I liked Sim Interior Designs, she had the coolest stuff...I remember the DR cantremeber her name. Then there was laura T's stuff at sim showcase, Im sure there was more, but it was the good old days.
I personally think the Sims community is copying the poser community. tHey see these expensive meshes and textures and the money the people seem to be gettting. Many artists cant make it there so they come here. I can tell you this because I use to be highly involved with Poser. Dropped a lot of $$$$ there. I've read posts, and I remember artists discussing coming to SIMS 2. SOOO, I came to SIMS not liking to have to shell big bucks out for a mesh, that often needed more stuff. I saw Sims 2, and was very happy, I had my own world, with characters that moved, interacted, and talked. Not ones that were posed in a program. Glad to be out of Poser that community was very egocentric ridden too.