A note from Vakis Oranos, owner of [vdbv.designs]:
I rarely write announcements about the closing of our outpost stores but this one is very special. Yesterday I received on my mail this automated Second life instant message:
"You have received a message from Second Life: Your 30 objects have been returned to your inventory lost and found folder by Governor Linden near parcel 'POD SHOP Keswick Mall - Vendor spaces available' at Keswick 222, 17 due to parcel auto return."
The Keswick Mall was the first mall where I have opened the very first store of [vdbv.designs], the BODY HAiR SHOP back in December of 2006. I opened that store while I was only three months on in Second Life. I was very hesitant to become a SL merchant mainly because I didn't want to dedicate my limited free time to manage an SL business. After all, Second Life for me was mainly for fun and socializing.
However, after the continuous requests of friends and residents who were amazed by the body hair designs and wanted to buy them, I decided to finally open a store to start selling the items. So I "invested" $10 to buy some Linden dollars to I open up my first store at Keswick Mall and the rest is history.
The "store" at Keswick was actually a very small booth that only allowed 30 prims. The owner of the mall was Paul Lobo, a very successful SL animator and owner of en:joy animations. He was also my very first customer. He was amazed by the high quality of the body hair designs and immediately purchased 4 products.
Soon after, I was overwhelmed by the success of the store. The sales of the first month were phenomenal without any promotion, just word of mouth. Just two months after opening my first store, I had more than 20 outpost stores in Second Life grid. Even though I had closed many of those stores, I was always keeping my very first store at Keswick mall, mainly for historical and sentimental reasons.
Unfortunately Paul Lobo left Second Life some time ago and Governor Linden has reclaimed the land where my first store has been opened. I am sad to see one old piece of my personal SL history go but (Second) life goes on.
Vakis Oranos
Owner of [vdbv.designs]
