Oh, joy. It's Christmas.

Yes, I'm here to declare that Christmas has officially landed now that I've survived and hypocritically profited from Black Friday.

Oh, joy. It's Christmas.

I know, I know, take a deep breath. You survived the annual corporate-sponsored frenzy known as Black Friday. Which, let's be honest, is less about getting a good deal and more about participating in a mild form of societal stress-testing, seeing how many elbows you can catch to the face before giving up on that $15 toaster oven. Thrilling.

And now, because the retail overlords demand a seamless transition from one fiscally-exploitative holiday to the next, we are officially in the "Holiday Season." I'm already hearing those wretched, saccharine jingles everywhere I go in Second Life, probably even in my sleep. Thanks, Santa.

 The Hypocrisy of a Furniture Creator

Speaking of debt and questionable decisions, let’s address the elephant in the meticulously built, low-prim, holiday-themed living room: The PleasureScape Black Friday Sale.

Yes, I, Daria, the proprietor of PleasureScape Furniture and the woman who emphatically stated, "I will not be participating in that consumerist nonsense this year," probably while dramatically rolling my eyes totally had a sale.

You see, running a business is a dance between maintaining one's cynical integrity and admitting that, sometimes, people only buy things when they’re slapped with a big, flashy percentage sign. My original plan was to stand firm, sip my virtual hot cocoa, and watch the whole thing from the sidelines. But then the numbers started whispering sweet, seductive nothings about Linden Dollars into my ear, and well, a girl needs new textures, doesn't she?

So, yeah. We had a sale. A great one, in fact. Did it feel slightly soul-crushing to capitulate to the commercial pressure? Absolutely. Do I now have a lovely stack of virtual currency to fund my next brilliant, sarcastic, and potentially slightly too comfortable furniture collection? You bet your sparkly mesh boobs.

You Missed It. Sort of.

For those of you who missed the fleeting, two-day moment of discounted bliss, don't worry. I'm not going to tell you to feel bad. That's too nice. Instead, I'll offer a cryptic piece of wisdom that only a seasoned retailer who pretends not to care can give:

Keep your eyes open.

The holiday season in SL is basically one long, drawn-out sale waiting to happen. The big shopping events, the 12 Days of Gifting, the random weekend flash sales when a creator (like yours truly) decides they need to clear out some inventory to make room for more highly-detailed, yet completely unnecessary, virtual décor. They happen. They sneak up on you.

I’m not promising anything, mostly because promising things is a commitment, and I prefer the flexibility of spontaneous brilliance. But you might want to bookmark the main store and maybe check that group notice history once in a while.

Because while I loathe the relentless commercialism of the season, I do love moving product. And sometimes, that requires a strategically placed, limited-time incentive.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go figure out how to put a Santa hat on a chaise lounge without it looking completely ridiculous. (Spoiler: It always looks ridiculous.)