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Ice2SeeYou
Title: Sexual Tyrannosaurus
Joined: Sep 28 2008
Location: South of Heaven
Posts: 1761
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I was at the mall last weekend, and passed by the Hot Topic store. Looking in, I noticed that they still sell a lot of t-shirts and whatnot that feature iconic slogans and characters from the 80's (NES games/characters, Ninja Turtles, Transformers, etc). I didn't go inside, but this stuff seems to make up a significant portion of what HT sells.
Now someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this store generally markets to teenagers. Aren't teenagers today too young to remember any of this stuff? I mean sure they've heard of it, and they know OF the old NES classics. And I'm sure a few kids that age have played the names on emulators and as DLC on Wii. But really.....how relevant is that type of fashion statement to a 16 or 17 year-old?
People my own age (late 20's, early 30's) remember NES classics and 80's cartoons very well, and they were a significant part of our childhood. To make a reference to them nowadays evokes happy memories, and you can laugh and joke about them with other people of the same age. But there's no way that a kid born in 1994 can possibly have that same emotional response to a Transformers t-shirt.
I just don't understand how they're selling this stuff to kids that age, but I guess it works because they're still in business. Or am I wrong, and 30-year-olds shop at Hot Topic more than I realize?
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Hacker
Banned
Joined: Sep 13 2008
Posts: 3129
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All the time I see people wearing Mario shit.
Most of the time those same people have
A.) never played anything other than Mario Galaxy, or Mario Kart
or
B.) Buy it because they know Mario's popular
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username
Title: owner of a lonely heart
Joined: Jul 06 2007
Location: phoenix, az usa
Posts: 16135
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its the flavor of the month. the 80's are all the rage, so hipsters think its cool to wear retro shirts.
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| Klimbatize wrote: |
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docinsano
Title: Boner King
Joined: Jan 08 2008
Location: Mpls Mini Soda
Posts: 2314
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Hot Topic was, and always will be a stupid ass store that sells shitty, overpriced gear that only scenesters wear.
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GPFontaine
Joined: Dec 06 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 11244
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I bought a GNR T-Shirt there about 10 years ago. Other than that, I haven't been in the store for a decade. It always looked like a goth dressup shop. I imagine that it would allow for an easy path to migrate from Goth to Emo if one chose to downgrade further.
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Ice2SeeYou
Title: Sexual Tyrannosaurus
Joined: Sep 28 2008
Location: South of Heaven
Posts: 1761
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| username wrote: |
| its the flavor of the month. the 80's are all the rage, so hipsters think its cool to wear retro shirts. |
I see what you mean, but I still think it's weird. A person who wasn't born in the 70's can still go out on the dance floor and dance to disco music, and it's not a big deal. Disco was a cultural phenomenon from that time period, and everyone knows that.
But if you're 15 and you wear this shirt....
....it just doesn't seem right to me. Wearing this shirt implies that you actually played NES extensively, and consider it to be a significant part of your past. And unless you're a hardcore retro-gamer, that's not too likely.
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Dr. Jeebus
Moderator
Title: SLF Harbinger of Death
Joined: Sep 03 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
Posts: 5228
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While I buy my sister stuff at Hot Topic all the time, I have purchased exactly ONE item there for myself (As far as I remember):
I bought the shirt my junior or senior year of high school I believe, and I stopped wearing it because I got sick of people asking me where I got it.
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Captain_Pollution
Title: Hugh
Joined: Sep 23 2007
Posts: 1591
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That was my understanding, that they primarily market toward people who want to be hep and retro.
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<Drew_Linky> Well, I've eaten vegetables all of once in my life.
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GPFontaine
Joined: Dec 06 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 11244
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If you hadn't just told us where you got it, I would have asked.
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Doddsino
Joined: Oct 01 2009
Posts: 5316
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I bought a Zelda shirt there once. I'd probably buy more bands shirts, but most of them really suck.
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LowEndLem
Title: Not Gay
Joined: Mar 19 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 966
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I go there to look for some CDs sometimes, but that's it.
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<docinsano>i beat off using save states
<Tako> But, brontosaurs ate plants. It wouldn't be a threat to Jesus.
Why? Fuck you, that's why. |
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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
Posts: 24886
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I buy VG shirts there every once in awhile, and when I need a new Danzig or GN'R t-shirt, that's the place to go.
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Ice2SeeYou
Title: Sexual Tyrannosaurus
Joined: Sep 28 2008
Location: South of Heaven
Posts: 1761
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Yea I'll give HT that....they're one of the only places around that still sells band-t shirts. Does Spencer Gifts still sell them? Can't remember the last time I was in there.
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Sydlexia.com - Where miserable bastards meet to call each other retards. |
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sidewaydriver
2010 SLF Tag Champ
Title: ( ͡� 
Joined: May 11 2008
Posts: 6160
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I would never buy a band shirt from HT because everyone will know where you got it.
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Shake it, Quake it, Space Kaboom. |
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Ice2SeeYou
Title: Sexual Tyrannosaurus
Joined: Sep 28 2008
Location: South of Heaven
Posts: 1761
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| sidewaydriver wrote: |
| I would never buy a band shirt from HT because everyone will know where you got it. |
Not if it's a classic shirt that's been around for 25 years.
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Sydlexia.com - Where miserable bastards meet to call each other retards. |
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sidewaydriver
2010 SLF Tag Champ
Title: ( ͡� 
Joined: May 11 2008
Posts: 6160
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| Ice2SeeYou wrote: |
| sidewaydriver wrote: |
| I would never buy a band shirt from HT because everyone will know where you got it. |
Not if it's a classic shirt that's been around for 25 years. |
In that case then I'm just going to assume they bought it there.
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Shake it, Quake it, Space Kaboom. |
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Knyte
2010 SLF Tag Champ*
Title: Curator Of The VGM
Joined: Nov 01 2006
Location: Here I am.
Posts: 6749
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I used to go there for my band shirts back in high school. I don't think I have bought a single item for myself there in the last 15 years.
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Drew Linky
Wizard
Joined: Jun 12 2009
Posts: 4209
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Never been in there. Seems like a load of bullshit...
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https://discord.gg/homestuck is where you can find me literally 99% of the time. Stop on by if you feel like it, we're a nice crowd. |
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Burt Reynolds
Title: Bentley Bear
Joined: Apr 07 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1399
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I go there for my lunch boxes, studded belts and wristlets, retro shirts, metalcore shirts, velvet dresses, cordiroy shorts, MCR Cd's, lip and nose rings, funny shirts, black candles, vinyl for my record player that i plan on buying someday because it just sounds better, fairie calendars and matching attire, Nightmare before christmas figurines and journal, serial killer calendar, band patches and stickers (for my car window) aaaaaaaaaand Ozzy Osbourne style rings. Other than that, I don't really go there too much, so I dunno.
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Dances with Wolves 2 is gonna ROCK! |
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Thorton02
Joined: Mar 13 2009
Location: Arlington
Posts: 467
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It's all about being retro. When I was in highschool, the 80's were still lame but the 70's were the cool thing because everyone saw Dazed and Confused and wanted to act like the movie characters. There have been a lot of 80's plot movies coming out in the past few years to draw the interest.
Personally, Hot Topic is retarded. It's a total knock off of Spencer's Gifts. If you want to get a cool shirt that'll totally cheese off the principal, go to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.
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No, I don't think I will fuck Stummies. |
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Pandajuice
Title: The Power of Grayskull
Joined: Oct 30 2008
Location: US and UK
Posts: 2649
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Hot Topic has some cool stuff if you know how to find it and avoid the scene/emo junk. As for video game shirts, 80s kitch is indeed fashionable right now, especially among the new breed of hipsters.
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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
Posts: 2515
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Hot Topic doesn't exist over here really. So i can't really say much but there are shops that sell stuff like what people here are saying.
I'm 20 and i wouldn't shop there but i still did grow up with stuff like Mario, TMNT and stuff so it's not totally lost on me but like Pandajuice said it seems to to be the hipster in-thing right now. They are teenagers they will buy it if its popular despite knowing very little about it.
I either buy my band clothes online or sometimes though not often these days here:
| Quote: |
| Fresh Garbage, known to some as simply "Fresh" or "The garbage shop" and named after the lead track on the first album by US 60s group Spirit; is an independent music merchandise store based in 24 Rosemary Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland[1]. It sells products such as band t-shirts, belts, wrist bands, jewellery, hair dyes and bongs. The store was founded in 1969, most likely as an outgrowth of the hippie movement. The store primarily caters to those involved with or fans of music genres such as metal, rock, punk and emo. It is described as being fairly small, and often has incense burning whilst it is open.[2] It is described by as now being a "firm fixture in Belfast". |
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SSNintendo
Title: Likes to Blow Sh*t Up
Joined: Oct 14 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 599
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Only things I ever bought at Hot Topic was a Nintendo Mousepad, Mega Man shirt, "Know Your Roots", and a Beastie Boys shirt.
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Blackout
Title: Captain Oblivious
Joined: Sep 01 2007
Location: That Rainy State
Posts: 10376
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Back when I went through my Marilyn Manson teenager phase I shopped there for shirts and stuff, three things you gotta know about them.
1. They are really over priced.
2. Most of their clothes are shoddy and won't last very long.
3.Burn burn down burn down Hot Topic Don't let it take your soul!
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username
Title: owner of a lonely heart
Joined: Jul 06 2007
Location: phoenix, az usa
Posts: 16135
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| SSNintendo wrote: |
| Only things I ever bought at Hot Topic was a Nintendo Mousepad, Mega Man shirt, "Know Your Roots", and a Beastie Boys shirt. |
whats Know Your Roots?
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| Klimbatize wrote: |
| I'll eat a turkey sandwich while blowing my load |
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