Back to the Winterlands

It was like a seasonal getaway. Last year's Winter Faire Marketplace on four regions named for reindeer. The winning bidder of a parcel did not have to worry about the land counting against tier for the duration of possession. Although it was intended for merchants to promote their holiday businesses, I took it in part as said seasonal getaway and partly for learning how to be less of a packrat.  I forced myself to tear down the parcel and rebuild for four celebratory themes. I'm aware most folks bought into these for the exclusive Linden Lab souvenirs (we got a commemorative shirt and some badges sent to us), but I was always in it for the land.  Not only that, I was preparing a portfolio at the time for an LDPW freelance position and recorded each incarnation on video; they continue to sit on YouTube for posterity (do a search for sldpw).

Most of the folks set their "shop away from shop" up and ignored them from then on, then crabbed that Linden Lab should have given the land to them from Halloween through New Year rather than December through just before Mardi Gras.  Marianne McCann and I were the only ones remaining through the tenure with events and happenings without a complaint.

Well, those times have returned and bidding is currently under way.  The map has expanded to two additional PG parcels:

The layout is now different and possesses a single Infohub landmark to define actual Linden property (that's the ice rink in grey). Last year, each region had a willy nilly blue "I" on someone's parcel.  People never learn here: they went all bonkers under the impression that they'd get traffic, but the traffic consisted of underage, penniless noobs and griefers.  For that you drove the bidding up?  LOL!

Last week Marianne and I explored the new terrain and scoped out places we'd like.  I made note of the priority pieces and the gears began to turn over what to place there this year.  I know what to expect going into this. We actually got a lot of noobs at my place last year anyway.  My friends and I helped them, then sent them on their way.  Or they stayed and partied with us.  At the time Mediamaster still existed and I had my own playlist streaming.  I was the envy of Donner.

What I didn't expect was that people would bid so much higher this year after all the griping.  Don't they realize that this is PG land and cannot be resold?  Do they remember the gripes last year of how few people other than noobs and fellow Winter Faire proprietors showed up at their door rather than prospective consumers?  Apparently not from what I'm seeing.  Then again they appear to be rolling out the larger parcels first, so it remains to be seen whether residual funds from the Shermerville sale will handle what I have in mind.  I'm figuring it will since what I have in mind is not what the idjits see as "valuable" or anywhere near as large as last year's 2048.

Suffice it to say I'll be very busy building once I've won a parcel, with the first party entered on the SL calendar shortly following acquisition.  We'll have many a party and good cheer, all the way through Mardi Gras ah gahrontee!