When did you start collecting PJ Merchandise?

Eddieshometown

Has merchandise always been this big or did things kind of explode after PJ20 and Wrigley? Has it always been normal to wait 2 hours for a poster? I really liked that in 2009 you could 'blind order' the poster ahead of time and they shipped it a few weeks after the concert.

courtmcc

Last year... Probably Wrigley.

buck502000

Wrigley started the stupidity

pdalowsky

Merch has always been in demand but not at the current fever pitch levels.

Posters however used to be much worse than now. The glory years in terms of sheer demand were 05-08 - check prices on ebeans as an example - almost all posters in demand peaked in that period. Sales here were very tough.

Collected since 97ish. Never enjoyed it less than I do now. Had to evolve to keep up as ebay became a rich mans playground. In fact I barely check that site anymore.

The current boom seems to have alienated a lot of the old long time collectors as that community is pretty much dead and buried - that slowly died over the last 18-24 months

elwayvedder

all the fake/bootleg stuff out there including fan made stuff has soured things for me in my opinion. I still enjoy the hunt, but now prefer to help others find their grails or missing pieces

SD48277

elwayvedder said:

I still enjoy the hunt, but now prefer to help others find their grails or missing pieces

This.

VedderMTL

Started in the earlier years of PJ than stopped for a few and started again 2-3 years ago. Stuff is so expensive abd some traders so greedy that I might just sell the whole thing eventually instead of making others rich. I've gladly given stuff to a people or traded in good faith but then I've found stuff on Ebay being flipped.

Anyway,

arq

I started like 7 years ago, but what keeps me in the game are my bros, without them it would be a dry and joyless endeavour.

whofeelslikeadrank

arq said:

I started like 7 years ago, but what keeps me in the game are my bros, without them it would be a dry and joyless endeavour.

\m/

KC2917

pdalowsky said:

Merch has always been in demand but not at the current fever pitch levels.

Posters however used to be much worse than now. The glory years in terms of sheer demand were 05-08 - check prices on ebeans as an example - almost all posters in demand peaked in that period. Sales here were very tough.

Collected since 97ish. Never enjoyed it less than I do now. Had to evolve to keep up as ebay became a rich mans playground. In fact I barely check that site anymore.

The current boom seems to have alienated a lot of the old long time collectors as that community is pretty much dead and buried - that slowly died over the last 18-24 months

You're right, Paul. I don't know what it is, but it's fizzled out for me too. I'm still planning on buying all future releases on vinyl, but the days of tracking down one particular colored import single for months or years is over for me, and I'm ok with that.

To answer the question of the thread though, I started collecting vinyl in '94.

otto48313

I recall posters selling out quickly at 1995 west coast shows. Not sure why..maybe limited printing. I remember long lines at SD shows in particular, but nothing like the lines this past 2014 US tour. Folks at merchandise booths lining up at 8am or earlier is sick and not necessary if you are actually going to the show. Luckily, most posters are sold via 10c after each leg of tour is complete. Thank God for that.

TinAnt

St Paul is the first time I saw a real line up for merchandise, even 2013 lines ups were not that bad. Until this most recent tour I had only ever waited 10 minutes and have never really worried about not getting a poster for a show.

For collecting things I have decided to stick to things I really want and not worry about the extras. I have too many large gaps to fill on the stuff I really want for it to make sense grabbing everything I can, or everything that gets released.

Mother Love Bone 7"? Not now, probably not ever. Coloured versions of the same thing? Not any more. Posters, I'm going to get rid of them all except the ones I attended.

Stickers? They don't even stick to anything.

tempo_n_groove

I loved collecting import cd's back in the day. It was always a quest to find "new songs". Now besides stickers I like collecting the older vinyl and CD's, promo items. That's getting harder now because of prices…

I'm thankful to quite a few people on here that traded straight up and didn't gouge and to some people that charged well under "market price".

Started doing vinyl in grade school, collecting PJ in 92. Doing merch in 98 on and off again. 2008 full bore...

handreads7-30

I started chasing posters during the 2006 tour, running in the venue and trolling SLH posts for the drop date/time. I've had more success with artist editions vs. Ten Club (even Ames Bros....greater than 50%) though and really appreciate people sharing info on here.

bellosjam

For me it was always about Ames Bros. Love these prints!

wwsuicide

Been collecting since the mid 90's. Really enjoy engaging/meeting friends through trades and conversation. The whole merch thing is just outta hand though and has lost it's luster for me. At the moment, I'm really into bootlegs. That's what it's all about.

pdalowsky

the future is bleak for collectors too in terms of record label promos and Cds, there are far few being made as the industry shifts over to digital. I think when PJ went to their own label that was the start of the decline for cool promos - Sony ruled at that.

pdalowsky

arq said:

I started like 7 years ago, but what keeps me in the game are my bros, without them it would be a dry and joyless endeavour.

absolutely this, its still the glue that keeps us all in the game.

The finding bros like I have are way more important than the pile on my shelves......

theserialthrilla

No releases from lightningbolt other then digital or radio promos hurt. Yeah we got sevens. But that was a album release imo. Might have been cooler to have two or three 7" instead.
Been collecting since the beginning of pj. But not as hard now as I was between 2008-2012

VedderMTL

pdalowsky said:

arq said:

I started like 7 years ago, but what keeps me in the game are my bros, without them it would be a dry and joyless endeavour.

absolutely this, its still the glue that keeps us all in the game.

The finding bros like I have are way more important than the pile on my shelves......

I have to say that I met a lot of cool people here snd hopefully one day we'll enjoy a show together, or 2 !

juddboz80

theserialthrilla said:

No releases from lightningbolt other then digital or radio promos hurt. Yeah we got sevens. But that was a album release imo. Might have been cooler to have two or three 7" instead.
Been collecting since the beginning of pj. But not as hard now as I was between 2008-2012

Why was it so hard in that period? Less merch and high demand?? Less promo items??