The ROBLOX catalog during November 2017.
The item page layout since September 2016
The catalog is a section on Roblox where users can purchase virtual clothing and items for their avatar using Robux. These items include heads, faces, gear, accessories, T-shirts, shirts, pants, bundles and animation packs. Items which cannot be purchased are regarded as "off-sale", and limited items are available at community-based prices in finite quantities (existing copies are resold rather than new ones being created). Only ROBLOX has the ability to create and edit items in the catalog (occasionally Games will also upload test items), while players are able to publish clothing. It is worth noting that new items are most likely to be published when a new hour strikes during weekends, however they may also be released at non-specific times.
Legend
List of all possible tags and tag combinations that catalog items can have
- Item is exclusive to Builders Club or higher-tier users.
- Item is exclusive to Turbo Builders Club or higher-tier users.
- Item is exclusive to Outrageous Builders Club users.
- Item is available in finite quantities from resellers and can also be traded.
- Serialized variants of limited items. Always sold for a fixed price initially and become limited after selling out.
- Item is exclusive to 13+ accounts.
- Item is a Rthro bundle or animation pack.
Other
Sponsored and free items
An example of a sponsored item, the Hot Wheels RC Street Hawk, sponsoring Hot Wheels.
Sponsored items were usually sold for 1 Ticket, but since the removal of Tickets, sponsor items are now free. Some sponsored items can only be obtained through promo codes for a limited time, or occasionally later put on sale (for example, the Transylvanian Hood was obtainable for a few days via the code "HOTELT2", but was later on sale for 1 tickets). Free items are some of the fastest-selling items.
Rental items
Rental items are items that have a set expiration date. Many gears do have expiration times, not limited to gears but other catalog items. Some Sponsored items such as the Flintstones Car and The Amazing Spider-Man are rental items. They had 4-week and 2-week rentals, respectively.
Timed items
Sometimes, Roblox would randomly make various items that were on sale for a period of time timed, usually so Roblox can focus on other catalog items. Some examples include the Fallen Artemis Bow gear item being marked as timed sometime during March or April of 2016, and the Red ROBLOX Glider gear item being marked as timed during early July 2016. Some holiday-related items or items related to a special event would go on sale sometime before or during a holiday or special event and become timed, and would usually go off sale once the holiday or special event the catalog item is related to is over. An example would be the Classic ROBLOX Pumpkin Head, which is only available during the month of October and would be put off sale once Halloween ends. Some items are immediately marked as timed after they go on sale. For example, the Blue Sparkle Time Bowler was timed for one day for 5,000 Robux sometime during the end of June 2016. Occasionally, these items would later become limited items (usually during a sale, such as a President's Day sale, a Memorial Day sale, a Labor Day sale, or a Black Friday sale).
Deep catalog
The page of the gear item titled "."
The "deep catalog" is a name given to the items in the catalog that are "hidden" in the "deep" areas of the catalog. Some notable items in the deep catalog are Item, a LimitedU item, adslkasljdfla'd, and an unnamed gear item which only consists of a period in its title and has no content. Players will usually use their imaginations to create myths and legends surrounding these types of catalog items, but the purpose of these items is either for testing or through some kind of mistake during the uploading of the item.
Role in Trade Currency
Until April 15, 2016, players could use the Trade Currency button to transfer Tickets for Robux, and vice versa. This often helped when users wanted to purchase items being sold for ROBUX, since it was a currency that only Builders Club members get a stipend of. When a player purchases an item, it is added to their models, allowing them to use it in the Roblox Studio.
Criticism
Plagiarism
As clothing templates are readily accessible on the Roblox Website, many designers face issues with copying. With many popular clothing items, pages of duplicates may be created by users or clothing groups looking to cut into the original designer's sales on that design, leading to catalog spamming. As there is no way to note original clothing items, players frequently unintentionally purchase clothing that may be copied. Clothing designers frequently see less revenue from their clothing sales when their designs are copied.
Removal of tickets
Tickets were a currency that was awarded to a user when they logged onto their account daily, being 10 tickets a day. Tickets could be used to buy some items on the catalog, but it was removed on April 15, 2016. With the removal of Tickets as a Roblox currency in, the only way to purchase items from the Roblox Catalog is through Robux. Tickets were removed right after the Tixapalooza which resulted in many players to be forced to buy Robux or BC in order to buy paid items. Along with the removal of tickets, the Trade Currency feature was also removed.
Price floor
Initially, clothing assets could be put on sale for a minimum of one Ticket or one Robux. A price floor was added in 2013 that raised the minimum price of clothing to 300 Tickets or 25 Robux. The price floor on clothing currently set to 2 Robux for T-shirts and 5 Robux for shirts and pants, many players are unable to purchase clothing items without purchasing Robux or Builders Club.
Technical issues
When a player loses connection while on the catalog, a red box will appear on top of the catalog, notifying them the catalog is "unavailable". When a LimitedU item is released onto the catalog, they will rarely have the option to not be bought, sold and not have any stock.
External Links
- Legacy page, allows users to view the Catalog in its older format.