textures and metals.


So in short in order to make tier etc... i maybe have to make 100L a week maximum.


However a lot of my money goes into my club, so i preferto ahvemore so I can put more into that

Well- after nearly two years of paying tier- I can say it wd be nice if SL paid it for me - via sales. But considering all my sales started occurring since we started this thread and I followed the advice here to get noticed- I have no clue what it wd tk- actually having sales is a new experience or me - ask me again when i get blase about it

this last weekend i ad sales and the weekend before that and today- today! I had a bunch of sales- it is very heartening it really is

So thanks again guys for all the great info and oft necessary pep talk- Oh Jojo- I made a sale from ur store

Now- it's 3 am- nights- i shd have gone to bed ages ago but u know.. got into a skirt i couldnt put down...

Morning everyone.

Ok to cover all my costs i would need to make 200L/a week, at the moment i am covering but my sales seem to always be on one day then nothing really for the rest of the week. Now i don't mind this because i'm covering everything 3fold at the moment this week i have made roughly maybe 1500L this week upto now so that's cool.

Oh Czari you and i must have had similar ideas when we first came in lol, for the first maybe 6 months of SL i was in a roleplay sim, i loved it but we were never busy and i got pretty bored after a while. I do miss it every now and again and want to go back but i know i'll only get bored again. Now i'm concentrating on my shop and looking for something fun to do other than that.

I do have a little question to ask though, i've been thinking of giving out a review pack to some fashion bloggers but not sure which ones i have a whole list i found from the merchants page, so i was wondering who you have sent too?

I never really made a goal to cover tier. What i did instead was i got my little 512 plot and then bought more with the money i earned from sales. So, for me - my sales have paid for quite a bit of land, shoes, clothes and hair LOL. Now i make enough to pay my 45usd tier costs per month and to take out an increasing amount in RL profit. I am on target to pull in 600USD a month and that has pretty steadily gone since the beginning. It has seemed to me like the longer i am around and i work at my biz, the more i sell. So i make my goals based on beating what i did the month before. Btw, yest i had my highest one day sales to date and i am quite happy about that.