Midnight Mania
What are midnight mania boards?
A midnight mania board is a prize system which attracts visitors to pop into the store. If so many avatars touch the board, everyone who clicked receives a prize at midnight SLT. Some boards are limited only to group members, others are left open to attract new members. The store owners receive compensation in free traffic generation and the people who participate in the 'mania' receive a free item.
Sometimes these items are exclusives only received through the midnight mania board, or creators put a limited number of their new releases for free on the board for bloggers and the less fortunate on SL, such as ADN. All their new releases get put on the board for about 300 to 500 people, a small fraction of their member base, as a promotional gift; these gift receivers then become models with their free gift, because if someone asks where they got it, they'll have to explain it was from the ADN midnight mania board and then will be promoted to purchase it. Their boards usually lock by early morning SLT time which means only a few people get there in time to smack the board.
Bottom line, this is a basic freebie hunting 'game' on SL which gives out free gifts and in the end generates traffic and publicity for the stores which provide them.
The pro of this system is that all you have to do is click the board and leave. The con is that if not enough people click the board, you don't get the prize at midnight. Also, if the target fills up before you get there, you don't have an opportunity to participate in that night's round.
Lucky Boards
What are lucky boards? What are lucky chairs?
Lucky boards are another system of freebie hunting. Each board has a time limit and a letter or number. There are usually 27 possible opportunities to get items - one for every letter of the alphabet, a wild card round aka a question mark, and one for numbers. These letters are tied to the first initial in a resident's username. My name, for example, is Taisynn -- so my letter would thus be T.
I have two opportunities to win on a lucky board. I can either win from a question mark, also known as a wild card round, or the initial T. If I see either of those who letters, I can click on the board and win a prize which is usually represented by a picture on the board.
Some lucky board systems are actually chairs you have to sit in or even have different numeral or lettering mechanics, but it is the same basic concept.
The downside of lucky boards is that you can't just click and leave like a midnight mania board; you actually have to sit there and wait for your letter to come up. What is even worse is that if someone else has the same initial as you, you're stuck competing for the fastest click. Another downside is that if nobody else is there, and you really want that item, you're stuck sitting for ages praying for a question mark or your letter to pop up.
The benefits are that you could get the item even faster and not have to wait until midnight. You can also make the time go faster asking friends to click the board and calling them out in groups.
Groups
What freebie groups should I join?
In both systems there are strength in numbers. The more people you have, the more likely you'll either clear the lucky board or lock the midnight mania board. There is an entire community of stores and groups dedicated to these two freebie hunting systems on Second Life. These systems are so prominent in SL, and generate so much publicity and traffic for stores, they are very, very popular.
Each group has their own specialty and their own rules. Some groups are focused solely on gothic items, such as The Thrifty Goth and The Sinister Goth, and others are an all in one freebie hunting bonanza such as SL Frees & Offers, Fabulously Lucky Chairs, Huntaholics and More, Pwned this Chair, and so many other freebie groups.
There are many other groups that I am going to list below, but please note, I am not responsible for you if you break the rules or are kicked out of a group for breaking them. Follow their rules and guidelines, and also be humble and polite to both creators and fellow freebie hunters. We are all in this together. One cannot exist without the other. Even if you don't like the quality or type of item, what still matters is that creator took the time to spend at least $10L in upload fees and their time to give you a free item, and as Mama always said, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Pwned this Chair - My own personal freebie calling group. It's just a small group of friends which like to call boards together and chat while we search for freebies. I extend an invitation for everyone to participate though. Perhaps someday we'll get bigger.
Huntaholics and More - I guess you could say this is my massive family on Second Life. I have been a part of this group as long as I can remember being on Second Life. My friends in this group are pretty quirky people, but we have so much fun freebie hunting together. My nickname, 'The Inventory Crapper Upper', has been given to me by the moderators since I am constantly calling out free stuff. I'm actually quite proud of the title and wrecking up their inventories with nice stuff. They are also super friendly and willing to help new members, and they give a monthly notecard/newsletter with a list of all the hunts on Second Life.
SL Frees & Offers - This is the biggest, most organized all-in-one freebie group I have ever participated in. Not only are people regularly calling midnight mania boards and lucky chairs, but there is also a weekly gift list for Frees & Offers members. They have over 12,000 members. If you want to participate in freebie hunting, this is the #1 group I suggest you join.
The Thrifty Goth - This group is dedicated only to gothic, punk, and cybergoth items on Second Life. Anything decrepit, haunted, creepy, or disturbing, you're probably going to hear it called here. As a moderator, I know this group is very picky on what they deem goth, so beware; if you're going to call anything pink or fluffy, I'm pretty sure the mob with pitchforks is probably going to come after you. (Actually, they'll probably just laugh at you and then ask you not to call it again, but you never know!)
The Sinister Goth - Strangest bloody freebie group on Second Life -- and that's saying something. They've managed to top Huntaholics and More in the strange department by a small margin. Why? You'll have to join the group to find out. Like the Thrifty Goth, they are pretty picky on what they deem to be worthy of the term goth, and the side conversations... Well, if you're stuck watching lucky chairs, you won't be bored. I've laughed so hard in this group I've fallen off my bed.
Fabulously Lucky Chairs - The sister group to FabFree, this small group allows you to call midnight mania boards and lucky chairs under a certain set of rules and guidelines. They're pretty strict on what can and cannot be called, but it is still an effective little group and I have seen some nice stuff called in there.
Ladies MM & Lucky Chair - This multilingual freebie group has a really good following behind it, but this group, because of language barriers, is super strict on both etiquette and being to the point. They don't like repetition, so don't post boards more than once, and don't be sexual, derogatory, or anything over PG-13 in this group; even I have been muted in this group before. Happily unmuted now, but like I said, don't post boards more than once in this group.
Big Boobie Babes - This is a specialty group dedicated strictly to mesh boobie and butt wear on Second Life. Tangos, Lush, Phat Ass, Cute Ass, Banned Ass, Brazilia Ass, whatever kind of ass or boob you're looking for, you'll find in this group... and I think this is the first time I've gotten close to stepping over the line of PG-13. *Shivers* Sorry kids.
Harajuku-Lolita Haven - Last but not least, this is my own specialty group. If you love Dolly Loli, you'll love everyone in this group. This group is all designers, bloggers, and followers of lolita, harajuku, kawaii, and cosplay fashion on Second Life. If it's cute, pink, and fluffy, you'll probably see it here, and yes, we do cater to the gothic lolita and dead dolls lolita communities as well.
Freebies that Aren't Crap - I have no personal experience with this group, but I'd probably be in it if I wasn't full on groups. The owner sends out a notecard and notices about nice freebies and the like; you're not allowed to post items yourself, so group chat is disabled, but you can send them to the owner so they can be included.
Group Gifts
What are group gifts?
Now that all the complications are past us, and all the groups listed, I will now go on to mention group gifts. A lot of groups, including Witches & Rats, have groups which give out free stuff if you stay in them. You're not supposed to, but a lot of people join the group, grab the gift, and leave *coughguiltycoughidoitcough* not because they don't like the owner but because Second Life has a serious limit on groups. Witches & Rats is just one of these groups wich offers nice freebies, and her newest gift is behind me on the board. All you have to do is join the group and then click the board. Simple as that.
Scavenger Hunts
What are hunts on Second Life?
There is another system of giveaways called a Scavenger Hunt. It's sort of like an Easter Egg hunt -- creators hide items in their stores and give a hint. The freebie hunter then must go out and search for that item. These can be a lot of fun and give a lot of nice items. I personally adore hunts and tend to do a lot of them. Some stores do mini hunts, which only feature their stores for a special occasion, such as Pantsu*Hunter's new expanded store hunt, and others are huge gridwide hunts with ton of stores participating. My favorite website for following these hunts is Hunts SL.
Blogs & Websites
Where do you learn this stuff?
There are a lot of nice websites and blogs out there that follow freebies on Second Life. I am going to list some of my favorite ones and why they are my favorites. Yes, even as a blogger, I follow other bloggers too. I'm friends with a lot of my fellow bloggers on Second Life -- we all compliment each other on our different fashion tastes and the like. There's no shame in getting inspired by others. We all have something to learn from each other, and even I, as a blogger and Second Life mentor, am always learning from others.
Free SecondLife Tumblr - I love this Tumblr. The owner reblogs and links to a ton of free places on Second Life. She also features a lot of beautiful sims to visit and other blogs on this website. I've found some really nice stuff from her blog that I have been able to put into my own looks.
Second Life Freebies Scoop.it - This features a ton of freebies for both male and female a like. The reason why I personally love it is because they have a ton of male freebies to enjoy. There are not a whole lot of male freebies out there, and to have this one list so many nice, mesh, and quality freebies makes it a literal goldmine for freebies.
Male Fashion Feed / Freebie Category - I started following this blog and feed not that long ago. It is so difficult to find male freebies out there, and I really like helping out my friends. Afterall, despite how girly I dress, I really am a tomboy at heart. It's like, I want to get my nails done, but then again, I want to set things on fire too. I hang out with a majority of femboy and transgenders on Second Life other than my massive lolita and freebie hunting communities.
FabFree - Who can forget FabFree? I got my big start for Dolly Loli from my guest post there. I really, really Love Trill; okay, yeah, I'm being punny with her name. Insert cringe here. I really love the website and the people involved with it. A lot of good stuff plus hunt recaps and item features.
LuckyBoard.info - This website is yes, in Japanese, but if you use Google Chrome as your browser it will translate it for you. This is tied to the Japanese lucky board system that is popular with a lot of the Asian creators on Second Life. There are great items listed here. I love the fact you can find all the lucky boards and stores on their website; I have found so many new stores this way!
Freebie Rooms
Are there easier places to get freebies?
Now, there aren't a lot of freebies out there that aren't linked to some kind of group or gift giving system, but, they are out there! There are rooms such as the FabFree Headquarters that provide free stuff without having to join any kind of group or participate in any sort of inner system. It's just free free free.
I am very careful about advertising or calling these places now -- FabFree is professional and a legit freebie room and gets all their stuff legally, but there are some places who provide copybotted stuff out there. Eventually they get in trouble and all the stolen items get deleted from SL. So always make sure these little gold mines are legit!
These rooms are hard to find, but they are out there. Just be careful! Sometimes what's free isn't always what is cracked up to be.
Recap
So, I have finally listed almost everything I know about freebie hunting on Second Life. I just spent about three hours writing this and getting all the pictures together. Eventually I'd love to put a huge list of big freebies together on my blog, but that takes time. I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes, and please do me a favor and link it to all your friends. I love helping other people on Second Life -- it's my pride and joy. If I can help someone who is broke enjoy Second Life just as much as someone who is rich, I think I've done a good thing, and this is what this blog is all about for me: teaching and helping others.
Sincerely,
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