I don’t get it

Philip_Ireland

I saw Eddie Vedder last week in Dublin, where he played a mediocre show that was extremely expensive.
The fans lapped it up. We all queued for two hours to buy some expensive merchandise- and this is the bit I don’t get! The show was not my thing, I’m ok with that but I don’t get this overselling of merchandise. Fans will buy any old bull and I think Eddie and the boys should maybe draw the line with merch and concentrate on music. Kiss would shudder if they saw the amount of crap Pearl Jam produce for each show. I am guilty - I have been a merch junky but I am giving it up but I would ask my dealers to stop producing it and instead focus on maybe making some music, just saying  etc.

drakeheuer14

Classic. This horse must have nine (hundred) lives. 

Philip_Ireland

drakeheuer14 said:

Classic. This horse must have nine (hundred) lives. 

What does that mean?

pjl44

If it makes tickets and posters easier to get, I celebrate your new found abstinence 

KN219077

Maybe seeing Ed solo just isn’t your thing? Last time I checked you don’t have to purchase any merch and it’s usually inconvenient to do so. The band doesn’t make money off of records, they make it off of tshirts and posters. Like it or not, bands as big as pearl jam have a lot of mouths to feed and this is one of the ways they do that

bootlegger10

If you are using 2019 Pearl Jam as an “it is about the music” compass you are about 15 years too late.  They do the minimum they have to do to (a) pay their people, (b) pay themselves, (c) support their charitable causes, and (d) not to quit.   

This is is because they have been together 30 years.  

Find a new band if you want musicians playing for just the passion and integrity of the music.  The National would be a good choice.  

pjl44

bootlegger10 said:

The National would be a good choice.  

bootlegger10

pjl44 said:

bootlegger10 said:

The National would be a good choice.  

Ha.  There are other bands as well.  

darthvedder

It's ok, any unsold or unpopular merch will be distributed through the mystery box process at $100 a pop. Which the fan club eats up quite gleefully, as the most recent mystery box sale indicates. So, no end in sight for the merch madness.

pjl44

bootlegger10 said:

pjl44 said:

bootlegger10 said:

The National would be a good choice.  

Ha.  There are other bands as well.  

Indeed! I couldn't help myself. 

Bigrfish

darthvedder said:

It's ok, any unsold or unpopular merch will be distributed through the mystery box process at $100 a pop. Which the fan club eats up quite gleefully, as the most recent mystery box sale indicates. So, no end in sight for the merch madness.

Mystery Box may not be for everyone but for the fan that misses out at the merch stand it is worth it. Not to mention a shot at a signed poster, baseball or guitar. Yes... It is a good way to reduce inventory, but for 100 bucks, you get a lot more than you would at a show.

HesCalledDyer

Bigrfish said:

darthvedder said:

It's ok, any unsold or unpopular merch will be distributed through the mystery box process at $100 a pop. Which the fan club eats up quite gleefully, as the most recent mystery box sale indicates. So, no end in sight for the merch madness.

Mystery Box may not be for everyone but for the fan that misses out at the merch stand it is worth it. Not to mention a shot at a signed poster, baseball or guitar. Yes... It is a good way to reduce inventory, but for 100 bucks, you get a lot more than you would at a show.

Yep, a poster and two shirts would be $105 at a show.

Spiritual_Chaos

HesCalledDyer said:

Bigrfish said:

darthvedder said:

It's ok, any unsold or unpopular merch will be distributed through the mystery box process at $100 a pop. Which the fan club eats up quite gleefully, as the most recent mystery box sale indicates. So, no end in sight for the merch madness.

Mystery Box may not be for everyone but for the fan that misses out at the merch stand it is worth it. Not to mention a shot at a signed poster, baseball or guitar. Yes... It is a good way to reduce inventory, but for 100 bucks, you get a lot more than you would at a show.

Yep, a poster and two shirts would be $105 at a show.

At a show you can decide what you want to buy and know how it looks though. 

And it's not worth it for European customers, because they have decided to not sell them through the European shop. And I get that, with them being made inhouse. But I did the mystery box-thing once for "the fun of it" but never again. Those extra charges (tenclub shipping + customs) kill you. Both economically. And spiritually. 

lastexitlondon

We have made our own problem thats how i see it. 

lastexitlondon

The title is don't  get it . But you do get it. And you have now chosen to stop. Thats a good thing  i think for you. And others it bothers. I know i sold 80%of my collection due to illness and divorce but never the less. You can partake or not.  I guess  is the  fact

Spiritual_Chaos

lastexitlondon said:

We have made our own problem thats how i see it. 

Ofc. we're feeding the beast.

lastexitlondon

I now just do what i feel at the time.  

Spiritual_Chaos

Philip_Ireland said:

I saw Eddie Vedder last week in Dublin, where he played a mediocre show that was extremely expensive.
The fans lapped it up. We all queued for two hours to buy some expensive merchandise- and this is the bit I don’t get! The show was not my thing, I’m ok with that but I don’t get this overselling of merchandise. Fans will buy any old bull and I think Eddie and the boys should maybe draw the line with merch and concentrate on music. Kiss would shudder if they saw the amount of crap Pearl Jam produce for each show. I am guilty - I have been a merch junky but I am giving it up but I would ask my dealers to stop producing it and instead focus on maybe making some music, just saying  etc.

Merch is what John Connor taught us:



New music costs both energy and money.

danny

agree

JPPJ84

It’s hilarious that there’s a new thread complaining about too much merch and one about not enough merch... 

lastexitlondon

Its probably  because  we all come here for the love of pearl jam and there  is nothing  to talk about pearl jam really atm

Spiritual_Chaos

lastexitlondon said:

Its probably  because  we all come here for the love of pearl jam and there  is nothing  to talk about pearl jam really atm

Not enough Terminator 2 talk though. I think.

eboweddie

eboweddie

Seriously 

mcgruff10

lastexitlondon said:

Its probably  because  we all come here for the love of pearl jam and there  is nothing  to talk about pearl jam really atm

Bingo

HesCalledDyer

Spiritual_Chaos said:

HesCalledDyer said:

Bigrfish said:

darthvedder said:

It's ok, any unsold or unpopular merch will be distributed through the mystery box process at $100 a pop. Which the fan club eats up quite gleefully, as the most recent mystery box sale indicates. So, no end in sight for the merch madness.

Mystery Box may not be for everyone but for the fan that misses out at the merch stand it is worth it. Not to mention a shot at a signed poster, baseball or guitar. Yes... It is a good way to reduce inventory, but for 100 bucks, you get a lot more than you would at a show.

Yep, a poster and two shirts would be $105 at a show.

At a show you can decide what you want to buy and know how it looks though. 

And it's not worth it for European customers, because they have decided to not sell them through the European shop. And I get that, with them being made inhouse. But I did the mystery box-thing once for "the fun of it" but never again. Those extra charges (tenclub shipping + customs) kill you. Both economically. And spiritually. 

You could say they cause spiritual chaos!  I don't buy the mystery boxes either because anything "mystery" I've ever gotten has either been a duplicate (both vinyl records, both posters) or some Seahawks-lookin bullshit (mystery shirt).  Plus 99% of the merch looks like total ass these days, so I certainly don't want a big box full of the crap.  But based on retail price alone & nothing else considered, it is a much better deal.  The downside is that it's also a much greater risk.

OnWis97

I don't get it either.  But I also don't care.  Let people buy the stuff if they want to.

Merkin Baller

The easiest solution is to not buy the merch, and if the shows don't do it for you anymore, find different shows to go to.

justam

You can decide not to spend money on any of it.  That is always an option.

When things are too expensive for me, I just don't buy them.  It's simple! 

I think a lot of the posters are attractive and a lot of the merchandise is nice so at least they are offering things (people who have money to spare) will want to buy.

Merkin Baller

FWIW, if I had been at that show, I would have waited in line for that poster, that thing is sweet.

Ledbetterman10

Merkin Baller said:

The easiest solution is to not buy the merch

Agreed. I've been to over 30 PJ shows and have never stepped foot in a "merch" line.