What Are Your Favorite Second Life Brands? Help Create NWN's Readers' Choice List! (Bumped, Updated)

11/2: Bumped this post to the top for the weekend, and added additional nomination guidelines below -- please read carefully before nominating!

There's lots of stores supporting Second Life brands, but which brands are your personal favorites? Iris Ophelia and I want to create a New World Notes Reader's Choice List for Second Life-based brands of all kinds, so please post your favorites in Comments. We will prominently blog those with the most total nominations during the holiday shopping season. Here's some guidelines:

• List your favorite five or less Brands in Comments, but no more than five!
• Can be any kind of SL-based brand -- fashion, housewares, weapons, vehicles, etc.
• Brand must have a Marketplace listing
• Must have one of the following: blog, Flickr, Twitter, Faceobook, my.secondlife.com, or Plurk account
• Must have new content from this year
• No brands with blatant knock-offs of other brands, RL or SL
• When nominating, post 1) brand's Marketplace listing, 2) the brand's blog, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, my.secondlife.com, or Plurk link and 3) the brand owner's avatar name.

Please follow the guidelines very carefully, or your nomination may be discarded. Nominations end after the first week of November, so we can compile the Readers Choice list in time for holiday shopping! Please feel free to discuss your selections below, and be sure to share this post with other fans of SL brands, so they can nominate their favorites too!

UPDATE, 4:30pm: Some readers have wondered why we're asking for a Marketplace listing. Iris explains that well:

""A Marketplace listing lets people see what the brand has to offer immediately. They get much more click-through traffic than SLurls to shops because a lot of readers aren't in SL when they're reading blogs, so they're much more useful for readers and designers alike. SLurls are pretty useless if you're not able to get on SL right that minute. Marketplace stores also (usually) have the most up to date blog and shop locations for each brand, so if people do want to visit in-world but the shop has moved since the article was posted, a current MP storefront gives them easy access to the new location without having to fumble with SL Search. Think of it as a landing point for people to start from if they're interested. It's free and easy enough to set up, and though it's time consuming to list all your products, it's better to list your five favorite items than to list none at all. Even that is enough to drive traffic to your in-world location-- people who may otherwise never be exposed to your work in-world can stumble across it while browsing the Marketplace. That absolutely minimal presence, which you could set up completely on a Saturday afternoon, is basically free publicity, and anyone running a business should know how valuable that can be. A regularly updated MP store also lets people keep track of you without going out of their way (or capping their IMs with subscriber messages), like a Plurk or a Flickr account can, so that it's far less likely that someone will forget you even exist between releases. And, in a practical sense for this particular nominating process, it's can be a good way to easily identify if a designer is still actively creating or if they've been idle for years."."

So there's that. Also: The SL Marketplace has about 470,000 visitors.

Update 2, 4:55pm: While this Readers Guide will be based on total nominations, NWN reserves the right to disqualify brands with Adult-only content or other content that doesn't meet NWN editorial standards.

Update 3, 11/2: Added my.secondlife.com account as another nomination option.

Tweet

Comments

[Scarp Godenot]

It is a mistake to require a marketplace listing, because some truly awesome sellers specifically DON'T have a marketplace listing in order to have people shop at their inworld store. (where there is no commission btw). Also some great sellers don't have blogs either. But they are blogged continuously by others.

My example for this is the great Hair store - Analog Dog My first choice in Hair
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Analog%20Dog%20Hair/182/115/23

Cold Logic for Mesh Clothing

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/103006
http://coldlogic.wordpress.com/

Tonktastic for war clothing and gear Amazing quality

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/10226
http://www.flickr.com/groups/tonktastic/pool/

Maitreya for overall quality in a diverse range of goods

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14076
http://sl-maitreya.blogspot.com/

Boho Hobo for more unusual and colorful clothing.

Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/39450

[Strawberry Singh]

Zaara
1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/20674
2. http://zaarakohime.wordpress.com
3. Zaara Kohime

[Molly Montale]

MystiTool

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/MystiTool-HUD-Making-your-second-life-easier/136332

2. http://mysticalcookie.wordpress.com/

3. Mystical Cookie

[Hamlet Au]

Scarp, can you re-post your nominations so they all list the creator names, please?

[Khamudy Mannonen]

Illusions
Masks, Jewelry & Costumery Fabulousness.

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6504?id=6504
2. http://masklady.blogspot.co.uk/
3. Siyu Suen

Ispachi
Male & Female Clothing, Skins & Avatar Accessories

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/23496
2. http://ispachi.com/
3. Diarmuid Miklos

POST
Prefabs, Skyboxes & Furniture

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/48249
2. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/48249
3. Van Auster

[Michelle]

Fashion:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/85278
http://www.atsweetdistractions.com/blog.html
mtwtfss71 resident

Fantasy and Steampunk Fashion
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/117977
http://hypernimbus.weebly.com/
MadBadBat Resident

Fantasy and Sci-fi Avatars
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/94938
http://www.syntheticmonkeys.com/second-life.html
Sarge72 Resident

[Scarp Godenot]

To Restate my premise: It is a mistake to require a marketplace listing, because some truly awesome sellers specifically DON'T have a marketplace listing in order to have people shop at their inworld store. (where there is no commission btw). Also some great sellers don't have blogs either. But they are blogged continuously by others.
.............................
My example of the obove is the great Hair store

analog dog - (My first choice in Hair)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Analog%20Dog%20Hair/182/115/23
Queue Marlowe

coldLogic - for Mesh Clothing

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/103006
http://coldlogic.wordpress.com/
coldLogic - (coldLogic is the avatar name)

Tonktastic - for war clothing and gear of Amazing quality

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/10226
http://www.flickr.com/groups/tonktastic/pool/
Tonk Tomcat

Maitreya - for overall quality in a diverse range of goods

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14076
http://sl-maitreya.blogspot.com/
Onyx LeShelle

Boho Hobo for more unusual and colorful clothing.

Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/39450
Trill Zapatero

[Hamlet Au]

"Also some great sellers don't have blogs either"

Don't have to have a blog. Like the guidelines say, "the brand's blog, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, or Plurk link". Any of those are fine.

[Lance Corrimal]

For home&garden stuff:
-Hanaya- Yummy Collectibles
Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/59452
Blog: http://hanaya.eregion.de
Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/HanayaYummyCollectibles
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morikoinshan
SLURL: secondlife://GWARL/146/10/552

For sailboats:
Trudeau Classic Sailing Yachts
Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/1275
Blog: http://trudeauyachts.wordpress.com/
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Trudeau%20Classic%20Yachts/194/64/23/

[Rin Tae]

The problem with SL is, that with the diversity it has, you might get the result that every one answering posts different shops. And of course there are so many shops that I really found it hard to select the favorite 5. It would be more like .. post 5 favoirte shops for a certain style or topic. That would be considerable easier ;P

But anyway. Some good stores that I knew and like have been mentioned already but those I found myself to be shopping more at lately (favorites shift a lot for me) are:

Insanya (Tatyana Ultsch)
I knew this one for some time now and always returned there to satisfy my punky clothing needs:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/19580

Erratic (Erratic Rain)
The newest addition to my favorites links:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/58203

Graves (Jackie Graves)
Always and forever in love with Graves ... not only because I love science-fiction but also because Graves outfits are always perfectly mixable and they will fit with each other no matter what parts I would decide to choose. Some of my outfits use parts of 6 different Graves sets and they still look like they would belong together. What is there more to love? ;D
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/20249

Grasp (Asalt Eames)
I always recomend this store to people who look for nice urban-style clothing:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/21087

Huamnoid (Marcus Adkins)
Because I can't really imagine someone making better dances. And I just love those videos in their store and said store is so well designed that I consider it to be one of the sxamples on why inworld shopping is great and will always be better then simply browsing the marketplace:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/107586

But there are so many others ... Little Britain, Blitzed, Harsh! and KDC for the adult content shoppers, Ducknipple, B@R, the already mentioned Tonkastic and Maitreya, ORACUL of course ... so many *is burried under LMs for great shops*

[Arcadia Codesmith]

ChiChickie Hair (Chiana Meredith): http://chichickie.wordpress.com/

KRB Skins and Things (Kateri Runningbear): http://krbskins.wordpress.com/

SEmotion Animations (Marie Sims):
http://se-motion.blogspot.com/

GothiCatz (Looloo Black):
http://www.gothicatz.com/

Designing Nicky Ree (Nicky Ree):
http://designingnickyree.blogspot.com/

[Tracy Redangel]

Homes:
For reasonably priced, beautifully designed modern homes by Maven Homes (Cain Maven who also has another brand Quantum homes as well)
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/42256
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mavenhomes/

Vehicles:
HaruMotors. Some of SL's most beautifully designed and well-scripted luxury vehicles.
http://haru-motors.com/
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/13810

Hair: I picked Alice Project for the extreme level of customization and fantastic variety of colors available from one hud. Excellent value, and beautiful mesh hair
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/18518
http://blog.alice-project.net/

This list will leave out most Second Life Skins, because most of the top-tier skin creators do not have a Marketplace Store. So...although these aren't part of my "official" picks, two of my favorite skin brands are Glam Affair and League. Glam Affair offers a very nice variety of beautiful skin tones with blonde, brunette and red eyebrow options. You will often find special edition skins at Collabor88 and The dressing room for bargain prices. Beautiful, high quality skins for a fantastic price.
League skins come in beautiful tones with lots of makeup options. Highly detailed, beautiful skins.

[Iggy]

Trident: Laufey Markstein made my latest build in SL happen. He does both medieval and Gorean buildings, domestic items, and decor, and he and does it all well:

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/17500?id=17500

You'll find posts by and about Trident (NSFW warning: it's a Gorean Designer blog, though Laufey does more than Gor!) at:

http://goreandesigns.blogspot.com

[Timo Gufler]

Trudeau Classic Yachts is my favorite brand in SL. There aren't any other, who would make as beautiful sailboats as Jacqueline Trudeau does.
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/1275
http://trudeauyachts.wordpress.com/
Jacqueline Trudeau

[Dirk Grantly]

Inedit

Love their suits and tuxes.

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/33539

[Hamlet Au]

Dirk, can you please add the brand's creator name and social media presence?

[Tracy Redangel]

the inEdit creator is Dans Belgar
http://www.ineditsl.com/
Sorry, don't mean to overstep you Dirk. I just wanted to make sure inEdit got credit as well :) Dans is a very talented, nice guy. My husband wears inEdit clothes :)

[Sans]

Maitreya
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14076
http://sl-maitreya.blogspot.com/
Onyx LeShelle

Mon Tissu
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/72344
http://montissu.blogspot.com/
Anouk Spot

LISP Bazaar
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/37264
http://lispbazaar.blogspot.com/
Pandora Popstar

Barnesworth Anubis
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/376
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78302650@N00/
Barnesworth Anubis

Elikatira
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/1368
http://elikatira.com/
Elikapeka Tiramisu

(it's too hard to keep it to just five!)

[Sonney]

Just go to the marketplace, hit blank search, and sort bu "Best selling". Then hit any shop there, click the upper left seller name, and you get their SL profile with the social media stuff.
- Consumers' choice -
But this list will be totally different from the perception of any fashionista/SL nerd/hard core SLer/SL blogger/and so on. But it tells you about SL's reality beyond the "marketing" aspect, that you emphasis so much by the layout of your criteria.

[Sinead McMillan]

"Scarlet Creative"

by charlotte bartlett. she's my favourite architect in terms of classical modernism\bauhaus etc.

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6345
http://scarletcreative.com/

[dirk grantly]

Thanks Tracy. I've been offline since I posted, and yes Dans deserves some exposure - excellent men's wear.

[Cyclic Gearz]

Mudhoney by Rayvn Hynes

Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14402

Inworld: http://slurl.com/secondlife/MudHoney/108/139/28

Blog: http://mudhoneydesigns.wordpress.com/

Not only does she make effortlessly chic furniture she also makes excellent houses too. She has a very good eye for detail, her texturing is bang on point, and her prices are reasonable for the level of quality you get.

[Tankgirl]

Dutchie

Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/15057

Inworld: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dutchie%20furniture/176/129/22

Blog: http://dutchiesotherlife.blogspot.nl/

by Froukje Hoorenbeek

Celoe -

Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/113265

Inworld: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MAYFAIR/125/136/22

Blog: http://lelutka.com/blog/

by Jaden Art

[Fritzfranz Fride]

WarBug Headquarters
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14782
http://warbug.net/
Arduenn Schwartzman

-Hanaya- Yummy Collectibles
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/59452
http://hanaya.eregion.de
Moriko Inshan

GARAGE R.H
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/29172
http://garagerh.blogspot.de/
Renn Luik

PREFABRICA
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/17227
http://www.prefabrica.com/
Loki Dancer

Second Ads
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/77098
http://www.secondads.com/
Wili Clip

[Gogo]

Brand: Pink Fuel
Designer: Mochi Milena
Blog: http://pinkfuel.blogspot.com/
Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/20845
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mochimilena/

Brand: Exile
Designer: Kavar Cleanslate
Blog: http://exilegear.net/
Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/17591
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54832439@N03/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exilehair

[Click Monopoly Review]

Use this community logo to publicize your connection to the Second Life world! With the inSL logo, you show that you're part of the vibrant Second Life community. Display the logo on your website, in marketing materials, on your business card,

[Shawna Amaterasu]

SHIKI for sophisticated and urban clothing designs.

Brand: Shiki
Designer: Shinichi Mathy
Blog: http://shikidesign.blogspot.com
Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/24743
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shinichimathy/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shinichi.mathy

[yifeiling]

my fav brands

causal wear :
brand:zenith fashion
Designer: miffyhoi rosca
market place :
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/37062

shoes:
brand : {{BSD Design studio}}
designer: babychampagne sass
Marketplace:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/123131
flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64586040@N05/
blog:
http://babychampagnesass.blogspot.hk/2012/09/stylist-photographer-n-designer.html

furniture;
Brand: urbanizeD
Designer: Pitsch.parx
blog:
http://inspirationbook-sl.blogspot.com/2012/11/inspiration-book-vol-nr-ii-out-now.html
ma
marketplace:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/36928

furniture:
Brand: Designer prims
designer: Elle Crescendo
Blog:
http://ellecrescendo.wordpress.com/
marketplace:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/43001

[Ohna]

All Around (Female Clothing, Shoes, and Skins):

House of London

Blog: http://thehouseoflondon.com/blog
Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/10774
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/london-dailey/

Owned by London Dailey

[Amanda Dallin]

Southern Seas Ships (SSS)
Maker of sailing ships for the SPD pirate/naval war games and role play.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fair%20Winds/141/65/24
1) https://my.secondlife.com/evvva.viper
2) https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/38151
3) Evvva Viper

[Amanda Dallin]

SK Designs
Clothes for the adventurous woman.. ...Pirate, Gypsy, Wench, Victorian, and Tribal.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Herald/133/142/3502
1) https://my.secondlife.com/sho.kyong
2) https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/20288
3) Sho Kyong

[Amanda Dallin]

BlakOpal Designs
"BlakOpal Designs offers wearable art and specialized pieces - Victorian, gothic, steampunk, and pirate attire for men and women in Second Life."
1) http://www.blakopal.com/
https://my.secondlife.com/BlakOpal.Galicia
https://my.secondlife.com/trilobyte.zanzibar
2) https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/25
3)BlakOpal Galicia and TriloByte Zanzibar

[Amanda Dallin]

Singularities Decor
Antiques in the French Quarter.
1 Prim sculpted furniture of historical design for role play. Medieval to Victorian period pieces. Tables, chairs, cabinets, china, chests, oil lamps and candle sticks.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/New%20Orleans%20City/171/172/22
1) https://my.secondlife.com/singularitiesdecor
2)https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/103032
3) Singularity Brown (singularitiesdecor)

[Amanda Dallin]

Botanica
Garden store.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gecco/222/150/24
1) http://virtualgardensl.wordpress.com/
http://caracali.blogspot.com/
https://my.secondlife.com/caracali
2) https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/92061
3) Cara Cali

[mousebi]

1.zenith fashion
miffyhoi rosca
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/37062

2.Magika hair
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/22776
Sabina Gully

3.https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/37264
Pandora Popstar
LISP Bazaar

5.BSD design studio
Babychampagne sass
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/123131

[Emmanuel Linke]

you show that you're part of the vivid Second Life group. Show the logo on your website, in ads, on your card. and today i want tell about my Keith Owen Online Review.

[Todd]

Cool nick knacks an avatars:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/94938
http://www.syntheticmonkeys.com/second-life.html
Sarge72 Resident

In the ways of fashion:
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/85278
http://www.atsweetdistractions.com/blog.html
mtwtfss71 resident

[darlingmonster ember]

I'll try not to repeat stuff I see above.

brand: RUE
av: Ruina Kessel
mp: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/26518?id=26518

skins, eyes, horns

brand: LEMON TEA
av: Sei Minuet
mp: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/64067

tails, horns, av accessories

brand: NUUNA's SKINS
av: Nuuna Nitely
mp: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/21093

exotic art skins and tattoos

[Hamlet Au]

Actually, you *should* repeat brands already mentioned, because those with the most total nominations are the most likely to make the final list. :)

[darlingmonster ember]

ok then....

brand: Illusions
av: Siyu Suen
mp: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6504
blog: http://masklady.blogspot.co.uk/

Masks, Jewelry & Costumery Fabulousness

brand: Discord Designs / dDx
av: Kallisti Burns
mp: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/7784
blog: http://discorddesigns.tumblr.com/

awesome hair and great beards, mustaches, etc

[Elizabeth Tinsley]

Fantasy Skins

Fallen Gods Inc.
1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/31379
2. http://fallengodsinc.blogspot.com/
3. Alia Baroque

Beautiful Gowns

Evie's Closet
1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/12149
2. http://glamorpuss.wordpress.com/
3. Evangeline Miles

Builds and Landscaping

The Looking Glass (Marcus Inkpen and Sharni Azalee listed separately)

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/59286
2. http://www.jmrart.com/thelookingglass/
3. Marcus Inkpen

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/59284
2. http://www.jmrart.com/thelookingglass/
3. Sharni Azalee

Mesh Hair

Wasabi Pills

1. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/64050
2. http://wasabipills.tumblr.com/
3. MissAllSunday Lemon

[Hyacinth Cortes]

Brand: Truth Hair
Av: Truth Hawks
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/13?id=13
http://truth-hawks.com/

Brand: Maitreya
Av: Onyx LaShelle
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14076
http://sl-maitreya.blogspot.com/

Brand: Zinnias
Av: Zinnia Zaru
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/52032
http://thecookiejarcommunity.wordpress.com/

[Melanie]

1) Probably my all-time favorite landscaping store in all of SL
Brand: Arctic Greenhouse
Owner: Logan Bauer
MP Listing: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/433
Blog: http://arcticgreenhouse.blogspot.com/

2) Prefabs/furniture with tons of detail and amazingly low land impact
Brand: LAQ Decor
Owner: Winter DiPrima
MP Listing: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/102209
Blog: http://www.laqroki.com/blog/

3) A girl can never have too much makeup options
Brand: cheLLe
Owner: Chelle Carousel
MP Listing: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/56044
Blog: http://juicybomb.com/category/chelle/

4) Realistic mesh body attachments with the easiest skin matching system, and a plethora of choices and add-ons
Brand: Slink
Owner: Siddean Munro
MP Listing: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14153
Blog: http://blog.slinkstyle.com/

5) Fantastic specialized AOs that truly give life to your avatar
Brand: Kami-Hitoe
Owner: Sala Snook
MP Listing: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/23299
Blog: http://www.kami-hitoe.com/