Subscription sites. This is going to be the most problematical one of all to cover, since I do not have that much experience with most of the sites. The followers of each of them are quite partisan, so ask about any of them, before laying your wallet down, and you will hear plenty! Poser users have a very strong feeling of entitlement, especially when it comes to promises made. If they get more, they may or may not express gratitude, but beware of missing a update or posting less than expected! In the first Harry Potter movie, the birthday boy was short a gift. It didn't matter if the other gifts were twice as good as last year's, he wanted the exact total number of promised gifts or he was going to throw a tantrum. It takes a far braver person than me to open a subscription site! My hat is off to those who do! The sites which have had the most problems have faltered and withered away. I'm only aware of a handful of current main subscription sites. Most of these sites have only one or 2 main modelers and perhaps a texture artist. Therefore, choosing a site may be as much a matter of taste (do you like his style) as value (cost per item). PropsGuild. http://propsguild.com/ This may be the oldest. It used to be free, but went subscription to try to pay for bandwidth. Instead of purchasing separate models, for a set fee you get access to everything on the site (hundreds of models), and there are updates. It is categorized, and supposedly searchable (not a member, so I can't test). I'm not sure how often or regularly those happen though (I did just peek in and they have more stuff, including a couple of freebies in a new section). They seem to have a forum now, and they take requests. I downloaded many props when they were free. They are ancient, but often still quite workable, and sometimes the only example of a type. Props do not date as quickly as figures or clothing so a cat tree or windmill or pipe organ or tool set ought to work just fine. Anton's peacock is here, and they have added some dinosaurs. If I were to make a recommendation, it would be to look over the site and see if there is enough usable stuff to be worth the 3 month subscription, and, if so, then see whether enough new things get added to make it worth continuing. There is a provision for being a contributing member, where you get free access for providing content. This would help the site to grow, and benefit everybody. Traveler's Propsclub http://www.morphworld30.com/club.html He hasn't updated his sales sheet in a while. ;^) He has been doing more than just props: hair and clothing and even animals, and the archive usually has 12 weeks or so stashed neatly at hand. He is perhaps smart to keep the implied promises minimal. I've been a member for maybe 3 years, and this has been one of my better purchase decisions. He has been extremely reliable: if he has had to go out of town, the update will often be early, sometimes doubled, or something, and he keeps us informed of happenings such as changes in the site structure. Part of why I like this site is that the goodie always comes on Monday when a smile is most appreciated, and we never know what is coming, so it is a bit like Christmas. It might be a demon throne or a chickadee or rattan furniture or a medieval robe or a billboard or a leafboat... we never know. He is open to suggestions, but I rather like the surprise, too. PoserStyle http://www.poserstyle.com/ This is a newer site. They have had server problems and membership problems... some kinks in the systems. OTOH, they have free content to try out, and it is nicely made. You can preview what is available (close to 150 items, including clothes and poses for the modern figures). A subscription buys you immediate access to all content plus updates. It didn't appear to be searchable, but I may have missed a link. There is a forum and gallery. I'd make the same recommendation as for PropsGuild... see if there is enough already here to make the subscription worthwhile, and then see if the site is stable before continuing. PoserWorld http://www.poserworld.com/ This site has ardent fans. There are a more than a thousand items immediately available for the subscription price, hundreds more on the CDs, and the updates appear to be regular. (I'm not a subscriber, but it looks good.) The emphasis has been upon quantity. I've had hesitations over the authenticity of the period pieces, but sometimes they are the only source. There is a lot of clothing here, including stuff for the much-neglected boy children. There are occasional free models and 4 in the archive so you can try them out. Gallery and Forum and Contests. Click on a few of the pages to get a feeling for what the updates are like and test drive the hearse (or whatever is in the archive). DAZ's PlatinumClub http://www.daz3d.com/ In addition to the main store and the weekly freebies, DAZ also has an exclusive PlatinumClub area where you pay a fee (monthly or annual) which buys access to the forums, galleries, and specially-priced store, as well as reduced prices at the premium store. The trick here is looking at what you would save if your purchases were under the PC auspices. If you are only going to buy an occasional item, it might make more sense to just buy it. If you are going to be buying lots of stuff, you will almost certainly save money by getting the subscription. Because several different modelers and texturers are now involved, there is a range of style as well as of object. It is a nice collection, overall high quality... not that well organized, but searchable. Some items are available in the main store for much more; others are exclusive. Again, the DAZ guarantee is behind the products. To be continued.... :)