I can talk only about threads related to shop work since I rarely check other threads. So, the point they are pinned is because most of people are interested in shop updates. Simply, the game is about fashion and dressing up, so the shop is very important part of the game for majority, if not the most important part. It's true, we don't post in these threads every single day but they are still hot and important. These threads also don't leave much space for chit-chat as some other threads because of their nature and purpose. They serve for requests and for updates. They are not Art of the Bimboland because we don't draw each others bimbos, they are not about showing our artistic expressions or personal art projects, but about improving the shop and the shop is the heart of this game.
Some players don't feel the need to change outfits often or to buy new stuff so often, but most of them do. Having all of that in 2 or 3 threads is the best way at the moment in organizational and practical sense. One thread is about brand new items, the other one is about recolors/refits requests and there we post that. The third shop-related thread is about glitched and misaligned items where players can report such issues in order to be fixed. And the forth shop-related thread is about himbos shop. I started the last thread and the purpose of it is pretty clear and simple - since we have male population, still small but not negligible, it's good to have all about them in one place. Himbo shop thread is about new items, recolors/refits, glitched items, himbos suggestions for additions and everything else related to their shop.
All in all, having 4 different shop-related threads for specific purposes is not a lot and vast majority of players are not bothered with it. Quite contrary, they find these threads helpful. They are divided in four and not all-in-one thread for very practical reasons. Shops are the one of most important aspects of games like this one, if not the most important. It's not because I say that, it's simply the fact and practice has showed it.
Moving these threads around under this or that category certainly won't help the forum and make it more tidy. Especially not moving them in non-fitting forum section. The other solution that would maybe be helpful is making separate forum section for shops only, similar to Forum & Fashion contest or Wit and Games, and move these threads there, so they don't sit in 'General Discussion' and 'Help and Advice' sections.
Having them pinned doesn't really hurt anybody. Those who don't want to follow them don't need to subscribe to them and they won't be bothered with notifications. I am totally uninterested in the game threads for instance, but many people are, and that's the reason these threads are pinned too. Because these threads don't interest me a bit I am not subscribed to them and don't bother with them but at the same time I can't tell they are stupid or needless simply because the vast majority like and use them.
About new players who don't have much money for making super nice and detailed outfits - Shop-related threads have nothing with it and they are not meant to hurt new players. Quite contrary! We often pick nice but cheap items to recolor if there is only one color of them. That way we do a favor to new players by making more choice for them and more chances for having nice outfits. Of course, we also work with more expensive items as well, but there are players who can afford them. There are extremely expensive items, that costs from 5000 to 25000BD, I can't recall recolors of dresses such expensive. Another argument on this is - new players or players who struggle with BD can always set their search on 'Price Lowest First' and find fitting items. The BL money problem simply won't be solved with removing shop threads. It could be solved with adjusting prices, using wise search, adding more of affordable items and such.
Last but not the least, there are no more shop owners. There is only one shop for all. Designers don't benefit from percentage of sold items nor from advertising their items. They make new things and it's normal to announce it when they are up in shop because players like to see new items in the shop and to be informed about additions.
Solutions: 1. Subscribe to topics that interest you and want to follow them, don't subscribe to topics that bothers you and you won't get notifications. 2. Make forum section for shop things only so all shop-related threads, topics and posts can be there instead under various forum sections that fit them marginally. Those who are not interested in shop things won't bother with visiting that section. I am sure that is manageable solution.
