One of the Joys of life in the Grid, and especially as a
reporter covering life on the grid, is
that I get to travel around and learn about some of the real gems of
SecondLife, often tucked away in the most unlikely of locations. It was on just
such a day that I found myself in the quaint little village of White
Harbor. The fresh air blowing in from
the ocean, the scent of sea heavy in the breeze. Sea Gulls circling about, with
their distinctive chatter, and the familiar sounds of wind-whipped halyards,
slapping against main masts on dozens of sails boats and watercraft. It was
here that I first met Silken Sydney, owner, and curator of White Harbor Gacha,
puttering about in her shop, and I was instantly captivated by her story. She was busily preparing for the arrival of
the Ferry, due any minute from City by The Bay, carrying tourists who
would descend on the Gacha shops and paw over the treasures there. Sydney
graciously agreed to chat with me about her operation, as long as I agreed to
help with the dusting. She handed me
a dust rag without further comment on the matter and pointed me toward a shelf
of already sparkling Gachas
Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) (JB):
So tell me, Sydney. What is a Gacha, anyway?
Silken Sydney (SS): A Gacha is a Collection of items or an item
from a collection that is randomly attained by a game of chance. In other words, you pay per pull on a machine,
much like slots, and get an item from a grouping. No guarantees what it will be. You pay to play to get what you want. Items
range from common, to uncommon, rare, and Ultra Rare. Each is harder to get based on its ranking.
JB: So, where are the
Gacha machines? Where do I pay my money
and take my chances? Isn’t there usually
a bank of these “slot machines” somewhere?
SS: Ahhh...you see,
Josh. That is what makes White Harbor
Gacha different. We take the element of
chance out of the purchase. We have
already paid for the “random pulls”. We
have taken the chance out of the game for you, by paying for the random pulls
and throw-away prizes. When we win the
good prizes, we display them here and resell them to the customer at a fraction
of what they would pay for the same item retail.
JB: I have seen
Gachas advertised in various locations on the grid. Just what is different about
your Gacha place from the others out there?
SS: White Harbor is
restricted to 9 Shops ONLY. This helps
reduce lag and Vendors are voted in should an opening become available. We give our shopkeepers their store. There is no rent and they get 1000 prim to
work with. With no overhead, they stand
to make a clear profit but they are also solely responsible for the traffic to
their stores. While I advertise for
everyone naturally, they are expected to go above and beyond. Quality and exclusivity is the goal.
JB: This sounds
expensive. How do you fund the
operation?
SS: White Harbor
functions on donations only. Often the
tier is not met but we cover the cost personally.
JB: So then, where, and how, are your operators expected to
advertise?
SS: In order to
maintain their status of a storekeeper at the Harbor, each is expected to
advertise 4 times a week as well as maintain a cohesiveness to the
environment. There are Gacha groups that
they can join and advertise.
JB: Do you do this all
by yourself, or do you have business partners?
SS: Yes and no. The Land is owned by Benton Torkelsonn who
has allowed me to have The Harbor built in order to house the Co-Op Gacha
Guild, established just for the Harbor.
The Co-Op consists of 9 people who all get a vote and get input on what
they would like to see happen or changes that may come up. In doing that, I guess you can say they are
business partners.
JB: I understand your
operators have to sign a covenant? How
is your covenant different?
SS: We are offering
more than just a place to rent. This is
a community and its very specific on the level of quality we wish to
maintain. It’s very clear on the
expectations, violations and end results.
Everyone is asked to read this before accepting a Shop here.
JB: How many shop
owners can you work with?
SS: There are a total
of nine shop owners, including myself.
That is the maximum capacity for the Harbor.
JB: Can you share
with us some of the more unusual Gacha items for sale at White Harbor?
SS: You will find
many quality items at the Harbor.
Listing them isn't possible due to the fluctuation of availability. They
can be there one day and gone the next.
I encourage everyone to speak to the shopkeepers if they are looking
for anything specific. Many of us have a
surplus not even in the stores yet.
JB: I saw a sign on
my way here advertising something called a “TGE”? What is this “TGE Gacha Resell Event” that read
about?
SS: Tempting Gacha
Event is for resellers. This is done
every 3 months along the pier adjacent to the Harbor. 24 spaces only are allowed and it runs for a
full month! You can come by sea, air, or
teleport in. Vendors from all over
including some of our shop keepers bring their best items and offer great
deals.
JB: Is there anything
else you would like to share with our readers?
SS: White Harbor and
the TGE Event are simply things to experience. It's not just a bunch of
stores. It's an actual sail-able Harbor
with other scenic features. The Stores
are amazing and they are surrounded by an interactive environment. You just have to come and see for yourselves.
So there you have it, folks. If you have an eye for the
unusual, the eclectic, the curiosity, or that perfect item to add to your
collection of other items, scoot on down to White Harbor and look through their
collection of one-of-a-kind treasures. Hurry
now! Once these precious finds are gone,
they’re gone.
SURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lepudro/39/80/23
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138278567@N05/
Be There!
Aloha!
JB
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