You spoke and we listened, and now YOU can show everyone that you were invited to the premiere with this special badge! Get it while you can, before you know it, it may be gone. Of course, once you have it, you can show it off forever to remind everyone that you were here during this big change!

Click to learn about IMVU badges

Squeak! (ruffles whiskers and pirouettes) Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so proud of my new blingalicious look created just for me by justephy10

Who would ever have dreamed how popular badges would be. It's a craze sweeping across the pixels of IMVU like a giant, sparkly tornado! Thank you all for being so creative, and for your complete inability to resist ... the call of bling!

My friend Purplehaze (Congrats again to you 2 ;-) has written this useful, black and white stripey guide to badges you see below. Enjoy! (preens whiskers contentedly)

Riding the wave of the new badge craze!
by PurpleHaze (who has a collection of over 1,200 badges and counting)

Once upon a time an experiment was created. Bling Badges were created. And it was good!
We dropped 100k cr. We were artistically inclined. Badges flourished.
Collecting badges became the new IMVU craze.
A new IMVU phenomenon was born.

Badges can be…
A marketing tool for developers.
A creative outlet for artists.
A mark of distinction.
A group insignia.

Badges are more than the image displayed next to an avatar; they also include a sizeable pop up area when clicked upon. The pop up area can contain other links and images, kudos or words of wisdom, or a message of exclusivity as governed by the owner's discretion.

Collecting Badges
Badge collection is... FREE to all users! You can collect badges in one of four ways:
1.You create your own badge.
2. You can be granted an earned badge (for some action).3. You can be granted a requested badge.
4. You trade badge for badge.

Etiquette and hints for Badge Collecting
A little genuine friendly courtesy and respect goes a long way; use please and a return thank you frequently.
Be sincere, don't use copy-and-pasted compliments to request bling and then complain about badge owners publicly in group and forum threads.
Be nice and don't assume anyone owes you anything or will give you something for nothing.
Be prepared to give something if you want something.
If someone informs you a badge is non-requestable, honor their rule and do not press the issue.
If someone makes a mystery badge and you discover who the owner is, do not spoil the fun by exposing the owner publicly.

Once you collect over 100 badges, or your pop up message display grid is filled, consider giving other badges you've been granted 'airtime' and swap them out periodically.
Network often - becoming acquainted with other users on the site. Joining and participating in groups open more than badge opportunities as well.
While badge hunting you may just earn something more precious than the badge, FRIENDSHIP.

Badge Trading, a Higher Level of Badge Collecting
Once you become a badge owner, why not offer your precious bling in trade for another?

Badge Creation
Your badge is an expensive precious commodity. Each 20 x 20 pixel square costs 100k credits - use them wisely. Here are a few tips to do just that:
- Be creative when coming up with a unique design.
- Create your badge at a larger pixel size and then resize to the 20 x 20 (or whichever affordable dimension) size.
- When you resize you may need to recolor lines and detail that has lost its pixel resolution in the process.
- DO NOT USE '0 0 0' BLACK in your badge design unless you wish it to be transparent - detailed outlines in black may disappear if you use true black; try a slightly off black instead.
- Should you wish to use a canned image and color design, there are badge generating tools in popular badge groups.
- Your pop up can be a link to your products, your homepage, your group, anything you want! Get creative!

New Badge Owners
When your badge is introduced publicly, be prepared to receive a massive wave of requests (I request you use the newly released Badge Auto Granting tool).
If your badge is private or exclusive to a unique group of grantees, please provide a courteous response for those that will inevitably request it.