The King of the Freebies

Survivor: Second Life

How to Get by on the Grid

Part 2

I spent a large chunk of my early days in SL with my butt parked on a brick wall at the Bear Dream Lodge Infohub. It was there that I first met the self-proclaimed "King of the Freebies." He was tall, thin, bald,  wore a big trench coat and the glow from his bling could be seen for miles.

The boy had more attachments than an Electrolux.

The King prided himself on having everything anyone could need tucked safely away in his inventory. We eventually became good friends and he taught me all I needed to know about how to find the best freebies. Well, until he got involved with some psycho chick, bought her some stuff and sexed her up, sending her crying back to her ex boyfriend, telling him The King was stalking her and wouldn't leave her alone.. or something like that. The ex boyfriend formed a posse and he and his buddies tortured him mercilessly...

That's when he disappeared.

But don't despair! Before he left, The King shared his vast freebie gathering experience with yours truly.

How to Find Freebies:

• Freebie stores: If you're new and looking for some stuff to get you started, freebie stores (like Free Dove or the Freebie Dungeon) are a great place to begin. They usually have the basics like clothes, furniture, freebie scripts, etc. Once you start getting out and about however, you'll want to upgrade from the basic newbie free stuff.
• Events: If you browse the events listings, you'll find all kinds of freebie offers as a bribe to get you to stop by the event. Go for it. It's kind of a crap shoot, sometimes you end up with the same free junk you've got 100 copies of already, but you can also end up with some cool clothes and shoes. I've got a folder full of beautiful wedding gowns I picked up that way. I've never gotten to wear any of them, both my past partners were more the run-to-town-hall-and-get-hitched types. I'm still holding on to the dresses. You never know.
• Hunts: I've only done one or two hunts, but it's a great way to find free stuff. They usually have a theme and seem to be more popular around holidays. Take a friend with you, it's a cheap inexpensive date.
• Group Gifts: Most of the big retailers in SL have started giving out free gifts to residents who join their groups. Some offer a goodie when joining, others offer a monthly freebie to bring people into their stores. My favorite is Azul (beautiful dresses and gowns.) In my opinion, this is the best way to get high quality freebies and the stores involved increase their traffic by tempting you to visit. Everyone wins.

The King reappeared a few weeks after his disappearance with a new alt, hunting me down on the beach where I always seem to end up. He eventually became my first SL ex-partner after things started getting a little too weird. I'm sure he's still out there, somewhere, with a new name and a new face.

I used to spend alot of time out looking for feebies. It becomes almost like a game, seeing what you can come up with. It's also a great way to discover SL.

Where do you find your best freebies? Let me know in the comments.

We'll talk again soon!