For the PUNKI in Us All

by: Lucy Halberd

Do you ever find yourself in a bind when it comes to getting quality furniture at a fair price? Well, I’ve found just the place… PUNKI! Here you will find a wide selection of couches, chairs, rugs, and artwork! PUNKI is located on Naples Island 192,1,24 (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Naples%20Island/192/1/24/). I’ve recently sat down with Lancaster Beck, the owner and founder of PUNKI for a chat about his store.

When did you open your business?
I would say probably about 3 weeks ago. I think the 3rd of February is when I really opened the doors. Maybe even the week before!

What inspired you to open it?
Well, I generally build houses, clubs, and shops… those types of things. I always found it hard and expensive to furnish them, so I thought I’d dabble in the art of furnishing. I want affordable furniture! It’s so damn expensive in other shops!

What audience is your merchandise geared most towards?
Home owners! The audience is anyone that is looking to furnish their home with good, quality furniture at low prices. I’ve always thought that “punk” was expression… the freedom to express. You can’t really define punk furniture and the name suits that freedom.

How did you come up with the name for your business?
It just pinged into my head, honestly! PUNKI just popped right into my head and when I looked, the group was available. Just like turning a light bulb on!

What is your biggest seller?
The biggest sellers are the rugs and the pictures.

Will you be doing any personalized items or custom designs?
Well, the shopper can send me a note card with suggestions or requests for custom work. I can either build the item specifically for them, or if I like the idea, build it and put it on sale for the general public. I’ll consider building any ideas of furniture.

How often do you create new merchandise?
I add items once a week at least. If you come back in three months, the place will be completely different!

Is it hard to come up with new ideas for your shop?
No, not at all. I’ve got mountains of ideas! The problem is, of course, finding the time. You see, that is the beauty of SL. Just imagine if in RL you could just make whatever you wanted at any time…you’d never run out of ideas!

Is this your only location right now?
Yes, it is. It’s quite difficult to get market space, because of prims. Besides, I think as a customer I would want to see the actual item… not just a vendor.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Well, as you know, PUNKI is new and is still in its infancy. I’m hoping the word will spread that you don’t have to pay L$600 for a chair of good quality. I run a fun place here and my friends make it a great place to hang around as well! I just hope we don’t scare my customers away! Lol

Be sure to stop by Lancaster’s store and pick up a few pieces to brighten your living space! While you are there, make sure you join PUNKI’s update group by clicking the sign to the right near the entrance. That way you will be kept up to date on any new additions to the store!