Hot Topic

[Kidthorazine]

Who here shops at Hot Topic or used too. I did when i was younger because i didnt know there where other options. Now i go in there every once in awhile because sometimes they have some good stuff on sale but thats it.

[killerkat]

how dare you say the "h" word,i'mn gunna have to find a chemical wash......


i'll copy a lil' story from another thread.......


"i've been forced near that place once, and i just stood outside,screaming CARCASS(grindcore) IN MY HEAD,so i wouldn't think of where i was, and the people in side kept lokin' at me like i was gunna shoot the plaece up,and i'll say i'm about the LEAST intimidation person i know.....then within about 5min, like 5 lil' trendy scene kids sat outside too tryin'to be cool, i wanted to kill them all, even the guy who worked there(dumb scene fuck) kept watching me ,with this look like he knew,I knew he was a fucking Joke, AHHHHHH i fucking HATE that place........"



i mean those dumb fuck "hardcore" kids when i say "scene"........


it's places like that that are causing this world to go to shit.....

[Kidthorazine]

how dare you say the "h" word,i'mn gunna have to find a chemical wash......


i'll copy a lil' story from another thread.......


"i've been forced near that place once, and i just stood outside,screaming CARCASS(grindcore) IN MY HEAD,so i wouldn't think of where i was, and the people in side kept lokin' at me like i was gunna shoot the plaece up,and i'll say i'm about the LEAST intimidation person i know.....then within about 5min, like 5 lil' trendy scene kids sat outside too tryin'to be cool, i wanted to kill them all, evevn the guy who worked there(dumb scene fuck) kept watching me ,with this lok like he knew,Iknew he was a fucking Joke, AHHHHHH i fucking HATE that place........"



i mean those dumb fuck "hardcore" kids when i say "scene"........

Yeah i hate those people too. I also hate the 12 year old mansonites that call themselves goth, Around x-mas i was in the mall sporting my awsome Robert Smith hairdo and theese twelve year old "goth" kids in hot topic started maaking fun of my hair. One of them had so much eyeshadow on that he looked like a fucking racoon oh and he was wearing a good charlotte t-shirt, i wanted to bash his face in.

[Smudge Doll]

i go there cause i cant get things i want any were online so far... probally just dont kno9w were to look, but either way

[Jax]

I shop there. I get my shoes, Dickies and Lip service clothing from there, because I dont want to drive 60 miles to go shopping on Melrose, which is way higher priced and a pain in the ass as far as parking goes. And if anyone can find a decent shop in Corona Del Mar or Newport Beach let me know.

If you dont like Hot Topic, dont go there. They hire modified people, and offer many jobs for those that cant find anything other job because they choose to look a certain way. I give props to Hot Topic.

[cheinara wraithwalker]

I agree with Jax, I don't mind hot topic. Who cares if "scene" people go there. If you like the clothes and dig the music, don't worry about who else is around. They have cute stuff there, and not EVERYONE that works or goes there to shop is fakes. Fakes are everywhere, not just going to or working in one store.

[killerkat]

If you dont like Hot Topic, dont go there. They hire modified people, and offer many jobs for those that cant find anything other job because they choose to look a certain way. I give props to Hot Topic.

maybe there,but here there all mall punk ,trendy scene,people.....

[Kidthorazine]

I respect them for who they hire and whatnot but i think they tend to jack up prices and alot of the stuff they carry is really low quality. i buy most of my lip service stuff online from thier web site and its either the same price or cheaper usually. I buy Dickies from Kmart because they sell cheaper than Hot Topic also.

[Jax]

KZ-I simply cannot shop unless I try the clothes on. Ive gained so much weight I dont even know what size I am anymore. I dont think 39 bucks for a pair of Dickies is unreasonable, plus, Kmart/Target/Wal Mart only carry guys dickies in the styles I like, and I look horrible in guys dickies;p

I go there for everyday clothes, like stuff for riding my horses in or just going to the bar type of clothes. As far as fetish wear, I either make my own, or shop somewhere else where the quality is more important than the price.

Killerkat- Hey, we all had to start somewhere;]

[Amelia G]

Here is what I had to say about this last time around:

Hot Topic destroyed Ghastly Magazine. It hasn't come out since they got screwed by that parasite on our scene.

Hot Topic is one of the main reasons SWAG stopped coming out after such a kick-ass first issue and launch party.

From what a lot of cool clothing companies tell me, Hot Topic forces designers to make cheaper versions of their stuff for Hot Topic stores. So you get Lip Service pants for less money at Hot Topic than at say Retail Slut, but the Retail Slut ones are way better quality.

I have also heard from A LOT of in-the-know sources that Hot Topic will place huge orders with small clothing companies and insist on credit terms and then deliberately be super slow about paying their bills, so the small companies will not be able to afford to go buy materials to supply cool punk rock stores which have been part of the scene for years.

Yes, Hot Topic used to advertise on this site. Yes, they have been a Blue Blood party sponsor. Yes, a number of years ago, Hot Topic sold thousands of Blue Blood T-shirts. But . . . a competitive site was told they could not sell their products in Hot Topic, so they complained to HT buyers about the ads magazines would give me and Forrest for doing photography and scene press which supports the larger community. I don't know whether payola was involved and I probably never will know, but the HT buyer bizarrely decided to be amazingly unpleasant and the whole thing was such a nightmare that it killed yet another cool scene magazine.

I could go into a lot more detail, but those are the basic reasons that store will not be seeing my hard-earned dough. I try to support businesses which support the scene.

And here is the update:

I watched Retail Slut's fixtures being dismantled this Sunday. Retail Slut was a real lifeline for the Los Angeles scene and the scene really screwed itself by not supporting it enough.

[killerkat]

Killerkat- Hey, we all had to start somewhere;]

maybe,but you don't have to act better than everybody else,and all the other nasty shit 90%or more(more) of those kids do....

i have more than enough stories of shows we did with those little basterds infecting the crowd,they are a BIG part why we don't do nearly as many shows any more,they've even gottin' us banned from places.........

but that's all i'm gunna sayunless you want to hear some of there shit...messege me then ,

to stay on topic,i like Amelia's reason for disliking them....

[Kidthorazine]

Wow that just makes me dislike the sore even more and i know that their brad name clothes are crappier than the ones you buy from good independant stores Here in Ohio there are two good places i can shop for clothes back home unfortunately Hot Topic is the only place i guess im gonna start buying more of the internet.

[killerkat]

Wow that just makes me dislike the sore even more and i know that their brad name clothes are crappier than the ones you buy from good independant stores Here in Ohio there are two good places i can shop for clothes back home unfortunately Hot Topic is the only place i guess im gonna start buying more of the internet.

that's what i do, there is alot of good people selling through the ol' interwaves, i got alot if you want.....if i can find them.......

[Toe Cutter]

I have never shopped there. I've always had a good laugh when ever I have walked through it. Stupid products and such. Although I could not care less where people buy their clothes.

[TheQuietPlace]

I think HT sucks selection-wise, and quality wise. Heres why: I got a pair of those dreadful Tripp NYC Pants. Gah It got a HUGE fuckin' tear on the ass. Grrr. It sucked. Anyways, I try hard to avoid HT, because HT Sucks, and if I do buy stuff, I try to stick to the clearance rack.

[Wickedanima]

Here is what I had to say about this last time around:

Hot Topic destroyed Ghastly Magazine. It hasn't come out since they got screwed by that parasite on our scene.

Hot Topic is one of the main reasons SWAG stopped coming out after such a kick-ass first issue and launch party.

From what a lot of cool clothing companies tell me, Hot Topic forces designers to make cheaper versions of their stuff for Hot Topic stores. So you get Lip Service pants for less money at Hot Topic than at say Retail Slut, but the Retail Slut ones are way better quality.

I have also heard from A LOT of in-the-know sources that Hot Topic will place huge orders with small clothing companies and insist on credit terms and then deliberately be super slow about paying their bills, so the small companies will not be able to afford to go buy materials to supply cool punk rock stores which have been part of the scene for years.

Yes, Hot Topic used to advertise on this site. Yes, they have been a Blue Blood party sponsor. Yes, a number of years ago, Hot Topic sold thousands of Blue Blood T-shirts. But . . . a competitive site was told they could not sell their products in Hot Topic, so they complained to HT buyers about the ads magazines would give me and Forrest for doing photography and scene press which supports the larger community. I don't know whether payola was involved and I probably never will know, but the HT buyer bizarrely decided to be amazingly unpleasant and the whole thing was such a nightmare that it killed yet another cool scene magazine.

I could go into a lot more detail, but those are the basic reasons that store will not be seeing my hard-earned dough. I try to support businesses which support the scene.

And here is the update:

I watched Retail Slut's fixtures being dismantled this Sunday. Retail Slut was a real lifeline for the Los Angeles scene and the scene really screwed itself by not supporting it enough.

(Shakes head sadly) Hot Topic really is the Wal-Mart of Goth.....Sucks so much Retail Slut is gone..........Horrors..........

[ForrestBlack]

I always liked SMASH in D.C.

[Kidthorazine]

I think HT sucks selection-wise, and quality wise. Heres why: I got a pair of those dreadful Tripp NYC Pants. Gah It got a HUGE fuckin' tear on the ass. Grrr. It sucked. Anyways, I try hard to avoid HT, because HT Sucks, and if I do buy stuff, I try to stick to the clearance rack.

Tripp makes a few good things but the stuff they sell at HT is lower quality than the stuff you can buy online or from a goth/punk type independant clothing store

[Jax]

And here is the update:

I watched Retail Slut's fixtures being dismantled this Sunday. Retail Slut was a real lifeline for the Los Angeles scene and the scene really screwed itself by not supporting it enough.

Shitty about the Hot Topic stuff. As far as retail slut, everytime I went in there, they never had anything that fit. Most of it was in larger sizes. Plus the selection was not all that big. It sucks to hear they have gone under, and I feel bad for Peter. I always thought they were doing great, because of what I mentioned above.

[hewhoisagod]

I think in the last 10 months, I've bought 2 shirts from them, other than that, the people at the store here are decent. They always have a decent music collection, even though it's overpriced like crazy. But it really pisses me off when I see a 12 year old kid with Motorhead tee and not know who the fuck Lemmie is. But you DO have to start somewhere......... and for that I guess Hot Topic serves its purpose. I just don't have the motivation to drop cash there.

[Tequila Zaire]

They use to carry a good selection of guys stuff...now it's a store for 14 year old girls...and they even carry emo shit now.

Only thing I've bought there in the last 2 years is a belt...it's a chick store at best.

[Kidthorazine]

yeah now all they have for guys are t-shirts and those fake baggy ass bondage pants

[killerkat]

yeah now all they have for guys are t-shirts and those fake baggy ass bondage pants

ahh, but you forget all those scene kids wear fuckin' girls pants.......by the way check your messege thing...

[CarnalxKiss]

we never had a hot topic or any store close to one when i was *in the scene* in the early 80's...we shopped vintage and made our own...creativity was the funnest part...gods i miss those days...it wasnt just the fact we could find fabulous 40's style gowns and square heels Joan Crawford would be proud of...but we could actually wear the stuff that held character, and a story of its own 40 yrs prior...what was best..10 bucks bought the shoes, coat, bag and a funeral hat...heh...ahhh the nostalgia....

I go in HT every now and then..we have a pure clearance store here..i pick up the cool stuff cheap and reselll it....always love to make a quick easy buck...

[Evilbink]

I'm not much into fashion unless it comes from a PX or a surplus store. Hot topic is in my opinion a plague on my area. Shop where you please but keep in mind one thing. "It's not what you wear but how you wear it"

[devil13]

Here is what I had to say about this last time around:

Hot Topic destroyed Ghastly Magazine. It hasn't come out since they got screwed by that parasite on our scene.

Hot Topic is one of the main reasons SWAG stopped coming out after such a kick-ass first issue and launch party.

From what a lot of cool clothing companies tell me, Hot Topic forces designers to make cheaper versions of their stuff for Hot Topic stores. So you get Lip Service pants for less money at Hot Topic than at say Retail Slut, but the Retail Slut ones are way better quality.

I have also heard from A LOT of in-the-know sources that Hot Topic will place huge orders with small clothing companies and insist on credit terms and then deliberately be super slow about paying their bills, so the small companies will not be able to afford to go buy materials to supply cool punk rock stores which have been part of the scene for years.

Yes, Hot Topic used to advertise on this site. Yes, they have been a Blue Blood party sponsor. Yes, a number of years ago, Hot Topic sold thousands of Blue Blood T-shirts. But . . . a competitive site was told they could not sell their products in Hot Topic, so they complained to HT buyers about the ads magazines would give me and Forrest for doing photography and scene press which supports the larger community. I don't know whether payola was involved and I probably never will know, but the HT buyer bizarrely decided to be amazingly unpleasant and the whole thing was such a nightmare that it killed yet another cool scene magazine.

I could go into a lot more detail, but those are the basic reasons that store will not be seeing my hard-earned dough. I try to support businesses which support the scene.

And here is the update:

I watched Retail Slut's fixtures being dismantled this Sunday. Retail Slut was a real lifeline for the Los Angeles scene and the scene really screwed itself by not supporting it enough.

Okay, I'm pleased for this dialogue to continue and I'm sure the topic will come up again and again, but I'd like to request that AmeliaG start a thread about something entertaining in a nonincendiary way about something they like before resuming this debate.

[Jax]

Okay, I'm pleased for this dialogue to continue and I'm sure the topic will come up again and again, but I'd like to request that AmeliaG start a thread about something entertaining in a nonincendiary way about something they like before resuming this debate.

I seriously hope you are joking.

[karamae]

I never saw the point in hating on Hot Topic.
Seems to me that a lot of people who are against it are uncomfortable that their own individuality is somehow being comprimised by the easy access to 'alternative' fashion.
Personally, I would rather patronize local stores or stores belonging to people I know, but that applies to all products that I consume, not just fashion.
A lot of people I know hate Hot Topic but then they go ahead and patronize countless other corporations.
Every year or so I find something in there that I like. I've never known of any reason to single Hot Topic out over any other chain store for boycott.

[Kidthorazine]

I never saw the point in hating on Hot Topic.
Seems to me that a lot of people who are against it are uncomfortable that their own individuality is somehow being comprimised by the easy access to 'alternative' fashion.
Personally, I would rather patronize local stores or stores belonging to people I know, but that applies to all products that I consume, not just fashion.
A lot of people I know hate Hot Topic but then they go ahead and patronize countless other corporations.
Every year or so I find something in there that I like. I've never known of any reason to single Hot Topic out over any other chain store for boycott.

Alot of people hate hot topic because it brings blatant commercialism to a scene that is pretty much against that also their clothes suck and read Amelias post in this forum.

[SindelChaos]

I watched Retail Slut's fixtures being dismantled this Sunday. Retail Slut was a real lifeline for the Los Angeles scene and the scene really screwed itself by not supporting it enough.

Retail Slut shut down? I loved that store!! I used to buy online all the time. A lot of good stores are shutting down kind of like Religious Sex in NYC. This makes me very sad.

Now for what I have to say about HT. If I shop there, it's when I need a pair of cheap hose really quick. I haven't shopped there in over two years.

Everything I have bought there hasn't lasted over a year before coming apart. This includes shoes. I've also heard the rumors about HT buying Lip Service rejects and selling them at too high of a price or somehow cloning LS designs and putting LS's tag on the cloned clothing.

The fact that almost every 12-16 year old kid shops there mostly because it's found in almost every shopping mall, makes me sick. How can someone even think they are slightly unique if they shop at the store religiously?

[Amelia G]

Okay, I'm pleased for this dialogue to continue and I'm sure the topic will come up again and again, but I'd like to request that AmeliaG start a thread about something entertaining in a nonincendiary way about something they like before resuming this debate.

devil13, everyone else in the thread you are referring to took a deep breath, remembered the love, and moved on to posting which did not look like it was about to be a flame war. There are plenty of places on the web for a flame war if you do not enjoy rational discourse and the intelligent sharing of differing viewpoints, but I do not see Blue Blood members warming to your idea of making this one of them.

Please read http://www.blueblood.net/boards/showthread.php?t=3461 and make any posts about flame wars there as this is off-topic for this thread.

[Amelia G]

Retail Slut shut down? I loved that store!! I used to buy online all the time. A lot of good stores are shutting down kind of like Religious Sex in NYC. This makes me very sad.

Now for what I have to say about HT. If I shop there, it's when I need a pair of cheap hose really quick. I haven't shopped there in over two years.

Everything I have bought there hasn't lasted over a year before coming apart. This includes shoes. I've also heard the rumors about HT buying Lip Service rejects and selling them at too high of a price or somehow cloning LS designs and putting LS's tag on the cloned clothing.

The fact that almost every 12-16 year old kid shops there mostly because it's found in almost every shopping mall, makes me sick. How can someone even think they are slightly unique if they shop at the store religiously?

Religious Sex is closing too?! Eep. I had not heard that yet. That sucks.

[Ichigo]

That's really sad that all these independant stores are starting to shut down. I always support the ones in Cleveland, and the clothes are better quality as well, though they are a little more expensive. I remember one time when kidthorazine was over my place, he wanted to take the pockets off these pants from Hot Topic, and they came off in like two rips, which shows how cheaply they are made. I used to shop there all the time when I was younger, until I found out about other places. I think as well, that HT takes away creativity. I mean, they sell pre-ripped fishnets, have people become so lazy that they can't modify their clothing themselves? Even something as simple as that?

[Morning Glory]

I too will lament the passing of Retail Slut, I always made it a habit of stopping in when I was in the area. I'm thankful that our Toxic Ranch is still open and survived when the corporations realized that they could sell punk and that the rebellion was profitable, while being carefully marketed as to not actually be dangerous and offense, of course. the fact of the matter is that these independant places are usually worked by the people that own them because they don't make enough money to hire a full time alternating staff and they maintain the place through loving care and it shows. as opposed to a million clones found in every mall that highschool kids who want to be rebels and work there simply because they can't get a job anyplace else. ( hey, that's me too, I thought the sixties ended a long time ago, but apparently if you're a guy having long hair is a crime punishable by unemployment) I think they started with the right spirt, but they lost it along the way. I think you hit the nail on the head kidthorazine.

[morbidroses]

well i odn't like hot topic but i do shop there sometimes because it's t he only place i can get my friends and family to take me cause i don't know anyother plaes around and they wuoldn't drive me too far...but i try to not go in ther unless i want music

[devil13]

devil13, everyone else in the thread you are referring to took a deep breath, remembered the love, and moved on to posting which did not look like it was about to be a flame war. There are plenty of places on the web for a flame war if you do not enjoy rational discourse and the intelligent sharing of differing viewpoints, but I do not see Blue Blood members warming to your idea of making this one of them.

Please read http://www.blueblood.net/boards/showthread.php?t=3461 and make any posts about flame wars there as this is off-topic for this thread.

lighten up it was ment as a joke. those are your words from the other thread about MP3s. I just changed the names from Forrest, Jax, Taquila and myself to your name. I dont know if you noticed but when you asked us to stop I did. the only reason I got heated up about the subject was someone started in on me when I was asking someone else a serious question and I feel if you can dish it out you can take it in return. I will not sit idle if someone is going to attack me first. I did not or will not attack someone without provocation. I just thought you would recognize your own words and think it was funny but thats just my sense of humor.

[tinstar]

Didn't really care about this thread until I read Amelia's post. Sucks that other stores have to close, but remember that all cool things must reach the mainstream, then be subsequently made un-cool. If there is a revival (which, in reality, HT is a store that is benefitting from a revival of a revival of a revival!) and it sticks, it just IS. I don't shop there b/c, as someone else said, the only "guy" clothing they have seems to be baggy pants, which I don't wear. The last time I was in NOLA, the Gargoyle's shop was pretty awesome, and Noir Leather here in D-Town is consistently filled with cool stuff. A friend of mine developed and handles their site (www.noirleather.com)

[SindelChaos]

Religious Sex is closing too?! Eep. I had not heard that yet. That sucks.

More like the store shut down last year. All that's left now is a small website with what little merch is still left to buy.

[devil13]

hot topic does suck but I dont really feel that bad about Retail Slut closing. most of the stuff they had was designer punk anyway. when I was young we just made are own or bought things at second-hand stores. we kinda thought of the designer punk look as something a poser would wear and being a runaway and all I never could afford it anyway.
does anyone from L.A. remember when NANAs was on broadway before they redid 3rd St Promanade? it used to be the best place to find Doc's, skull buckled boots, hair dye, and anything punk/goth. after they redid 3rd St it got real trendy and NANA's did too. if you take a look at Melrose the stores there are just as trendy and some of the good shops have closed or going to close soon.
Hot topic may suck but its just kinda the trend. the younger generation grew up in malls and shoping centers so they make money from their stores by making it trendy to shop there and other (better) stores are strugling to make it. yea it sucks but its been going on for a long time.

[karamae]

Stikky Fingers here in Baltimore is a good place. I had a friend visit from out of town.. she had her 14 year old son with her who had seen Hot Topic in the mall for the first time and he'd wanted to go there.
I took them to Stikky Fingers and he was able to buy all of the stuff he wanted there instead. I was relieved and happy to support an aquaintence's business!