Amazing Reproductions/ Re-Issues and Customs

[Bill]

The quality of reissues and reproductions that are available today are amazing, and the pricing makes it so that just about anyone can have as much as they want. I remember Cotswold GI Joe figures and uniforms in the early 90's and the high prices that they commanded, and of course the late 90's custom figures from Flatt.
I've been collecting skateboards for the past five years and now dabble more in vinyl and T-shirts, again, the repros and reissues are so amazing now that unless you really, really study the item you can't even tell that it's not original.

So my question is, if there's so much quality stuff out there at low prices, why the hell are we still buying the old stuff? I just won a T-shirt from an old Sub Pop band, The Dwarves, and scored what I thought was a great deal at $46 for a used shirt. Modern, completely legit Sub Pop Dwarves shirts are $16-$19. I know collecting is the farthest thing from logical, but it just struck me as kinda odd, as I was placing a bid on a vintage, sweat-stained, Nirvana shirt, which is also available new for under $20. I lost the auction, it went for $81. I've be pondering a seriously over-priced Rollins shirt, but can't bring myself to fork over $75 for an old shirt, yet...

[wyldpny]

Nothing replaces an original over a repro.
A repro is good for example if your current funds don't afford you the ability to own an original. But once the real deal comes along and you can afford it, the joy and thrill of owning and knowing it is a real original just can't be replaced by a reproduction.

[kingdom warrior]

I like repros when the original is impossible to get. I like the Captain Action Suits and rather get the repros to customize rather than spending a lot for the original.

[Brazoo]

Nothing replaces an original over a repro.
A repro is good for example if your current funds don't afford you the ability to own an original. But once the real deal comes along and you can afford it, the joy and thrill of owning and knowing it is a real original just can't be replaced by a reproduction.

I can see that in some cases, but for a T-shirt? I can't see how a t-shirt printed now would be any different.

I have basically stopped collecting old comics. The cost of getting one is the same as getting a collection of reprints in a hardcover. The quality of collections use to be terrible, but now they're getting better and better. The new DC Kirby Omnibus books look great, for instance. There really is nothing like holding the real thing in your hands, but they're a pain to store and read. Now whenever I want to read a classic comic I can just pull a whole collection off my bookshelf. No digging through boxes and dealing with bags and tape - no worrying about ruining the book while I read.

[huedell]

I spend the least money possible for the things I want...

thank goodness for my wallet that "wanting something
merely because it is from an original run of product" isn't an issue for me.

As it is I spend a good chunk of dough on comissioned customs---so I guess
my wallet gets a good "sock in the gut" just a different kind...

...that reminds me---can someone put together a passable
Mego WONDER GIRL replica so I can be done with nabbing her already??

[Bill]

Nothing replaces an original over a repro.
A repro is good for example if your current funds don't afford you the ability to own an original. But once the real deal comes along and you can afford it, the joy and thrill of owning and knowing it is a real original just can't be replaced by a reproduction.

Right, but WHY? I mean if it's nearly identical why are we spending ten times the amount to have an "original?"
I honestly can't figure it out, it's fascinating.
Of course there is the hunt for something old, and having the knowledge to identify original from reproduction, but when it comes down to it original for me holds a much higher person value for some reason that I just can't figure out.

[LonnieFisher]

I have basically stopped collecting old comics. The cost of getting one is the same as getting a collection of reprints in a hardcover. The quality of collections use to be terrible, but now they're getting better and better. The new DC Kirby Omnibus books look great, for instance. There really is nothing like holding the real thing in your hands, but they're a pain to store and read. Now whenever I want to read a classic comic I can just pull a whole collection off my bookshelf. No digging through boxes and dealing with bags and tape - no worrying about ruining the book while I read.

I download them off the internet and store them on my 'puter. Saves a lot of space...And finding them is easy!

[4NDR01D]

Right, but WHY? I mean if it's nearly identical why are we spending ten times the amount to have an "original?"
I honestly can't figure it out, it's fascinating.
Of course there is the hunt for something old, and having the knowledge to identify original from reproduction, but when it comes down to it original for me holds a much higher person value for some reason that I just can't figure out.

I hate reproduction t-shirts. To me, having an original tee means that you "were there". Meaning you supported that band and watched them in a ****ty bar somewhere, and supported them.
An original concert tee looks like an original concert tee, a tee bought at a mall kiosk looks just that. It's a matter of "elitist" pride maybe?

An example of awesome.

Me- Cool nirvana t-shirt, where'd ya get it?
You- Hell, I've had this since I caught them opening for Big Chief back in the day.

An example of lame.

Me- cool Tad t-shirt, where'd ya get it?
You- Um, the mall.

[jimbutsu]

Right, but WHY? I mean if it's nearly identical why are we spending ten times the amount to have an "original?"
I honestly can't figure it out, it's fascinating.

Because you want to put *something* more than 10-12 years old against your body...

[toys2cool]

I stay away from repro's unless i really really need it fast

[Bill]

I hate reproduction t-shirts. To me, having an original tee means that you "were there". Meaning you supported that band and watched them in a ****ty bar somewhere, and supported them.
An original concert tee looks like an original concert tee, a tee bought at a mall kiosk looks just that. It's a matter of "elitist" pride maybe?

An example of awesome.

Me- Cool nirvana t-shirt, where'd ya get it?
You- Hell, I've had this since I caught them opening for Big Chief back in the day.

An example of lame.

Me- cool Tad t-shirt, where'd ya get it?
You- Um, the mall.

I guess even the best kept 20 year old shirt, album, toy, car, etc... still shows some aging. Proof that it was from that time and not just a modern, well done reproduction. Maybe the age is as important as the image...
Philosophical collector discussion. Ha!

I picked up a cool Tad shirt with Peter Bagge graphics last year, and the seller even included a well used Tad "Salt Lick" shirt as a free gift.

[Brazoo]

I hate reproduction t-shirts. To me, having an original tee means that you "were there". Meaning you supported that band and watched them in a ****ty bar somewhere, and supported them.
An original concert tee looks like an original concert tee, a tee bought at a mall kiosk looks just that. It's a matter of "elitist" pride maybe?

An example of awesome.

Me- Cool nirvana t-shirt, where'd ya get it?
You- Hell, I've had this since I caught them opening for Big Chief back in the day.

An example of lame.

Me- cool Tad t-shirt, where'd ya get it?
You- Um, the mall.

Personally I don't own any concert shirts that I didn't originally buy at the actual show. I like band shirts as a memento, but if I wasn't there there's no value to me at all.

We're saying you don't own the original already. You never saw Nirvana live but you wanted a Nirvana t-shirt now, would you spend $100 on an original one or $15 on a reprint? I'm not in the market to buy either, but to me cotton is cotton and screenprints are screenprints.

[Brazoo]

I download them off the internet and store them on my 'puter. Saves a lot of space...And finding them is easy!

I do that too - but personally don't enjoy reading on the computer as much. A lot of the scans look terrible, and moiré patterns are irritating to look at.

If only crappy and overpriced reprints are available, or if it's a book I'm not crazy about but I still want to read I'll download.

[Bill]

Personally I don't own any concert shirts that I didn't originally buy at the actual show. I like band shirts as a memento, but if I wasn't there there's no value to me at all.

We're saying you don't own the original already. You never saw Nirvana live but you wanted a Nirvana t-shirt now, would you spend $100 on an original one or $15 on a reprint? I'm not in the market to buy either, but to me cotton is cotton and screenprints are screenprints.

You nailed it! I never saw Nirvana in '89, BUT I had the shirt for the Bleach album in '89 from the record store. At that point East Coast tours were few and far between for the initial round of Seattle bands. I recall Mudhoney coming through and playing a rather bland show, but it wasn't until the likes of the SuperSuckers and Dwarves until the big nationwide tours were common.
All of my original shirts are long gone, most lost their sleeves for use as headbands pretty early on. I'd kill for Circle Jerks Return of Elvis or VI tour shirts, or Die Kreuzen Ed Gein memorial tour, but some things just didn't survive.

[SeattleEd]

and here my ex got rid of all her band t-shirts. Her best friend is Nils Bernstein from old Sub Pop so she(we) got a lot of rare old stuff that was tossed. I've seen all this old stuff just be tossed and trashed. Funny how much it's worth now. At least I got her rare vinyl. Even have the first pressing of Bleach on white vinyl. Not the reissue or bootleg from the UK, but the actual small run they did when it came out. And a bunch of rare 7" stuff.

Ed