Chic at Ebbe's Place

I have been grid hopping lately. I now have shops on four grids (some more than one building). I have explored other platforms along the way and for one reason or another decided not to put down my version of roots.

All this exploration got me thinking about merchant movement to the new  grid.

Typically creators are the first to move to a new platform. Whether they want to get the lay of the land, a foothold in the door or are simply curious, those that make our virtual goods are always the vanguards.

But how much investment do you make in a "new grid" ? And indeed The New World will be a new grid even though run by those we know. Do you upload or port over a small sampling of your best sellers? Do you make new things and then introduce them later to the other grid(s) you are in? Everyone will have their own method and their own comfort level.

But I have been sleuthing a lot in these new to me worlds. Some have brands I recognize, others very few. What is common is that no one makes too much of a commitment -- even after several years in some cases.

The other thing I have learn from all these shops in various places is that while I do make money (and oftentimes more than lots of folks -- little grids remember, I am not playing with the big boys), I never make NEAR what I do in Second Life. Other creators echo that statistic.

We are there for the adventure, to possibly help a new grid grow, because we like being big fish in little ponds -- there are many reasons.

My best bet from watching what has come before is that when The New World opens there will be plenty of creators testing the waters. They will need to learn new rules (EACH grid has new rules for mesh so that is a given).  They can port over recent things in some cases, in others they will need to make items a new.

I doubt that too many folks will try and recreate their stores all over again.

It will be a new world after all. It will be a growing process just like any other.