The Hallowe’en 2020 Shop and Hop event is back, with 16 sims groaning with free gifts for you! Every booth has at least one free gift, and a few of them offer more than one! This popular shopping event runs from Oct. 6th to Nov. 1st, 2022. Here’s a handy alphabetical list of all the vendors participating.
As before, I am NOT going to cover the Shop and Hop event in detail here on the blog. Instead, I have compiled a notecard of my picks for the best and most fabulous freebies, free store credit offers, and gift cards, and posted it to the Second Life group I maintain, called the RyanSchultz.com Steals, Deals & Freebies group (the group costs L$50 to join; more information here). My notecard includes the exact SLURL for each freebie, for you to pop in, pick up your gift, and move on to the next score, for the most efficient freebie shopping experience! (Note that SL’s list of stores in the paragraph above has several SLURLs which stick you behind store walls!)
As always, there are many offers of free store credit and gift cards; here are my picks:
Addams – L$300 (group join fee L$5)
Blackstone – L$300
GGVG – L$500
Luna Chelsea – L$500
MALified – L$400
Mirage (home decor) – L$500
Nuve – L$300 (expires Oct. 31st, 2022)
Poison Rouge – L$350
Paper Sparrow – L$500 (join group for free; credit expires on Dec. 1st, 2022)
PRO TIP: Grab that L$500 gift card for Luna Chelsea and head over to the footwear section in their main store (exact SLURL), where you can pick up five L$99 fatpacks (over 70 colours!) of a wide variety of women’s shoes and boots, like these Destiny classic leather pumps (which also come in patent leather and suede versions):
Stock up on shoes using the L$500 gift card at Luna Chelsea, and you may never need to buy shoes for your avatar again! (Haha, just kidding, of course you will…)
Here’s a completely free vampire outfit I was able to pull together, using a combination of free gifts and free store credit, and taking advantage of discounted prices at the Hallowe’en Shop and Hop:
the Blood Vamp outfit is the gift from the Be Bold booth, and it includes the boots (there’s also a L$250 gift card if you join the Be Bold store group for L$50);
the red-lined black high-collared Bento animated cape I purchased on sale using the free credits from the MALified booth; and
the perfect finishing touch of the Sweet Death Crown, which I bought on sale using the free credits from the Poison Rouge booth.
Happy freebie shopping! Obviously, most of the gifts this round are Halloween-themed, with ghosts, bats, witches, and pumpkins galore. Boo!
The Phoenix Firestorm Project Inc. is a non-profit, incorporated organization whose mandate is to improve the user experience in Second Life and other virtual worlds by providing an advanced open source viewer with greater features, options and interface flexibility than the standard offering by Linden Lab. The project has approximately 80 volunteers working for it and are managed through departments divided up as Development, Support, Quality Assurance and Gateway. We provide live support 24/7 in nine different languages inside of Second Life through our support groups and on the web via our issue tracker.
And to celebrate its 12 anniversary, Firestorm threw a big party yesterday, Saturday, September 3rd. And in a circle around the four-sim event stage are free gifts from Firestorm and other Second Life vendors for you! All gifts are free and you do not need to join a group to pick them up.
The present from Firelight Hair is a new unisex fatpack of hair called Glen/Gwyn, which comes in both male and female versions, rigged and unrigged, plus a HUD with 32 different textures:
Firelight is also generously giving out the same gift to SL users that it put out a year ago, for Firestorm’s 11th anniversary! This shorter unisex hairstyle is called David/Davina, and also comes in male and female versions, both rigged and unrigged, with a texture HUD as shown below:
Next up we have a casual outfit featuring three more free gifts:
The T-shirt is the present from Addams, and it comes in a wide variety of sizes to fit most female mesh bodies, and in two colours: white as shown above, and black. (Note that there is also a men’s T-shirt gift, which also comes in black and white!)
The gift from Firestorm is a fatpack of this unisex baseball cap featuring the distinctive Firestorm phoenix logo, with comes the the HUD shown below, where you can mix and match the colours of the cap and the logo as you please. There are two versions of the baseball cap, one for smaller heads and one for larger heads, and both can be resized simply by clicking on them, which pulls up a menu. It’s the perfect accessory for any fan of the Firestorm viewer as your avatar strolls the grid!
Finally, there’s a very nice gift from virtual shoemaker Versov, these wonderfully detailed sneakers, which comes in sizes to fit men and women! These special-edition Firestov sneakers come in sizes to fit feet for the following mesh bodies: Maitreya Lara, Signature Gianni and Geralt, Legacy (male and female), Belleza (male and female), and Slink (male and female). There’s also an unrigged pair in the folder, which you can adjust and resize to fit other brands of feet. They are a keeper!
There are also many gifts for you fans of breedables (which I am not). Here’s the blogpost on the official Firestorm blog listing all the free gifts. I’m not sure how long all these gifts will be available, but I seem to remember that the Firestorm 11th anniversary gifts were available to pick up for at least a month after the events held at the stage. As I said, the event stage is a circle covering four adjoining sims, with the same gifts available around the perimeter of the stage in each sim. According to the event listing:
Since the big party was yesterday, you could choose any of these SLURLs and you shouldn’t have any problem getting in! I wouldn’t wait too long to pick these wonderful presents up, though.
PRO TIP: Did you know that you can pick up many other free gifts at the VERSOV main store, including three fatpacks of high-quality unisex sneakers of various designs and colours? Join the VERSOV group for free to pick up the fabulous freebies, which are located on panels at the front counter of the store…here’s your taxi!
Have you joined the RyanSchultz.com Steals, Deals & Freebies group yet? I will be posting EVEN MORE news and tips on finding fabulous freebies and bargains in Second Life than I post here on the blog! More information on this brand new SL group here.
There’s no less than 14 shopping sims at this year’s Halloween Shop and Hop event in Second Life! At every merchant booth, there is a free gift for you—many are Halloween-themed, but others are not. Below, Vanity Fair models a selection of gifts which I think you’ll enjoy.
Once I saw the generous Shop and Hop gifts from Sintiklia and AtaMe, I knew that I would be taking this picture! The Yasmine hair from Sintiklia comes in a fatpack of regular and Halloween shades, with styling options for both normal and windswept looks! And the stunning Lilly gown fatpack by AtaMe includes a HUD to change the texture of the bodice to five different metals, as well as select both the colour (6 shades) and the transparency (4 levels) of the swirling skirts. The Lilly gown comes in sizes to fit Maitreya, Legacy, and Kupra mesh bodies.
Strike a pose! The Lilly gown by AtaMe and Yasmine hair by Sintiklia
There’s several beautiful ballgowns at the Halloween Shop and Hop for you to pick up! From the SOFIA booth comes this sexy red Anne Star gown (sizes: Maitreya Lara, Belleza Freya Perky, Slink Hourglass, and Meshbody Legacy).
The Anne Star gown package includes a set of cream-coloured Eden jewelry (earrings, necklace, a ring and even a clutch purse!), which Vanity Fair is wearing below with the gift from Sascha’s Designs, a romantic cream gown with an optional flexiprim skirt attachment:
You’re all set for your next fancy event in Second Life in this ensemble! The gown comes in sizes to fit Maitreya regular and Petite; Legacy regular and Perky; Slink Physique and Hourglass; Belleza Freya; Tonic Curvy and Fine; and Kupra mesh bodies, as well as a medium-sized standard fitmesh version. (Please note that when you add the unpacker HUD, it rather disconcertingly fills your entire viewer screen, so attach it to your right hand instead, right click on the HUD and select Edit, then drag what versions you need from the Contents tab to your inventory.)
The gift from Bee Dumpling and Solas NaGealai of Silvan Moon Designs is this Anais Saturna gown, which comes with an optional coat and a chain belt in three colours: black, gold, or pewter as shown (the dress and coat comes in Maitreya Lara and Slink sizes).
The Anais Saturna gown by Silvan Moon Designs
From the TO.KISKI booth comes this complete outfit (dress, shoes, cat head band, and an animesh floating heart for your hand), plus a black voodoo rabbit doll!
This sexy red metallic dress with matching heels is sure to be a hit at the nightclub! The dress and shoes come in sizes to fit Maitreya, Belleza/Hourglass, and Legacy/Classic. Here’s s short video showing you one of the six different animesh hearts in action:
The generous gift from Essenz is a complete fatpack of these Aranea pumps, adorned with a spiderweb and dangling spider! Perfect for a dressier Hallowe’en outfit! These shoes fit Legacy, Maitreya, and Belleza mesh feet.
Among the many gifts from the Petrichor booth are a set of Azre weedcrowns, which come in no less than 36 different colours!
If you’re trying to pull together a witch look this season, here are two gifts for either end of your witch! (Do you know which end of your witch is which? 😉 ) The witch heels are from Hilly Haalan (they come in two colours, black as shown and green, sized to fit Maitreya, Belleza, and Slink mesh feet), and the wonderful witch’s hat and rigged mask are from Giulia Design. Click on each picture to see them in a larger size, and appreciate all the details…
And if you’re feeling devilish, perhaps you’ll want to snag these delightful purple horns from AERTH, which feature an animated orange swirling pattern! You’re sure to stand out in any crowd of demons! 😉
I leave you with the present from Jian, which is a keeper! It’s a cat sleeping on a pillow. If you click on it, you can change the texture of the feline’s fur, as well as the colour of the pillow! It’s adorable, and instantly earns a place in my Linden home.
The Hallowe’en Shop and Hop is on until the end of October, of course, so there’s no hurry! I’d suggest waiting until later on in the shopping event, when it’s less crowded and laggy.
UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: I forgot to mention that there are also a number of free store credit offers available at the Halloween Shop and Hop! The following list is courtesy of SL vlogger NovataSecondLife—thank you for compiling it!
You can pick up one of these lovely Flora tea dresses (which come in six different floral patterns) for free using the L$150 gift card available from the Ghee booth at the Hallowe’en Shop and Hop event
UPDATE Oct. 4th, 2021: One last fabulous freebie! Check out these truly glorious red wings, part of a complete outfit from the Alter booth at the Hallowe’en Shop and Hop! The outfit comes in sizes to fit Maitreya Lara; Belleza Freya, Isis and Venus; Slink Physique and Hourglass; and Meshbody Classic/TMP mesh bodies, plus five standard sizes. (The dress in the picture below is the gift from TO.KISKI, which I discussed earlier in this blogpost.)
Fasten your seat belts! Today I will be telling you how to receive a whopping six hundred and six Christmas presents on Christmas Day, all completely free!
Many of the Second Life stores which have Advent calendars and 12 Days of Christmas calendars allow you to visit once on Christmas Day, and pick up all the gifts at one time. Very convenient!
Below is a listing of the stores, each with a brief description of the gifts, and a SLURL to take you directly to the calendar. In some cases, I have also included a picture of the calendar.
This task would have been practically impossible without the truly Herculean work done by Andonia, who shall be henceforth known as the Queen of the Advent Calendars! Nearly every day, Andonia criss-crosses the grid, hitting as many calendars as she could, and then posts pictures of each day’s gifts to her blog! Here’s her list of 2020 Advent calendars, which she has published on the Kinky Fox Designs blog. Please peruse it, to get a better sense of what kinds of presents each calendar offers, so that you may efficiently draw up a plan of attack for your Christmas 2020 looting and pillaging 😉 Thank you, Andonia! 🙂
For this endeavour, you will require only three things:
at least one free group slot (in many cases, you will need to join the free store group in order to pick up all the Advent calendar gifts; you can then leave the group immediately afterward to free up that slot for the next store on this list!);
one Linden dollar (for the 12 Days of Christmas calendar at Baby Monkey); and
at least a couple of spare hours to teleport from store to store! If you, like me, are stuck at home during a pandemic lockdown with some time on your hands, this might be the year for you to go a little crazy with the virtual freebie shopping!
Ready? Set? Let’s go!!! Remember that you will only be able to pick up all the gifts on Christmas Day (for some stores, Christmas Eve, but please see my note about special Christmas Day presents at a few stores at the very tail end of this blogpost). If your time is limited, I have listed what I think are the best calendars for apparel and footwear first, then all the rest in alphabetical order.
Christmas Gifts of Men’s and Women’s Apparel, Footwear, Jewelry, and Accessories
Baby Monkey: No group needed; 12 gifts of women’s apparel and footwear; pay L$1 for each one, and your Linden dollar will automatically be refunded. The gifts all come with a three-colour mini-HUD, and together they comprise a capsule wardrobe!
Petite Mort: No group needed; 12 gifts of womenswear.
UPDATE December 25th: the Christmas present from Petite Mort is this beautiful white ballgown!
Oubliette: No group needed; 12 gifts of gothic womenswear.
UPDATE December 25th: the final gift from Oubliette’s calendar is this gorgeous black ballgown, the counterpart to the white gown gift from Petite Mort.
JUMO: No group needed; 15 gifts of women’s apparel, footwear, and jewelry.
No Shot: No group needed; there are two calendars, one with 12 gifts of womenswear and the other with 12 gifts of menswear.
Ari-Pari: Free group join is required; 25 gifts of womenswear, home decor, and a L$250 gift card (Dec. 14th). Gifts can only be claimed once, so select Deliver on the blue pop-up window, and then be sure to click on Accept rather than Discard, because you won’t get a second chance! (UPDATE Dec. 22nd: I have been informed by the owner of Ari-Pari that I can get all these Advent calendar gifts redelivered via the redelivery terminal found in the store.)
EscalateD: No group needed; look for the green Advent calendar (the red one is for V.I.P. members only); 24 gifts of hairstyles and accessories; for pictures of the gifts, see Andonia’s blog or the listing compiled by the Russian Vkontake group Second Life – FREE (use the Russian-to-English translator in your Chrome web browser). UPDATE Dec 24th: Please note that on Christmas Eve, you only need to click on the green advent calendar ONCE, and you will receive a folder containing all 24 gifts! If you click on all 24 numbers, you will land up with 24 copies of all 24 presents!!!
UPDATE Dec. 21st, 8:58 p.m.: I forgot to mention Altamura‘s 12 Days of Christmas calendar! Free group join required; 12 gifts of seasonal menswear and womenswear, including free Bento, Bakes on Mesh-compatible full-body male and female avatars (more information here). As the Altamura group usually costs L$100 to join, you might wish to stay a member of this particular store group, as Altamura sometimes offers group gifts and discounts to group members throughout the year.
12 Days of Christmas gifts at Altamura include Bento, Bakes on Mesh avatars
Some other stores you might wish to visit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day include:
AppleTini: Free group join required; 24 gifts of women’s fingernails.
Amore & Amore: Free group join required; 24 gifts of women’s clothing.
Black Angel: Free group join required; 24 gifts of womenswear.
Blackbird Lace: Free group join required; 24 gifts of women’s apparel and footwear.
BYRNE: Free group join required; 25 gifts of women’s apparel, footwear, and accessories. UPDATE December 25th: You’ll need to take the teleporter to the Advent calendar. Most of the gifts are womenswear, but a few items are unisex, and the present for Christmas Day includes both a women’s dress and this men’s black Victorian-era suit, with either a red or teal vest:
The Christmas Day gift from Byrne includes this men’s suit, as well as a women’s outfit
Coveted: No group needed; 24 gifts of men’s and women’s wear, accessories, and home decor.
DM Design: Free group join required; 24 gifts of womenswear.
Donni’s Dollies: Free group join required; 24 gifts of men’s and women’s apparel and footwear.
Enchantress: Free group join required; 24 gifts of womenswear.
ROA Design: No group needed; 24 gifts of womenswear and accessories.
Sands Design: No group needed; 24 gifts of women’s clothing.
TrendZy: No group needed; 24 gifts of womenswear and home and garden decor.
Home and Garden Decor and Christmas Decorations
If you are interested in home and garden decor, including Christmas decorations, please visit the following calendars:
Chic Buildings: No group needed; while Chic does not have an Advent calendar this year, she has put up two calendars with gifts from 2017 and 2018 for a total of 48 gifts of home furnishings; for pictures, see Andonia’s Advent calendar listing on the Kinky Fox Designs blog (press Ctrl-F and do a keyword search for “chic buildings”).
Dench Designs: No group needed; 24 gifts of home and garden decor.
Flying Arts:No group needed; 24 gifts of outdoor Christmas decor.
Fonzo Fest: No group needed; 12 gifts around the Christmas tree; childrenswear, family poses, home and garden decor.
Illustrious: No group needed; 24 gifts of home and garden decor.
Kim’s Creations: No group needed; 25 gifts of home and garden decor.
Christmas Presents from Shopping Events
On Christmas Day you should also pay a visit to a couple of shopping events where the gifts are all gathered together. I have not added the count of the gifts from all these events to the total given in the title of this blogpost; there are so many, that I simply don’t have time to count all of them!
Cosmopolitan shopping event(running Dec. 14th to 26th, 2020): Free group join required; the gifts are in Christmas stockings hung on a huge Christmas tree near the entrance. Participating vendors are adding stockings to the tree every day between now and Christmas, so I would advise dropping by on Christmas Day and picking up everything at once. If you want to see pictures of all the presents in the stockings, please check the daily listing of gifts compiled by the Russian Vkontake group Second Life – FREE (use the Russian-to-English translator in your Chrome web browser).
The Christmas tree at the Cosmopolitan shopping event has dozens of gifts!
The layout of the stockings around the tree can be somewhat confusing compared to traditional Advent calendars, and you might land up collecting the same gifts multiple times. You might want to use this tip provided by SL blogger Chic Aeon: once you have clicked on a stocking and received its gift, right click on it, Select More from the pie menu, select More again, then select Derender, then Blacklist. You will no longer be able to see that stocking! (These are the instructions for the Firestorm viewer; I do not know what the equivalent is for the standard Second Life viewer.) This is a genius tip! Thank you, Chic!!
Another shopping event you should hit is SWANK (running Dec. 18th, 2020 to Jan. 8th, 2021), which has four large Christmas trees at four corners of the sim (be sure to turn up your draw distance in your SL viewer to be able to see them!), under which are dozens of Christmas gifts from participating vendors. You will need to join the free SWANK group to pick up these gifts of men’s and women’s apparel, footwear, jewelry, and home and garden decor.
Finally, the Firelight Hair mainstore has, in past years, allowed you to pick up all 24 hairstyles on Christmas Day, along with a free store gift card to use on any hair in the Firelight store. I don’t know if they are going to do that again this year, so be sure to pop in, just to double check on December 25th! The Advent calendar gifts are mostly women’s hairstyles, with a few male/unisex styles thrown in. The Firelight group is free to join.
Also, Entice usually puts out a store gift card as their Christmas present every year, so check that out too! The Entice group is free to join.
