Home› The Porch
Options

Future tours: Are you planning to stand in merch lines again?

bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,531
edited November 2014 in The Porch
Well, a lot of us have spent a lot of time in merch lines the last few years and I'm sure some of us have questioned whether it is worth it to waste a day in a new city standing in a merch line. I'm just curious what people think about the next tour.

Future tours: Are you planning to stand in merch lines again? 151 votes

Yes - I will get there at 10:00am to be one of the first in line for the outdoor booth
10%
demetriosFly2AMSEdge34pdalowskyarqSS9981branscopCaught-A-Bolt-Of-LightningMT236122RobbyD462Vitalogensianbscrumhalfmmearhoffwawboxer or the bagpookasnake 16 votes
Yes - But I will get there at 1:00pm for the outdoor booth hoping to get something
11%
Staceb10jfconnorjrCopperTomEddieshometownkeeponrisinNAUjackfancoach pjComeToTXPA JammerCJ23113EW76468BLACK35jeff2040Rozbrppalmer84opmidi13lazloblueshetellsherself 18 votes
No - I will get to the venue early to be one of the first inside as long as some merch is held back for inside
11%
JOEJOEJOEbootlegger10BackscratcherColorado Fanjwhjr17JimmyVZodMT132914Merkin Ballerpea64Blood Red MosquitoRoccoT.....312goingonsixtempo_n_groovenothingman33JexRicco76steeler4life 18 votes
No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
54%
CServantjeffbrmcgruff10Tommy311rockpantsslinger256red moscweeks1111mrluthor9Red LukinSomethingCreativeBeerBaronAmherstJammermy2handsgrjammeraustinevolution10Jason Pon2legsNoloadParnega 83 votes
No - Don't buy show specific merchandise
10%
Riot_MacPureandEasyForce Of Naturemr bunglegettingrightcallencutzdimitrispearljamUncle SnuffyEmpty GlassmcatakeRS151862papa_pearls_jam.pj20PJ_Soulrummyoftenreading 16 votes
«1

Comments

  • Options
    RiotZactRiotZact Posts: 6,204
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    In Moline I missed the Sticker and the poster but got the shirt, I'm ok with that being that there's always extra stickers here on the board and the 10C always puts up some posters.
  • Options
    KC138045KC138045 Columbus, OH Posts: 2,715
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    In Cincinnati we waited until we got inside. Was able to get a shirt for my wife son and myself plus a pin. Ordered the poster when it went on sale last Tuesday and it arrived today. Don't understand the logic of waiting in line half the day but some people seem not to mind or want the merch bad enough that that don't care. I much more enjoy going to the pre-parties and meeting great people and enjoying a few pre concert beers.
    Columbus-2000
    Columbus-2003
    Cincinnati-2006
    Columbus-2010
    Wrigley-2013
    Cincinnati-2014
    Lexington-2016
    Wrigley 1 & 2-2018
  • Options
    NamiNami Newfoundland Posts: 5,989
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Love to keep the show posters going but not waiting in line ...rather have a beer with wife and scream out pppppppppearl. Jammmmmmmm before show start....in anticaption. :))
    Hamilton 9-13-05; Toronto 5-9-06, Toronto 8-21-09, Toronto 9-12-11, Hamilton 9-15-11....
  • Options
    JTHJTH Chicago Posts: 3,238
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Fuck these merch trailers. I waited in the line for about 15 minutes in St. Louis and got the hell out. Tried to get some stickers inside and had no luck so I bought the crappy buttons instead. Didn't even look at the merch in Moline or Milwaukee. Went to a couple stands inside the arena in St. Paul -- no stickers. Again, went for buttons instead.

    Seattle killed me last year. I spent way too much time in that line before the show and then the next morning at the Showbox to buy a bunch of shit I really didn't want.

    When the hell did the stickers become the must-have PJ items, anyway?
  • Options
    Empty GlassEmpty Glass In Rob's shed Posts: 12,329
    No - Don't buy show specific merchandise
    I could have voted - No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then

    But I look at the lines inside. In the old days, I could maybe find a booth w/ not too many people. I voted the way I did because those days are long gone. I'm there for the music and camaraderie 100% nowadays
    I've met Rob

    DEGENERATE FUK

    This place is dead

    "THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015

    "Kfsbho&$thncds" - F Me In the Brain - circa 2015
  • Options
    JTHJTH Chicago Posts: 3,238
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I'm always taken aback when I go to other bands' shows and I'm able to walk right up to the merch booth and contemplate a purchase. I don't know why this is true because it's literally EVERY OTHER BAND BESIDES PEARL JAM that I'm able to do this.
  • Options
    callencallen Posts: 6,388
    No - Don't buy show specific merchandise
    It's just dust collecting no value stuff. Now I have my share and probably get more but standing in line for stickers and posters.











    Hey anybody got spare Denver poster???? :D
    10-18-2000 Houston, 04-06-2003 Houston, 6-25-2003 Toronto, 10-8-2004 Kissimmee, 9-4-2005 Calgary, 12-3-05 Sao Paulo, 7-2-2006 Denver, 7-22-06 Gorge, 7-23-2006 Gorge, 9-13-2006 Bern, 6-22-2008 DC, 6-24-2008 MSG, 6-25-2008 MSG
  • Options
    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,531
    No - I will get to the venue early to be one of the first inside as long as some merch is held back for inside
    So it looks those three folks who chose 1:00pm are going to end up with everything. Ha.
  • Options
    RyanRyan Posts: 1,016
    I don't get this whole standing in line thing, especially if you're on vacation. These merch trailers have made it so that if you get in the arena when doors open, it's relatively easy to get merch. And most posters are easy to get once 10c puts them on sale. I don't mind paying for shipping if it means no wasting hours in line.

    Same goes for GA. People camp out, don't see any of the city they are visiting just to be on the rail. I showed up in St. Paul an hour before doors at 5pm. We literally ended up ten feet behind people that had sat outside all day.
    2003 - June 15 Fargo
    2005 - Sept 1 George, Sept 8 Winnipeg
    2006 - May 9/10 Toronto, June 26/27 St. Paul, July 22/23 George, Oct 21/22 Mountain View
    2007 - Aug 2/5 Chicago
    2008 - June 22 Washington, June 24/25 New York
    2009 - Aug 21 Toronto, Aug 23/24 Chicago, Sept 21/22 Seattle, Oct 27/28/30/31 Philadelphia
    2010 - May 15 Hartford, May 17 Boston, Oct 23/24 Mountain View
    2011 - Sept 3/4 Alpine Valley, Sept 11/12 Toronto, Sept 17 Winnipeg, Sept 19 Saskatoon
    2012 - Sept 30 Missoula
    2013 - July 16 London, July 19 Chicago, Oct 12 Buffalo, Dec 2 Calgary, Dec 4 Vancouver, Dec 6 Seattle
    2014 - Oct 16 Detroit, Oct 19 St. Paul, Oct 20 Milwaukee
    2015 - Sept 23 (Colbert)/Sept 26, New York
    2016 - Apr 28/29 Philadelphia, May 10/12 Toronto, Aug 20/22 Chicago
  • Options
    tylerjtylerj Indiana Posts: 273
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    All I care about are the posters, and they always go up in the shop after the tour. I have too many t-shirts.

    I go to a show for the music, friends, and seeing the city. Why waste that standing in line?
    Chicago, Aug 24, 2009 
    Noblesville, May 7, 2010
    PJ20 Night 1, 2011
    Cincinnati, Oct. 1, 2014
    Milwaukee, Oct. 20, 2014
    Wrigley Field, Aug 20, 2016
    Wrigley Field, Aug 22, 2016
    Wrigley Field, Aug 18, 2018
    Wrigley Field, Aug 20, 2018
    St. Louis, Sept. 18, 2022
    Chicago, Sept. 5, 2023
    Chicago, Sept. 7, 2023

  • Options
    northerndragonnortherndragon somewhere, nowhere, anywhere Posts: 9,728
    I only did the merch booth in Denver because I had GA and had nowhere to stash my stuff but it sucked. Other than that I get to the venue buy what I can of what I want and stash it in the seat I never use :)
    Anything you lose from being honest
    You never really had to begin with.


    Sometimes it's not the song that makes you emotional it's the people and things that come to your mind when you hear it.
  • Options
    ceskaceska New York Posts: 1,076
    tylerj said:

    All I care about are the posters, and they always go up in the shop after the tour. I have too many t-shirts.

    But the good posters sell out in seconds. Way more people wanted that Pittsburgh 2013 poster than there were in supply. At least if you show up early to wait in line, you got a pretty good chance at scoring one.
  • Options
    RobbyD462RobbyD462 Victoria BC Posts: 4,768
    Yes - I will get there at 10:00am to be one of the first in line for the outdoor booth
    Probably not 10 but I'll get there
    Bring back presales for posters so I can drink more! ;)
    -Seattle,Wash-Key Arena-9/21/9 -Vancouver,B.C-Rogers Arena-12/4/13
    -Seattle,Wash-Key Arena-9/22/9 -Pemberton,B.C-7/17/16
    -Vancouver,B.C-GM Place -9/25/9 -Seattle,Wash-Safeco Field-8/8/18
    -Vancouver,B.C-Pacific Coliseum-9/25/11 -Seattle,Wash-Safeco Field-8/10/18
    -Misoula,MT-Adams Field House-9/30/12

  • Options
    deadendpdeadendp Northeast Ohio Posts: 10,434
    I stood in the merch line in Cincinnati only because we were there waiting for GA anyhow. My husband stood in the GA line. The guy in front of me and I went to stand for merch. (With the blessing of those in line around us.) We were there anyhow so why not? After we stood in that line, got the merch and back down to our GA line peeps, we had to go stand in line at will call. It was a lines, lines everywhere are lines kinda day.

    Again, we were there so it was a matter of standing in one line all day or another. Under the conditions of GA, yes I would stand in line again. If I had reserved or TM tickets, I'd just see what I could get inside the venue.
    2014: Cincinnati
    2016: Lexington and Wrigley 1
  • Options
    tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 38,977
    No - I will get to the venue early to be one of the first inside as long as some merch is held back for inside
    I Might just set up trades from now on though...
  • Options
    dot30dot30 The Great Midwest Posts: 83
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Other than that I get to the venue buy what I can of what I want and stash it in the seat I never use :)
    =))
    Once you hold the hand of love, it's all surmountable.
  • Options
    PJForceofNaturePJForceofNature Posts: 3,087
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I spent many hours in the merch lines in Vancouver and Seattle last year, and vowed never to do it again. I figure I'll just get to the venue when it's close to show time and see what's still available then.
    "A beacon on dry land"
  • Options
    VitalogensiaVitalogensia Posts: 1,923
    Yes - I will get there at 10:00am to be one of the first in line for the outdoor booth
    Not 10, not looking to be the first in line or anything, but I keep showing up early in hopes that I'll be able to tour the city a bit. Hasn't happened yet, the mercy truck keeps fucking me, but every time I think "surely they'll have the system down by now." Maybe next year?
    Virginia Beach 2000; Pittsburgh 2000; Columbus 2003; D.C. 2003; Pittsburgh 2006; Virginia Beach 2008; Cleveland 2010; PJ20 2011; Pittsburgh 2013; Baltimore 2013; Charlottesville 2013; Charlotte 2013; Lincoln 2014; Moline 2014; St. Paul 2014; Greenville 2016; Hampton 2016; Lexington 2016; Wrigley 2016; Prague 2018; Krakow 2018; Berlin 2018; Fenway 2018; Camden 2022; St. Paul 2023
  • Options
    hrd2imgnhrd2imgn Southwest Burbs of Chicago Posts: 4,864
    edited November 2014
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I'm over the lines. Wrigley broke me finally and for good. I did not wait in any lines at Moline or Milwaukee and it was the least stressful concert I'd been to in years for PJ. It was so nice not worrying about fucking posters or shirts, all I was worried about was the show....and to be honest isn't that what is about, the show? This is after 2 plus hours int he sweltering heat at Wrigley, two plus hours in the rain at PJ20, Ninersfan denial at MSG 08....just finally had enough of being disappointing to not get something after waiting all that time. The stress free feeling I had took such a weight off my back at the two shows this past tour....won;t ever worry about that stuff again. If it is around when I get in bonus, if not, no worries.
  • Options
    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,531
    No - I will get to the venue early to be one of the first inside as long as some merch is held back for inside
    hrd2imgn said:

    I'm over the lines. Wrigley broke me finally and for good. I did not wait in any lines at Moline or Milwaukee and it was the least stressful concert I'd been to in years for PJ. It was so nice not worrying about fucking posters or shirts, all I was worried about was the show....and to be honest isn't that what is about, the show? This is after 2 plus hours int he sweltering heat at Wrigley, two plus hours in the rain at PJ20, Ninersfan denial at MSG 08....just finally had enough of being disappointing to not get something after waiting all that time. The stress free feeling I had took such a weight off my back at the two shows this past tour....won;t ever worry about that stuff again. If it is around when I get in bonus, if not, no worries.

    I never lined up or got to a show early for merch until all of the extra show specific stuff like shirts, stickers and pins. I stopped buying the shirts for the most part unless I like them, but the stickers/pins are the draw for me for collecting (something cheap to collect that is easy to store).
  • Options
    oftenreadingoftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,822
    No - Don't buy show specific merchandise
    I'm just not a collector, I guess. Not for PJ stuff, not for anything. Except books, I guess - got lots of those!
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • Options
    SaravaSarava Naperville, IL Posts: 1,998
    I'm not sure. Will play it by ear I guess. You would hope they would do something to make this process go a little better next time. The people in charge of merchandise need to up their game to the band's level.
  • Options
    PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,515
    edited November 2014
    No - Don't buy show specific merchandise
    I have never bought merch at any concert, PJ or otherwise, and am not about to start now. I've already spent enough money on the record and the ticket!
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Options
    eddieceddiec Posts: 3,835
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    No, with a little bit of yes.
    If I have to pick up 10c tix then I'm there early already and I'll go grab the tix while my ticket buddy goes for the merch line and vice versa. But if the line is out of control then no way. All I really want is the poster and there's generally only one gem per tour. Besides, I don't understand the outside merch lines. Is it just a money maker so anybody without a ticket can walk up and buy stuff? Because those stands are useless...I mean what's the point of having a booth with 2 or 3 people working with a 1000 people in line. Stupid.
  • Options
    TigaSefiTigaSefi Posts: 276
    I went to the pop up in Amsterdam and that was fine as we had time to kill and it wasn't a show night. I liked the poster I scored and it was kept nice and safe in the hotel room while we rocked out the next night so if there was a pop up not on the day of the concert I would do it again.

    However in Portland, It was FREEZING cold and it took so long for the truck to open up and when it did, omg! the people that would stand there and try EVERY fucking t-shirt on before deciding which one to get was not really a good idea for the people still queuing behind them - still, got what I wanted and headed back to my friend's house to dump the poster safely and get to the front of the concert no problem. So when I went to Spokane, we just queued up to get in line for the front instead and avoided the merch truck which was on the other side of the arena - WTF?

    Would only queue again if the poster was really that good.
    London 02 18/09/2009 London Hyde Park 25/06/2010 Arras 03/07/2010 Werchter 04/07/2010 Manchester 21/06/2012 Amsterdam 26/06/2012 Stockholm 07/07/2012 Portland 29/11/2013 Spokane 30/11/2013 Amsterdam 16/06/14 Leeds 08/07/14 London 02 Arena 18/06/2018 London 02 Arena 17/07/2018 London Hyde Park 08/07/2022 London Hyde Park 09/07/2022
  • Options
    buck502000buck502000 Birthplace of GIBSON guitar Posts: 8,951
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Wrigley was a sh*t show. Amsterdam shows were nice, got everything before the show spent one hour in line the first day and 30 minutes maybe the second day. Detroit was stupid. Moline was just as stupid as Detroit. The shows were phenomenal. :)
  • Options
    pdalowskypdalowsky Doncaster,UK Posts: 14,695
    Yes - I will get there at 10:00am to be one of the first in line for the outdoor booth
    I'll be there at 10am anyway so I might as well grab the merch I need too
  • Options
    JimmyVJimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 18,883
    No - I will get to the venue early to be one of the first inside as long as some merch is held back for inside
    Our routine is to get inside early anyway.
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • Options
    jeff2040jeff2040 Des Moines, IA Posts: 1,588
    Yes - But I will get there at 1:00pm for the outdoor booth hoping to get something
    I like to get in the outside merch line when I get to the arena but if the line isn't moving or is too long I'll go to the pre party or get something to eat. In Lincoln we only waited for about 30 minutes to get our stuff and the line was moving pretty fast. I had GA for Lincoln so it was nice to be able to take the stuff back to the car before the show. Moline the posters sold out and we were only about half way to the truck so we left the line. The line in St. Paul was A MILE long and it never seemed to move so we went to the pre party and got everything inside. I had reserved seats for Moline and St. Paul so we went in when the doors opened and were about the 3rd person in line for the merch table and we just kept the stuff in our seats during the show.
    Sometimes you find yourself
    Having to put all your faith
    In no faith
  • Options
    ckravitzckravitz NJ Posts: 1,668
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    And even then, I won't wait in a line that appears more than 5 or so minutes long. To me it's just not worth it as the experience of the city/show/pre party is just far too important to miss over some things that I will likely stick in a drawer. Would I love to have a t shirt or whatever, sure, and I'm even ok paying a few bucks extra for things (as is the case with all show merch for all bands), but I won't pay the price premium AND the time premium. I have absolutely no problem with folks that do, it' quite frankly none of my business, I am just saying for myself it's not even remotely worth it.
Sign In or Register to comment.