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

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    Indifference71Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,744
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I don't get crazy about the show specific shirts/stickers so I won't be waiting in line for hours. I usually get 1 t-shirt for each tour and end up getting the poster after the fact....haven't had any issues getting posters so far.
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    lolobugglolobugg BLUE RDGE MTNS Posts: 8,190
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    unless they have the variant stickers for sale

    livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446

    1995- New Orleans, LA  : New Orleans, LA

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    2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL

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    2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA

    2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY

    2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2

    2020- Nashville, TN 

    2022- Smashville 

    2023- Austin, TX x2

    2024- Baltimore

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    CopperTomCopperTom Posts: 2,990
    Yes - But I will get there at 1:00pm for the outdoor booth hoping to get something
    I'll wait in line outside so I can stash it back at the hotel and not have to worry about it during the show.
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    ZodZod Posts: 10,155
    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
    Last year Vancouver's lineup wasn't too bad but the Seattle Lineup was insane. The day before the show and day of the show it was neverending. I didn't have it in me to spend 3-4 hours of my day just to give the band money. I went into the Arena when doors opened and they had merch inside. No problems. No waiting. I don't mind 20 minutes, but waiting for hours for the privledge of buying things doesn't sit well with me.
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    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,539
    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
    If there are 400 people in line and each takes 3 minutes to buy something, that is 1200 minutes. Divide that by 5 attendants and it takes 240 minutes to get 400 people through the line which is 4.00 hours.

    I think the band/merch team did a good thing by opening up an outdoor booth. Sure they are trying to sell more stuff but I think they also thought it would be great to let fans buy stuff earlier to put in their cars/hotel rooms and head to the pre-party or wherever and have a good time. There is just so much demand. So are they supposed to have two booths with 10 people working so it only takes 2 hours to clear the line? Maybe. Do they have a special booth just for show specific stuff? THey can't do cash only to speed things up because people will buy less stuff.

    I know when I buy my stuff it takes about 1-2 minutes because I know what I want and I'm ready to pay. Part of the problem is some people just take too damn long to pick out their items and pay. I don't think shirts sizes have changed much the last few tours so you should know if you want M, L or whatever.

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    wawwaw Posts: 61
    Yes - I will get there at 10:00am to be one of the first in line for the outdoor booth
    For me this is dependent on where the show is.. In my home town I'll be there early. Being a Wings fan, and from Michigan, I was quite disappointed about missing out on the Winter Classic Jersey in my size. However if I'm traveling for a show my vote changes to being one of the first in a venue so I can get a poster. :)
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    ZodZod Posts: 10,155
    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

    If there are 400 people in line and each takes 3 minutes to buy something, that is 1200 minutes. Divide that by 5 attendants and it takes 240 minutes to get 400 people through the line which is 4.00 hours.

    I think the band/merch team did a good thing by opening up an outdoor booth. Sure they are trying to sell more stuff but I think they also thought it would be great to let fans buy stuff earlier to put in their cars/hotel rooms and head to the pre-party or wherever and have a good time. There is just so much demand. So are they supposed to have two booths with 10 people working so it only takes 2 hours to clear the line? Maybe. Do they have a special booth just for show specific stuff? THey can't do cash only to speed things up because people will buy less stuff.

    I know when I buy my stuff it takes about 1-2 minutes because I know what I want and I'm ready to pay. Part of the problem is some people just take too damn long to pick out their items and pay. I don't think shirts sizes have changed much the last few tours so you should know if you want M, L or whatever.

    You could put a mobile ATM next to the merch booth and say cash only? :)
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    demetriosdemetrios Canada Posts: 87,832
    Yes - I will get there at 10:00am to be one of the first in line for the outdoor booth
    I like to be there very early. I wish that red truck of sweet candy was open @ 6am. Purchase my merchandise and take it back to the hotel. Earlier the better. So I can check out the sites & head down to the Wishlist Foundation Preparties. :)
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    jomaryjomary Posts: 410
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    St Paul was the last Merch line I'll wait in, ended up missing the wishlist party due to spending the bulk of the afternoon waiting in line, sure I got one of the last stickers, but its just a fucking sticker...and to be fair they should be able to print a hell of a lot more of these and not sell out so quickly.
    Raleigh, NC 8-18-92
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    NYC 9-26-15
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    EV Coeur d’Alene 7-28-23, St Paul 8-31-23 and 9-2-23, Ft Worth 9-13-23 and 9-15-23, EV Seattle 10-23-23 and 10-24-23

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    SuziemaySuziemay Posts: 11,165
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Wrigley broke me too, first the fact that there were 4 posters for 1 show made me kinda lose it. Then when I heard my friends were in line for an average of 3+ hours and didn't even get what they wanted, I was like no thank you. If I see a merch stand that's not crazy and will maybe take 30 mins at the most, I may talk myself into it, but these crazy 3-4 hour lines? Nope.

    I will say that getting merch in Europe was a breeze. I could walk up in the middle of the afternoon, stand in line for maybe 5-10 mins (if I had to wait at all) and grab a few stickers and pins. I don't know why it's so much nuttier in the US. And honestly, it wasn't even that nuts last fall, other than maybe Seattle and Portland.
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    SVRDhand13SVRDhand13 NYC Posts: 25,846
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I never waited in a merch line for more than five minutes and I probably never will.
    severed hand thirteen
    2006: Gorge 7/23 2008: Hartford 6/27 Beacon 7/1 2009: Spectrum 10/30-31
    2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
    2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
    2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
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    2022: MSG 9/11  2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17

    LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2

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    djklambakedjklambake PHX, AZ Posts: 2,510
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I didn't think the lines for the merch trailer were all that bad during the 2013 tour. That said, the 2013 tour seemed to cover a bit more ground than the 2014 tour did. Die-hard fans who wanted to see the band in 2013 had more of a choice of shows to travel to (or go to locally) than during the 2014 tour. I really didn't wait that long for stuff in Phoenix or San Diego. But with 2014, there seemed to be a LOT of die-hard travelers. West coast's closest venue this time around was Denver, which I imagine is why the merch booth outside was swamped hours before it even opened. I bet if the band hits more cities on the next tour, the lines won't be so bad. That said, I'll wait in line if I see it's not too bad, but I'm not waiting forever… Not like I can't find some of this stuff on eBay (shudder) or the Ten Club store later on…

    I'm less about the merch and more about the experience and the music (and, above all, comfort)…
    6/27/98 - East Troy, WI
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    samjamsamjam New York Posts: 9,283
    Depends on the show for me...if I have GA or not, what the merch looks like, importance of the town/venue for me, etc.
    "Sometimes you find yourself having to put all your faith in no faith."
    ~not a dude~
    2010: MSGx2
    2012: Made In America
    2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
    2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
    2015: Global Citizen Festival
    2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
    2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
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    Leezestarr313Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,346
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I'm another one who had a "breaking point" in Wrigley. Up until today, we have gotten no poster for that show. People were kind enough to provide us with stickers on here afterwards. For our other fall shows last year, it was not hard to get what we wanted. I like getting some meorabilia from the shows I attended, but only if I like the stuff. I don't buy a poster if I don't feel it. I am still bummed out we didn't get a Moline poster, but I hope with some patience one will pop up eventually. The most important thing with the shows are the shows in the end, and meeting people. I will not have my day ruined just to get stuff. But if the booths look okay, I'm going to get some. I wish they would put an end to the outside booths.
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    SuziemaySuziemay Posts: 11,165
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then

    I'm another one who had a "breaking point" in Wrigley. Up until today, we have gotten no poster for that show. People were kind enough to provide us with stickers on here afterwards. For our other fall shows last year, it was not hard to get what we wanted. I like getting some meorabilia from the shows I attended, but only if I like the stuff. I don't buy a poster if I don't feel it. I am still bummed out we didn't get a Moline poster, but I hope with some patience one will pop up eventually. The most important thing with the shows are the shows in the end, and meeting people. I will not have my day ruined just to get stuff. But if the booths look okay, I'm going to get some. I wish they would put an end to the outside booths.

    Are you looking for a Wrigley poster, or are you just done? :D
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    Leezestarr313Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,346
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Done. We decided that this show shall remain the merchless one for us ;)
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    SuziemaySuziemay Posts: 11,165
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then

    Done. We decided that this show shall remain the merchless one for us ;)

    Haha, I like it! I decided for this past US tour that I wasn't going to bother with completing the sticker/pin collection, just wanted the shows I attended. But it seems I've been sucking at this because all of a sudden, I'm 3 stickers away from a complete set! Once a merch whore, always a merch whore? :D
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    Leezestarr313Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,346
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Hahaha! Good for you!
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    Is there a guess to the percentage of people buying merchandise and actually GOING to the show? I bet it is 50/50 at best, but I have 0 data.

    I'm torn on the outdoor merchandise. I've never waited. Perhaps having the outdoor trucks makes the indoor lines smaller?

    You made a comment about shirts not changing over the years. Remember, not everyone goes to multiple shows. (not attacking, just offering the other side's viewpoint.)

    Kevin

    If there are 400 people in line and each takes 3 minutes to buy something, that is 1200 minutes. Divide that by 5 attendants and it takes 240 minutes to get 400 people through the line which is 4.00 hours.

    I think the band/merch team did a good thing by opening up an outdoor booth. Sure they are trying to sell more stuff but I think they also thought it would be great to let fans buy stuff earlier to put in their cars/hotel rooms and head to the pre-party or wherever and have a good time. There is just so much demand. So are they supposed to have two booths with 10 people working so it only takes 2 hours to clear the line? Maybe. Do they have a special booth just for show specific stuff? THey can't do cash only to speed things up because people will buy less stuff.

    I know when I buy my stuff it takes about 1-2 minutes because I know what I want and I'm ready to pay. Part of the problem is some people just take too damn long to pick out their items and pay. I don't think shirts sizes have changed much the last few tours so you should know if you want M, L or whatever.

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    iwasatpj20iwasatpj20 Rockford, IL Posts: 3,300
    Depends on the show and situation. I hated being in line that early, but this is getting out of hand.
    2000 - Chicago, IL
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    2007 - Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
    2009 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
    2010 - St. Louis, MO
    2011 - East Troy, WI 1 & 2 (PJ20 Destination Weekend)
    2012 - Atlanta, GA, Missoula, MT
    2013 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), Dallas, TX, Oklahoma City, OK
    2014 - St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, Moline, IL (No Code, IL), Saint Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI (Yield, WI)
    2016 - Greenville, SC (Vs, SC), Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC, Boston, MA (Fenway Park 1), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)
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    2012 - Temple of the Dog East Troy, WI (PJ20 Destination Weekend)
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    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,539
    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

    Is there a guess to the percentage of people buying merchandise and actually GOING to the show? I bet it is 50/50 at best, but I have 0 data.

    I'm torn on the outdoor merchandise. I've never waited. Perhaps having the outdoor trucks makes the indoor lines smaller?

    You made a comment about shirts not changing over the years. Remember, not everyone goes to multiple shows. (not attacking, just offering the other side's viewpoint.)

    Kevin

    If there are 400 people in line and each takes 3 minutes to buy something, that is 1200 minutes. Divide that by 5 attendants and it takes 240 minutes to get 400 people through the line which is 4.00 hours.

    I think the band/merch team did a good thing by opening up an outdoor booth. Sure they are trying to sell more stuff but I think they also thought it would be great to let fans buy stuff earlier to put in their cars/hotel rooms and head to the pre-party or wherever and have a good time. There is just so much demand. So are they supposed to have two booths with 10 people working so it only takes 2 hours to clear the line? Maybe. Do they have a special booth just for show specific stuff? THey can't do cash only to speed things up because people will buy less stuff.

    I know when I buy my stuff it takes about 1-2 minutes because I know what I want and I'm ready to pay. Part of the problem is some people just take too damn long to pick out their items and pay. I don't think shirts sizes have changed much the last few tours so you should know if you want M, L or whatever.

    That is true. It is frustrating when you don't pick the right line at the merch table. Twice I was in line and got stuck behind a slow buyer and stuff sold out before I got to the front (when would have easily got it in other lines at the same booth).
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    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,539
    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 should have included an option for saying now that you won't stand in line but you know you are full of shi*t and will keeping standing in lines as long as there are lines to stand in.
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    Red LukinRed Lukin Canada Posts: 2,994
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    I'm there for the music. But if there's a shirt or poster I want in willing to spend 15 min to get it but no more. These days I haven't been a fan of the shirts plus the shows I've been to have had sub par posters, so the decision to skip merch had been easy.

    Plus seeing the outrageous merch lines made me want to get as far away from them.
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    jwhjr17jwhjr17 Posts: 1,897
    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
    After seeing the lines at Wrigley I was done waiting. I was able to get the merch there in under 3 minutes right after the doors opened, and I've been doing that ever since.
    1998-06-30 Mpls | 2006-07-06 Las Vegas | 2010-05-03 Kansas City | 2011-07-01 St. Louis EV | 2011-07-02 Mpls EV | 2011-09-03 PJ20
    2011-09-04 PJ20 | 2011-09-17 Winnipeg | 2012-09-30 Missoula | 2012-11-18 Tulsa EV | 2013-07-19 Chicago | 2013-11-15 Dallas
    2013-11-16 OKC | 2014-10-09 Lincoln | 2014-10-17 Moline | 2014-10-19 St. Paul | 2014-10-20 Milwaukee | 2016-08-20 Chicago
    2016-08-22 Chicago | 2018-08-18 Chicago | 2018-08-20 Chicago | 2022-05-09 Phoenix | 2022-05-20 Las Vegas | 2022-09-18 St. Louis 
    2022-09-20 OKC | 2023-08-31 St. Paul | 2023-09-02 St. Paul | **2024-05-16 Las Vegas** | **2024-05-18 Las Vegas** |
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    HesCalledDyerHesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,418
    No - I will get to the venue when convenient for me and if there is stuff left I will buy it then
    Suziemay said:

    Wrigley broke me too, first the fact that there were 4 posters for 1 show made me kinda lose it. Then when I heard my friends were in line for an average of 3+ hours and didn't even get what they wanted, I was like no thank you. If I see a merch stand that's not crazy and will maybe take 30 mins at the most, I may talk myself into it, but these crazy 3-4 hour lines? Nope.

    I will say that getting merch in Europe was a breeze. I could walk up in the middle of the afternoon, stand in line for maybe 5-10 mins (if I had to wait at all) and grab a few stickers and pins. I don't know why it's so much nuttier in the US. And honestly, it wasn't even that nuts last fall, other than maybe Seattle and Portland.

    Last fall, I didn't even get to Charlottesville til after 4pm. Parked in a lot near the arena, walked up to the tent where there were maybe 5 people in line, got poster, tube, & stickers in less than 10 minutes and off I went. Baltimore went almost as smooth; I think I only waited in line maybe a half hour there & got everything I wanted.
    After the St. Paul debacle this year (3 hours in line & didn't move, 1.5 hours late opening, credit card terminals not working, 65 year olds working the booth), no more lines for me. I'll buy the poster online after the fact, and trades for stickers aren't hard to come by.
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    WobbieWobbie Posts: 29,463
    I didn't stand in lines this time around.....and got everything I wanted.
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
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    EV LA1 08
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    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
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    2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,143
    I didn't last time - won't again if I ever see another show in the future.
    www.cluthelee.com
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    dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam NINUNINOPRO Posts: 139,158
    No - Don't buy show specific merchandise
    i dont waste time at tour for any merch..i never buy anything..
    meet friend and party with other fans is all i do
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
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    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,539
    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
    Well looks like the final tally has 22% still standing in the merch line. I'm sure that will only increase once the allure of more merch overrides our sensibilities.
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