For years, I've seen people saying that you should store buyable (like formal, high fashion, winter, etc) skins on the "ExpansionShared/SkinsBuy" directory, because if you don't, the skins won't show up as a purchaseable option in stores.

However that doesn't seem to be case, I've tested this by adding a formal skin to my "GameData/Skins" folder, going to downtown, trying to buy a formal clothes, and the skin was there. I've also done the same test with a high fashion clothes, and it behaved the same way.

And then I thought, "what if I copy a default/normal clothes to the SkinsBuy folder, what would happen?"... and that ALSO works fine, the skin shows up in CAS without any issues. So it seems that "SkinsBuy" is only a separate search folder, like how there is "GameData/Objects", "GameData/UserObjects" and "Downloads", which all behave the same.

So here's the thing:

- What's the point of the "SkinsBuy" folder? The vanilla game places buyable skins there, did people assume that you also needed to place buyable skins there? Is it only as a way to organize your skins?
- I tested this in Legacy Collection and Complete Collection? What about older The Sims expansion packs? Maybe in older The Sims expansion packs you NEEDED to place your buyable skins in the "SkinsBuy" folder.

It seems that it isn't just me that wondered about this, this pages recommends that you store buyable skins on the ExpansionShared/SkinsBuy folder, but it doesn't matter and you can store it on the GameData/Skins folder if you want to.

I think I'm missing something, because there must be a reason about why people say that you must place buyable skins on the `SkinsBuy` folder, but I can't find a reason, which is why I created this thread.

Perhaps it mattered before the current edition. The file usage has certainly changed. You'd have to test the old game, not from origin to know for certain. By the way, the "vanilla" game was just The Sims and did not have anything buyable in it. You needed Hot Date and a downtown for that.

Maybe this helps? In the past, file names could get crossed somehow and cause issues, visually, with Sims.


With all the files, it really doesn't hurt to have a separate folder.

Waiting for someone more knowledgeable about programing, gaming, and file naming to weigh in as these are my observations and guesses.

If you're using any older version of the game, then buyables pretty much HAVE to go in SkinsBuy. Plus this game seemed to be kinda fincky about things - something that would work for some folks wouldn't work for others (like have organized Skins subfolders).

Well, I'm not sure about the skin folders, but Objects, UserObjects and Downloads folders surely not behave the same. The Downloads folder is kind of universal, you can put sounds, animations and even skins there and they should work. Not sure about the regular skins, but the NPC skins work perfectly. The same is about animations as long as they are placed in the same subfolder as the object that uses them. The UserObjects folder is for objects only. As for the Objects folder it is read first when the game is loading, so it's the best place to put any object default replacements and the only possible place to put default replacements for the base game objects.

The SkinsBuy folder was a result of Maxis' internal folder structures-- this way Hot Date and Vacation could share the same buyable swimsuits, for example, since they aren't packed in an expansion folder.

SkinsBuy, as far as I know, a requirement only with HD (maybe also Vacation?) but became a recommendation for organizing things.

Today, you can use it to stuff more skins in your game or as a choice to keep things organized in case you want to remove skins later.

Animations work in downloads in a subfolder of a FAR file. Similarly with textures for props or NPC skins.

I also added folders to organize and stuff in extra skins in the ExpansionPack# folders.