One of the really cool features of VZones is the ability to buy, sell, and trade items inworld.  Trial members--"newbies"--are given 25 tokens to start with to buy items, body and head paint, etc.  You can get more tokens by: a) selling or pawning items you own, or b) winning tokens in games such as bingo, or c)--best idea yet!--coughing up some cash for a full membership.  Your items are yours to keep, and you'll still have them if you convert your account to full membership.
 

Sad to say, there ARE some pathetic losers inworld.  Most avis you'll meet are trustworthy, but until you get to know them personally, BEWARE!!  It's a sad fact that many seemingly "helpful" avis are just thieves...helping themselves to your stuff because they know most newbies don't know any better.  Here are some tips, based on several recent thefts, to prevent YOU from being a victim!!

1. Remember--you can only have 7 items in your pocket at a time!  A box or other container counts as 1 item, even if you have several items inside of it. You cannot, however, get something out of a box if you're holding it.  If you want to get something out of a box, don't panic, and DON'T put it down!! (See #2) Click yourself, choose Get From..., choose Pocket, then choose More....  You'll be able to get items from the box without setting it down.

2. There is no--I repeat, NO--reason to ever, ever, EVER put any item on the ground.  If your pockets are full and you're stuck holding something, find a friend that you KNOW you can trust, or page a guide (go to Help at the top of your window and choose Page Guide).  Unless you have a turf somewhere, I'm afraid you're going to have to pawn or sell something.  Do NOT believe an avi who tells you it's OK to put it down just for a second, or nobody will take it if you put it down directly in front of you, etc.

3. This may sound like weird advice, but I've seen too many headless newbies to let it pass! *LOL*  There is NO reason to take your head off and hand it to anyone, even "just to look, for a second."  Apparently some thieves are telling newbies some story to get them to hand over their heads (I don't know what the story is).  This world runs much like the real world; if it sounds weird, it's probably a trick.

4. Ask around before buying an item.  I overheard a newbie telling how he bid 70 tokens on an item in an auction that turned out to be worthless (it was a free item that any honest member would have given him).  Find out the value of an item before you spend tokens on it!  While on the subject, do NOT buy a Crashin' Lion--those are freebies and any honest member will gladly give you one (or more) for free.

5. If you buy or sell or trade anything, ask a good friend you can trust or page a guide (see #2) to be the "middleman" for the transaction.  He or she will hold the money and the item and you CAN trust any guide you page to be honest!  Be wary of anyone who doesn't want you to page a guide or have a middleman; any honest avi will NOT be offended if you ask for one.

6. BEWARE--a guide's name will always start with the word Guide--not Gyde, or Gide, or any other weird spelling.  Be wary of anyone you run into who tries to pass him/herself off as a guide but doesn't have Guide in front of his/her name!

7. Sadly enough, you can't necessarily trust anyone with AAT (Avatars Against Thievery) in their names.  Some thieves have joined AAT so as to come across as trustworthy.

8. OK, so you're a full member, but still pretty new.  You've rented your own turf...great!  You can put an item down in your turf, click it, and choose Glue Down to prevent anyone from walking off with it (should you choose to have visitors).  It can only be un-glued by the turf owner (that's you, and any roomies that you've added to your lease).  One thing to remember--glued-down boxes and containers can still be opened by anyone!  Don't keep items of great value in your boxes!

9. You can't always tell members from newbies.  Some members have more than one avi, and keep one in "newbie gear" (athletic body, dark skin and hair, black pants, yellow shirt), or maybe they just LIKE that look.  Some newbies have been the lucky recipients of gifts; an avi who has cool heads and items may not necessarily be a member!  The only way I know of, at this point, to positively identify a member is if he or she has a different body--you have to be able to access a body-changer to do that, and newbies can't get to one.

10. If you have any trouble with thievery, rude language or comments, etc., page a guide! That's what they're there for!
 
 

1. If you're just parking your avi (logging on and then using your browser to surf, or leaving to do the laundry, or otherwise leaving your avi unattended for an extended period of time), it's a nice idea to set your TMA (Tell Me About) to read AFK or some other message to let people know you're not really there.  Other alternatives:  ghost or turn around so your back is showing.  In the same light, don't assume someone is rude if he or she doesn't answer when you say "hi;" it's possibly just a parked avi.

2. And please don't park your avi in a place that's likely to be crowded, such as a vendo area or a game area!

3. Vendos...*sigh*...when a new vendo is placed inworld, there are tons of avis waiting to use it!  When there is a group of avis using the vendo, the proper etiquette is this:  one avi "turns," and asks to make sure everyone is done buying that item before turning again.  When an item comes up that you want to buy, say "wait" and go get it.  Say "done" when you've bought all you want of that item so the turner knows it's OK to proceeed.  It is considered rude to go up to a vendo that is obviously being used by someone else, and start turning it yourself.  If someone is standing next to a vendo but doesn't seem to be using it, ASK.

4. If YOU are the designated turner, please go slowly; some of us lag!  Ask if everyone is done, then WAIT a few seconds for answers--those that lag may not be able to answer you right away.

5. Most vendo locales only allow 6 or so avis at a time, so everyone else is ghosted.  Please be considerate--if you're through buying, GET OUT or GHOST so someone else can un-ghost and use the vendo (and it's extra-nice to announce that you're ghosting or leaving).  And please don't be grabby...when there are 30 ghosts waiting to use a vendo, it is NOT the time to buy 10 of everything!

6. Please put away animated objects during games...they cause lag for other players!  If you receive an animated object as a prize, pocket it immediately.

7. When participating in games, please be polite to your host/hostess.  Don't flood him/her with messages, as it may cause poofing, and is otherwise distracting.  If you have general questions, ask for help ONCE and most likely a member will ESP you with info.  If you feel there's been a mistake in scoring, do mention it, but don't argue with your host/hostess; his/her word is law.  Remember to say "Thanks for hosting!" when done.