Marketplaces can be broken into 2 classes. There are general sites which offer not only their own products but also broker products for others, and there are specialty stores which only carry the work of one or a small group of makers. General stores are more likely to have a product, but the search can be frustrating even if I know it is in their catalog. Whether I have personally shopped at a site isn't a recommendation solely of quality (I do tend to be a careful shopper), but also an indication of their having what I needed. If I haven't shopped at a site, it might be because of politics or personality, but more likely because they don't have what I need or that I can't afford everything I want. Your needs will be different, so your shopping patterns will be different. I do have my favorite makers, but I'll try to be unbiased in the coverage. (And I'm sure that the lurkers will jump into the gaps!) The general stores include: Renderosity. http://www.renderosity.com The Product Showcase Forum is a good place to keep an eye on what's new, WIP, and sometimes offers a way to influence future products by leaving feedback. There is also a Wishing Well that merchants can utilize. The MarketPlace itself is huge and in need of a makeover. There is talk about a section/s for figures other than the DAZ models since there are now so many of them (and they all need their own wardrobes and accessories). Various Merchants will have sales at different times. At Christmas many of the merchants contribute gifts to the community (some are very generous indeed). If you sign up for the Renderosity newsletter, there is a free prop each month, sales or coupon offers, and updates on new products (check your profile for the signup button). Renderosity has a wishlist where you can place items before putting them in your cart... useful for those of us who like to think before buying. You can even make this wishlist public (I'll come back to this). DAZ. http://www.daz3d.com/ DAZ has a reputation for quality and a bit of elitism. It is easier now to be a broker since they expanded the store, but they still limit the products they carry. There is sometimes confusion over costs. DAZ is very generous and offers coupons or vouchers, in addition to the sales, from time to time, but knowing what is eligible can be tricky. There is a difference between original and brokered goods, and DAZ may be willing to accept a sale price, but asking a broker who has an item in the Platinum Club for example, to take a further sales cut is unreasonable. (And yes, there have been people complaining that they didn't get a discount on the $1.99 items, too.) The original stuff is mostly human figures based from the Michael and/or Vicki product lines. Brokered goods are split between support for those figures and other random stuff. The guarantee at DAZ is unimpeachable. DAZ offers a weekly freebie, which used to be solely their own work, but now often features the work of their brokers. Another good way to test-drive the work of a merchant new to you! Last week was the Sea Serpent LE and this week is a very nice candlestick. Get it! These weekly items usually don't get archived and sometimes don't even get offered for sale later. You can add items to your wishlist, but not yet share that wishlist with others. 3dcommune. http://www.3dcommune.com/ This is a nice community, similar to Renderosity in offerings and activities, but smaller. There are merchants and free stuff providers who only offer their goods here, so it is definately worth dropping by both for the friendliness and the exclusives. They have a much better search function than most sites, and quite a wide range of products. RDNA. http://www.runtimedna.com/index.ez? This is where some of the most expert of experts hang out, and there is very good stuff in the marketplace. They have Real Deals for 2.49 (and you don't have to pay a membership fee to be eligible to buy them). Sign up for the newletter and you get a free weekly item which may or may not tie into the month's theme. There is some serious drool-worthy stuff here. Each year they do a "12 Days of Christmas" with spectacular gifts to the community from some of their best merchants. PoserPros. http://www.poserpros.com/ The store here has a special section called the ProClub where goods cost $2.49, with no membership fee, as well as the main store with a variety of brokers. Most of the brokers are again exclusive to the site. The store is pretty easy to search and has clear categories. There is a weekly free offering, which stays up for 2 weeks (it rotates), and it is often something to introduce a newer merchant. As the name implies, several experts hang out here. Rendervisions. http://rendervisions.com/ This is a very new site as these sites go, and the marketplace is currently undergoing a makeover. There isn't much, but I've purchased from some of these merchants before, so am keeping an eye on the site. The search function is less than intuitive (I didn't like the icons at the top), and I'd prefer to know how many items a search turns up (too many and I can refine my terms). As the product list grows, they will have to deal with that. On the plus... they have a spell checker. ;) I think this covers the general sites with a variety of brokers. If somebody fell through the cracks in my brain, please feel free to remind me! Next up are the specialty sites....