Who is on your 'Buy Without Looking At' List?
Knittingmommy
Posts: 8,191
I have a few favorite vendors and I know others here do, too. And, while it would be nice to support those vendors monetarily, we can't always do that. I know my DAZ budget is shot and I've had to wishlist products from my favorite vendors. From reading the forums, I know I'm not the only one pinching pennies at the moment. I've also been doing a lot of 'favorite' type questions with a friend and I couldn't resist starting a thread asking about favorites. Hopefully, it doesn't violate any forum rules. So, here is my Question:
What is your short list of vendors who cause you to buy their products without even looking at the promos? Do you have such a list? Because I know I do. While DAZ is full of really great vendors, there is a short list of vendors that I will literally buy from without looking at a single product promo because I know it will be good and something I'll want without even looking at a single promo. So, here is my short list, in no particular order as I can't even imagine trying to rank them by importance to me!
1. Zev0
2. Mec4D
3. FirstBastion
4 SloshWerks
5. Stonemason
While those are my top 5, I have to add two others to my list. One of which isn't exactly one vendor, but a duo that sometimes gets together on product. IDG While separately they are amazing vendors and I own a ton of their products, when InaneGlory and DestinysGarden get together on a project, magic happens! Any product they do together is an instant must have with me.
I was going to stop there, but another vendor has made my list who hadn't ever been on there before. I seriously made the mistake of not buying one of her products because I wasn't sure I would like the light set which is saying something because I seem to have made an art form of collecting light sets! But, I passed her set up the first time around and kicked myself for not realizing what a great product it was. I did rectify that mistake and I find I'm using the light set a LOT! I don't think I'll ever make that mistake again and recently purchased her latest product before funds got tight even though I wasn't sure if I would even find any uses for the product. So, she made my list with her Creative Emissive Lighting for Iray recently. And, quite frankly, when I looked at her store page to see just how many of her products I do have, I was surprised at how many she has that don't show up (hidden) because they are already in my product catalog and I didn't even realize it. Let's just say she doesn't have very many left for me to buy when I can afford it.
6. IDG
7. Khory
So, I'm curious about those of you out there in the forums. Do you have a short list of vendors you'll buy from without looking at the promos just because you know they are that good?
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Comments
I don't have a buy without looking PA but I buy most of Stefan "Stonemason" Morrell's fantasy stuff and all of his science fiction scenes except the distopia ones. I also have a major weakness for Alessandro Mastronadi's cute little furry animals. I've got most of Merlin and Faveral's medieval stuff and a fair bit of Jack Tomalin's more fantasy orientated buildings.
Cheers,
Alex.
For me, it's just Mec4D and Zev0.
That said, I'm especially fond of products from Stonemason, IH Kang, Luthbellina, First Bastion, Polish, DimensionTheory, Fred Winkler Art, Maclean, Merlin Studios, and i13. Other vendors who have sorely tempted me with their more recent products include Sloshwerks, Ansiko, and PerspectX.
And of course, Jack Tomalin.
Feral Fey and ART Collaborations.
...like yourself, my budget is trashed, actually terribly so. Hence, my wishlist is growing faster than the national debt.
However even when I did have money, I was not one to blindly just purchase because of vendor name as I am not into certain genres like Fantasy or Horror.
For example, with Stonemason I tend to prefer his sci fi, and urban sets, though his latest offerings Stone Lake and Through the Woods would work well for scenes in my story (as I am having issues with porting my characters to Carrara to use the Howie Farkes sets I have). For AntFarm I love his whimsical robots and mechs.
If money wasn't an issue three vendor who's stores I'd come close to "buying out" would be Collective 3D's (all the structure and vignette sets), Jack Tomalin (of who's works I already have a fairly extensive collection), and Ferval's (the structures, town/village scenes, and ships).
nursoda (@Renderosity)
'Without looking at promos' is nursoda only, but I still buy almost everything from
3D Universe, Stonemason/StreetWear, Zev0, goldtassel, deviney (Rons Brushes), danae (@Renderosity)
and eventually Saiyaness and Deepsea make it onto that list as well (for what I've seen - and purchased - so far)
Funny, I just posted the other day that I don't even bother looking at the product, as soon as I see Zev0 I just pull out my credit card. Other than him, a couple that come to mind right off the bat is Stonemason, FirstBastion, i13... There are a few others, but I'm noticing that they are starting to do the 'Iray Only' thing, so I'm having to pass up on a lot of items that I would have grabbed. I've just gotten used to dealing with lighting, shaders etc in 3Delight, to have to relearn everything and more for Iray is just more than I want to put into this, even though the results are really nice. The upside to that is that my wallet will be happy.
And SickleYield
Yes, you did, and I, funnily enough, agreed with you on Zev0's thread. It was one of the things that inspired this thread today! That combined with other bits of conversation I've had over the last few days with others, I just couldn't resist starting this thread to see if others had a similar list to mine.
Jack Tomalin, Stonemason, and Luthbel for me personally. I love their stuff, it's always good quality and worth the price.
Budget or not, I have no one on my list to "buy without looking". I do have vendors I don't usually purchase from mainly due to a negative experience with their products, forum attitude or incomplete promos such as missing nude promos (A huge deal breaker for me).
There are vendors I do try to support and whose work I tend to purchase from if it fits my needs. Unfortunately there is no one vendor that has a catalog of products where they all fit my needs. I love ZEVOs work, but have no need for growing up morphs or some other products they have. Same for Stonemason, amazing talent and eye for detail, but some of his environments are too taxing for my current machine when I add figures and other addons into the scene. DX30 products I always look for as I always have a need for heels, but their variety in style is lacking at times and as such I tend to pass on some products. I do like IH Kang's work, but it sems his earlier work at Rendo was a bit more detailed. Skimpwear, I always try to buy as it fits my needs and I want to support more skimpwear being produced, but it has to have some quality in it, detailed mesh, seams, logical design, etc. I would say the majority of hair products I use regularly are from SAV (rendo), Goldtassel, OOT and ALI (Rendo), but all these vendors have quite a few more products that don't fit in with my needs, so buying without seeing a promo really doesn't work.
Now that I have a top of the line new rig, My spending habits may change a bit since I can now do more with scenes than in the past
I too don't have a list of must have vendors. My criteria is quality, usability and possibilty for style change, kit bashing. The part that can sell a product to me is having a clay render, which shows the product as it is without any textures.
I do try really hard not to buy things I don't need right now from anyone but all the above plus v3digitimes tempt me to talk myself into needing it & spending now anyway.
Like FMC mentioned some of the larger enviroment products could push me over the 4GB GPU limit if I add any people & CPU renders take to long as I have no patience so those products I find easier to pass on - I have huge respect for anyone that will wait more than 2 hours for a render complete on a regular basis.
Talking of Zev0 - I am trying to persuade myself I don't need the Bend Control Product, its in my cart I just need to avoid checking out :)
These are with the caveat of it fitting the style of art I do and that I will actually be able to use it. No matter how much I love someones work I can't justify buying something I will never use.
Stonemason
First Bastion
Mech4d
Jack Tomlin
Jepe
RawArt
And Khory's stuff and of course Inane Glory and Destiny's Garden
Valandar
And of course there are those vendors who make beautiful hair and people and who if I bought everything they put out, my family would be homeless lol.
That's the short list off the top of my head. There are more but I'm afraid to look them up as I might be tempted to buy more...
Sheesh and I wonder why my debit card runs and hides when I open daz studio....
Mec4D for iRay shaders, which get wishlisted if I haven't got the funds to buy there and then. I do look at the promos though, mostly because I love looking at her art, but partly because I don't think I could ever buy anything without knowing exactly what I was about to part with money in exchange for. That's just not me. SimTenero's products almost always get a place in the cart or in the wishlist too, because s/he generally comes up with useful items or stuff that's a departure from the usual kind of thing found in the store.
Like Chohole, I like to see a clay render too, but what really helps to sell a product to me is an image showing all of it's material zones. Where environments are concerned, I like to see a shot of the product that shows the full extent of it. It was one of these posted on the forums by a user that showed me what I could do with Stonemason's Warehouse and finally convinced me to buy it, long after it had been released. To be honest, the promo pictures were attractive enough, but pretty much just showed me what Stonemason could do with it really.
Well, so far I've got everything by Deepsea and ChangelingChick, but that doesn't say much. But I look forward to more.
Chohole stole my comment (before I knew I wanted to say it).
The DAZ store is crammed full of stuff that is really high quality but doesn't happen to appeal to me. And even at big discount sale prices, this is still an expensive hobby (can't believe how much I've spent with DAZ this year). So it really is a question of examining each item on its own merits as regards my needs. If all the vendors were involved in a matter transporter accident and came out melded into one big, shiny hypervendor, I'd still look at the hyperpromos carefully and mull things over.
And as a long-term Brycer, there's still this lingering background belief that using outside stuff is heresy and sacrilige, and I should be doing it for myself (I actually get over that real quick).
OutofTouch
He always produces quality clothing*. His style is recognisable. And, I've been a fan since I discovered his items/products just over a year ago.
Although I'm pretty sure the "buy without looking" thing slightly risky now, as you won't know if you're buying an Encrypted product
Disclaimer *: I know there are other vendors on here which produce quality items, but I'm a massive fan of OOT. :D
...I do agreee with Mec4D's Iray Shaders, always a "sure buy" when there are extra finances on hand.
...I'd be making a fair amount of my own stuff by now if I could only fond some good modelling tutorials for Hexagon that are not in video format.
Hellfish studios, MidnightStories, Drhuregrif at renderosity.
Any Photoshop brush by Ron Deviney, and now MEC4D's Iray shaders, which I buy the day they become available. I don't have much professional use for her other product types, as I don't do renders containing that kind of content, so they're not an automatic buys, but I'm sure they're quite good.
I can't afford all of the Stonemason products I'd like, but if I had unlimited funds, I'd get all those sight-unseen as well.
Zev0, though lately it's been Wishlist without looking too hard at the promos if I really want the product but have a lack of cash. Looking hard at MEC4D's stuff, and of course Stonemason and FirstBastion.
Well, technically, it was the not looking at promos part that prompted the thread when I meant sight unseen. I think making sure a product fits your needs and/or is useable on your computer are always considerations no matter what you buy. Usually, you can figure that out by the title of a product, but not always. And, looking at the download type is always advisable.
There are a few artists that I know I can use, or find a use for, eventually. Stonemason, like practically everyone else. The Antfarm and petipet, for their quirky, definite styles that are still wide ranging enough that they can be used in a lot of contexts. Khory, Sickleyield, FeralFey are always go-tos. Marshian for plain utility and coolness. Jack Tomalin of course, and Moyra and Sarsa.
wow this thread could make a PA very lazy...
you should see what I have next,got a cube primitive and a sphere primitive too.and maybe a plane primitive if I find the time(no poser versions though,too much work for that)
remember guys, buy without looking!
In the strictest definition, Zev0 is the only artist for whom I literally buy everything on release. The thing is, I've picked up over 6000 items from DAZ alone, so I'm hitting the point where there's so much crossover that it's hard to justify picking up items that vary only slightly from other items in the collection. And then there's the question of relative proportions, becasue, yes, I've bought everything that Cayman Studios has produced, but that's only 4 items so far, and how does that compare that with my massive collection of Ironman13 items I mean, I don't own her complete catalog, but I DO have over 160 of them.
Well, you know if the textures end up being as good as the last release then I'm sure I'd be pleasantly surprised at what showed up in my Library! I'm actually a little embarrassed to admit that, with the exception of the Game Developer Licenses, I actually own every single @Stonemason product! But I'm not obsessed or or anything. Really!
While I don't really have a buy without looking vendor in the literal sense, the names that make me go "need" without even seeing the product are:
- Zev0 (most essential vendor of the century apparently. Morphs basically as important as the official morphs for each figure.)
- Aeon Soul (super detailed hair with many options + super detailed customisable outfits + detailed partial pose sets)
- Mec4d's Iray shaders.
OOT makes great hair and used to make great anime things, etc. but I'm really not into the uh "interesting" outfits which seem to be the majority of the content these days (they're very well made and have a lot of options many others don't, just not my thing) so I can't really add them anymore.
Greetings,
Well, to be fair most folks have said, 'I don't EXACTLY buy without looking...' And I'm in the same boat. I have a STRONG bias, though, for Stonemason items (own 75%, I also own 100% of Streetwear clothes), deviney's brushes (own 90%), Dogz (own 85%), ARTCollab (own 89%) and Jack Tomalin (own 88%). Honorable mention to Imaginary House (own 71%) and Aeon Soul (own 74%) with smaller catalogs.
I actually only own 61% of Zev0's catalog. It's good stuff, but there's bunches of stuff that I just never needed.
I pretty much have to talk myself out of buying stuff from the above vendors when it comes out. Most other vendors I'm a little more neutral on, and I'll see if it triggers a visual or a story or a scene in my mind, and then half the time I'll wishlist it for a little while.
-- Morgan