1 in 10 Second Life Merchants Surveyed Earn USD $100,000+ a Year From Selling Virtual Goods

Here's another notable result from that survey of SL merchants we discussed on Tuesday: How much real life money they're making from Second Life content. While 42% of those surveyed say SL is "a full time job and main income source", this question above indicates just how much of that income they're typically earning.

While the majority are making USD $1000 or less (those selecting "1"), about a third of merchants are making between $1000 and $5000 a month (options 2-5). But the results on the other end of the spectrum are even more surprising:

On the high side, 10% of those surveyed chose option 9-10 -- indicating they're making $9000 to $10,000+ month. In other words: 1 in 10 Second Life merchants surveyed are making well over $100,000 a year from selling virtual content in the SL economy.

Which, you know, is pretty incredible. (Assuming this survey is representative of the economy as a whole, but from what we know, it probably is.) In recent years, Linden Lab has reported less and less information about the SL economy, making much analysis of it a matter of speculation. (Beyond one-off examples, such as CEO Ebbe Altberg's reference to "a woman in New Zealand who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars making hands and feets for avatars".) But this survey suggests a substantial number of merchants are making an extremely good living from Second Life -- making any signs of a recession a real threat to the livelihood of thousands of people around the globe.

By the way, the anonymous creator of the survey, a successful Japan-based SL merchant, recently created a Discord server for discussing topics just like this: Second Life Merchant Resources.

Again, I hope to run a virtual economy survey of my own soon. If there's any question you think I should include, please post suggestions in Comments!

Comments

[Chic Aeon]

I just wanted to point out that it would be EXTREMELY easy for anyone to "game" that survey. One person (with some smarts) could have taken it ten times and said they made huge amounts each month.

I am not doubting that SOME folks make big bucks in SL, but I am doubting that percentage in such a small survey with totally anonymous information. Also note that the graph flows in a curve gracefully (as expected) towards the 5000 - 6000 mark then disappears at 8000. Those top numbers really don't make logical sense.

Also it is doubtful that the top money makers in SL hang out reading blog posts and answering money making surveys. Hopefully they are either working or out ENJOYING all that money they have earned.

[Pulsar]

It would be interesting a survey split by kind of product, to understand better if there is any relationship between the kind of products sold and who is reporting hard times, or if that is widespread to every market sector.

Perhaps this survey doesn't represent the whole marketplace.
If you look at the web marketplace, the impression is that there are loads of minor merchants who just make simple things or they sell edited templates (I don't count the gacha resellers). Someone may be more or less successful, but usually they don't get much and just leave their shop as it is. It's unlikely they ever took part of any shopping event or this survey.
Then there are niche markets: for example, I know someone who makes well made gadgets with very good reviews, but hardly makes 1000 dollars per year, not per month. I know someone else who makes vehicles and earns a bunch of money for SL (although this year less), but that's a rare case, and still not enough to make a living and to replace the real life job.
So, I suspect that this survey was took only (or mostly) by a minority of merchants, those of the most active, who have a serious interest in that. Even so, an half of those doesn't make enough for a living.

[Pulsar]

For active merchants is important to keep in touch with a volatile market like SL, where everything can change anytime: new updates and tech, new trends and so on. Blogs and surveys like this (which is quite interesting and a good idea) can give an hint. Sometimes it's hard to know what exactly is going on.

Although the number of regions is stable now and the user concurrency is just a little lower than 2017, there could be something happening underneath.

Sometimes I read that SL is less social now and that more people are into selfies, that chat and discussions are happening more in group chats and Discord now, etc. The home button no longer sends newcomers to infohubs, a couple of popular (yet trollish) infohub have been put down in the past 2 years (Violet and Korea1). Adult places still have high traffic, but there has been the rise of the AFK ones, that place quite high in the list, while you search and sort by traffic.
Maybe there is a mix of different things.

When you have a socially rich second life, maybe you don't see that, but checking out with a new alt, SL felt a bit more lonely than 2-3 years ago (not to mention 11 years ago).
However, popular places still look as popular as before, but secondary ones maybe not as much. Some minor community may show signs of weakness. I'm not sure, but I seem to notice a patter like this, for example with spiritual communities, airports, etc (those where the traffic is not inflated by bots).

I look forward for the next survey :-)

[Baladev]

I deleted the account of a well known 15 year avatar not too long ago. Closed all my stores and deleted the avatar. I came back as a noobie who has spent the last month riding those "pods" that go everywhere. That's pretty much all I have been doing for hours is riding pods on different mainlands. I spent the past 15 years in sort of a SL bubble on Anshe Chung private land, just making things for my stores with almost no exploration. After a month of riding the pods I'm in shock at what I have seen. I really have a hard time wrapping my head around all the time and energy that the residents of SL have put into things, and how so much of it is still there, on land that they claimed in some places over a decade ago. Prim based products made in 2005 still for sale in mainland stores that no one ever goes in anymore. Huge areas of Governor Linden abandoned land where there used to be tight communities. Ride the pods for a month (or not if your sane) and just try to consider the time and effort that the residents of SL have put into this. I know busineeses come and go, but its hard to understand how SL management can look at all this and see their way to end it.

[YourThere Sometimes]

Agreeing with Chic plus like to add I think 99% of active creators are just supplementing income with the customer base just getting too small for those kinda margins.

[Adeon Writer]

Interesting poll results. based on the data, I believe you have trolls who take your poll.

[jill]

I said I made 1 million selling dead furries to fashionistas.

[Ryan Schultz]

I agree with what Chic Aeon said above; I rather doubt that that many content creators are making that much money. It *is* a small survey sample size.

And the woman "woman in New Zealand who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars making hands and feet for avatars" has gotta be Slink, who else could it be? She was lucky to be in the right place with the right product at the right time, and she is raking in the profits (like the creator of the ever-popular Maitreya Lara mesh avatar body, Onyx Leshelle).