1 Topic by Mistabeen (edited by Mistabeen 2012-06-28 15:54:43)

  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 356

Topic: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

Toisu toisu toisu.

As you all know the official Polysics store will not ship outside Japan and it costs about an arm and a leg in order to get them trough a third party service.

Sick and tired of not having any cool Polysics swag to wear I decided to create a shirt for myself (and probably more in the future xD) but I'm sure there's others out there who created or have the skills to create their own shirts. So let's stick it to the man (radical and all that maaaaaaan tongue) and share some fanmade designs.

tldr; make and share your fanmade tshirts

some pointers to stay out of trouble: do not directly copy any official designs from their store. Fanart is usually ignored, but when you start selling exact copies of their gear you might get in trouble. (Unless you are into that, which is totally awesome and radical dude! tongue)




to kick it off here's a shirt I made for myself. I've had this design in my head for ages now, finaly took the time to draw it up and put it on a shirt tongue
http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.12156337.1683/fig,orange,mens,ffffff.jpg

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NatsuBamBam | Polysics information and community
  • From: At Large
  • Registered: 2011-08-30
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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

"official Polysics store"?

There's a Polysics store?

Again late for the party!

Please share the link! I want to complain about the inconvenience and high-price work arounds!

-RR

  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 356

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

http://polysics.shop-pro.jp/ that's the official one afaik.
But they don't ship outside Japan iirc (and it's not like the designs they have for sale right now are that amazing)
So if they won't take our money, we will have to design our own shirts i guess xD

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4 Reply by ruthyruth (edited by ruthyruth 2012-06-28 20:30:28)

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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

Hey Mistabeen, thanks for the link!

So THAT is the official P merch store? WEEEAAAAKKKK!

I'm sorry, but if that is the official store, then that means the band stands behind the store and its policies about shipping, pricing , etc....which brings me to the fact that once the band ventured outside of Japan it became responsible to the fan base (us) that it developed. Sorry, but if you put it into me, and I become pregnant with ideas, or just come down with Heavy Polysickness, we're in it together!

What I'm trying to say is, that it IS a two way relationship, ergo, the store should totally ship anywhere in the world the band decided to plant its seed - no "if", "ands", or "buts"!! Even if I don't like their lame t-shirts and over-priced hoodies!

I'm not sure about the wording, but I'm going to send some Tweets to the current band members who can be Tweeted and ask THEM why fans anywhere on the planet, are not treated equally (at least in the sense of, at the very least, offering international shipping, should an overseas patron decide to make a purchase).

OK, they are artists, busy  doing their thing, so maybe they don't keep track of stuff any better than I do. But if they don't know about it, if they don't know that THEIR store treats some fans like they're not even there, then maybe they should know about it. And if they do know about it, then maybe they need to wake up and smell the coffee - there are lots of fans beyond the horizons of The Land of The Rising Sun...it's a two way street!! At the end of the day, they would end up getting more cake no matter how you look at it.

There's got to be a 痛恨 in the near future from somebody to all of us who have been turned away from the "official" store because we don't have GPS coordinates inside the island nation.

Meanwhile, Mistabeen - I think your idea is GREAT, and fans should express their solidarity, revolt, and freedom-of-choice through design, and let's kick it up a notch - execution of the design! Print it and wear it!

Stick it to the man!
-RR

  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 356

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

I have tried contacting members and management  ages ago about the shop but so far it's quiet on the front.

I did find this lone page http://www.backstreet-merch.com/bands/plysc/help.asp but the store no longer sells Polysics merch, so it looks like they once did cater to the international crowd.

I mostly think it's the management behind Polysics that is responsible for some of their choices in the past 3-4 years and it's really rubbing me the wrong way.

But i'm still a fan of the band, regardless of the management, so I still want to wear me some Polygear. It's why I started this. And I will be printing the design I made for myself, I will post pictures when I receive it.

I hope to see some other work from other people here. If the Japanese can create those awesome fanbooks, I am sure we can create some beautiful Polysics Merch ourselves.

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NatsuBamBam | Polysics information and community
  • From: At Large
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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

We are all "heavy poly-sick". This is not finished!

I may not have any better luck getting an acknowledgment of the problem from the band members than you report. BUT, no matter how innocent they may seem, when it comes to pay-day, they are at the top of the food-chain, so in my humble opinion, they HAVE to take responsibility for their policies, or Poly-sick-seas...I know, I'm pushing it, please forgive me.

I'll report the results of my venture to get some answers, even if it is nothing!

  • From: Southern California
  • Registered: 2012-02-29
  • Posts: 118

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

@Mistabeen Amazing job on the design. I need that shirt!!

@All    I wish they knew how much money we spend on their merch. I pay those ridiculous 3rd party buyer website prices. If they opened a shop with worldwide shipping, they could get more of my money. In return, I could get more merch to hoard up on.

1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4 Buritsu, Buritsu, Buritsu, Hey Buritsu!!!
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 356

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

hehe thanks roundhouse tongue starwars and polysics, what's not to like right xD

I just ordered my shirt and I found a couponcode for 10% discount. Use "COMICTEE" during checkout if you order anything from that website. Can also be used on designs you make yourself.

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9 Reply by west_haven (edited by west_haven 2012-06-29 00:23:55)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-11-20
  • Posts: 769

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

I don't have any money to spare right now, especially since I bought a legit Polysics shirt off eBay, but all is well. I know that if I ever got an iPhone anytime soon, I'd go through a third party and get one of the iPhone cases they're offering on their store.

And of course, I don't like all the talk about "sticking it to the man" because that sounds just silly. If I was part of the Polysics staff, hearing about overseas fans blatantly bashing their methods wouldn't make me any inclined to offer shipping overseas to them.

I'm not saying we can't make fan shirts, because that's just fine, but please, you two, stop being disrespectful.

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10 Reply by roundhouse87 (edited by roundhouse87 2012-06-29 01:22:55)

  • From: Southern California
  • Registered: 2012-02-29
  • Posts: 118

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

@Mistabeen Thanks, I will check out the site!! smile

@West_Haven Sorry if you took my post as disrespectful. I was just saying I'd rather give them my money straight up without passing it to everyone else and plying shipping twice. Congrats on the T-shirt. Glad you won it. I hate to inform you that the Iphone cases are sold out. I was gonna one too. lol

1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4 Buritsu, Buritsu, Buritsu, Hey Buritsu!!!
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-11-20
  • Posts: 769

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

roundhouse87 wrote:

@Mistabeen Thanks, I will check out the site!! smile

@West_Haven Sorry if you took my post as disrespectful. I was just saying I'd rather give them my money straight up without passing it to everyone else and plying shipping twice. Congrats on the T-shirt. Glad you won it. I hate to inform you that the Iphone cases are sold out. I was gonna one too. lol

Oh no, you weren't acting disrespectful; I agree with you and I appreciate how you worded your post.

I don't like it how it seems like I start shitstorms recently, but even though we wish Polysics would come to see us again, or how we want to order from their online shop, it doesn't mean we have to be brats about it. The fact that they've came overseas for years, when they didn't even have to, says a lot. They'll come back around, but during this aftermath of rewriting the band, the last thing on their minds is touring overseas. They're trying to get their sound up to snuff and comfortable with their new sound before they endure the stress of an overseas tour.

I would love for them to come on over, though, so we can get some new things to talk about.

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  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 356

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

the sticking it to the man bits are obvious jokes carrie wink

I do not completely agree with you tho. I love the band to death but it's clear that their management has made some decisions in the recent years that goes against what they used to be like. I am 99.9% sure that if it was up to the members of the band, they'd be touring the world every year, but sadly they never made their big break and those small venues are just not as profitable as touring Japan. I wouldn't mind if they read my thoughts on this subject.

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NatsuBamBam | Polysics information and community
  • From: At Large
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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

I always thought "sticking it to the man" was a Hippy / Yippy saying from the sixties that signified a kind of protest whereby you get the service or product you need in spite of the establishment's road blocks...in other words, I think it applies here because Mistabeen made his own shirt as a protest to the high prices and bureaucracy involved in obtaining genuine Polysics Stuff.

I don't think it is disrespectful to use the saying, or to complain about the difficulties overseas fans experience obtaining merch. Money talks, or I think it "talks" or should talk. So whatever reasoning is behind leaving overseas Polysics fans in a kind of purchase-lurch, in a purchase-lurch overseas fans must remain.

Also, I have noticed that there are even Japanese bands that are almost exactly the opposite from the Polysics store situation: Imagine a Japanese band that has for all intents and purposes, never toured the USA, and yet has a USA fan store.

Case in point, the idol group Berryz Koubou. They have played one show at a total of two manga / anime conventions in the continental USA. Never toured though. But they have an online store:

http://www.hellostoreusa.com - and they even use Youtube to advertise it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCWbb7YcamY

OK, so actually their online store is for all the bands under the Hello Project umbrella, but I think only one other band from the Hello Project (Morning Musume) has played in the USA, and under the same circumstances, a couple of one-off manga/anime event. 

As lame or un-lame as one might consider the idol scene in Japan to be, the Hello Project is providing a model for Japanese bands to sell worldwide - just like ebay sellers, just like other bands, just like CDJapan, just like anybody who wants to take advantage of the internet to reach the "global village" easily.

Whether or not Polysics is in still in the throws of forging its new identity (a phase which I personally believe they have passed through very successfully some time ago), it is not in their best interests to effectively abandon their international audience, which in a way I think has happened.

At the same time, they are hardly obligated to service whoever wants to buy their fan articles. Maybe it is actually an intentional marketing technique to raise the value of their brand overseas by making it harder to get.  But I think that is unlikely.

It is more likely that selling overseas also means having to potentially deal with returns and issues in several languages, and even if they limited the business to the language of commerce (English), they'd still have to deal with writing invoices, corresponding with customers, etc. - that might actual come down to a full time job for which there is not enough return to pay for.

Still, when one closely examines The Hello Store USA, it appears that it is being operated by www.japanfiles.com - which may account for the Hello Project taking advantage of the services of Japan Files - no one has to speak English to deal with the customers, and like Amazon and eBay based stores, no inventory needs to be maintained.

So  Polysics could do it too if they wanted to, which I guess they don't (I'm speculating about the organization / record company rather than any possible wants or desires the band members may, or may not have).  And lest we forget, a certain former member of Polysics reacted very quickly to international interest in her wares long before she moved away from the island. OK, it was a new business that she started on her own, but she did not turn away customers just because they weren't in Japan. Rather, she found solutions for transactions (Paypal) and fulfillment (the post office).  We here in Central Europe are the proud owners of several of her fine handmade items.

In any case, I think it is not disrespectful to voice a complaint, or to be humorous in so doing.

Meanwhile, Carrie from what you wrote in your post, it sounds like you might have an inside line on what the band is up to...is that true? You don't have to reveal sources, but it would be interesting to hear about any future plans that might be being discussed...inquiring minds need to know!

-RR

  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 356

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

If carrie indeed has an inside line with the band she has been keeping things from me and i will really have to get angry at her  fight her tongue (and steal her autographs while i'm at it big_smile)

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  • From: North Carolina
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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

I don't have any connection to the band other than being a huge fan. I just have hoe that they'll come back soon.

I think a a big difference between anything involving Hello Project is that they're WAY more mainstream than Polysics. They are full of "kawaii" Japanese girls, which apeals to a lot of anime fans in the US. It's kind of like two different ballparks. Polysics is a very niche and unique band, and they aren't as universal as more mainstream bands. So I can understand why they haven't came back recently; I've read on their blog about how tiring touring can be, and it wouldn't be as profitable as any Japanese tours they do. I don't like it, but I understand it.

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16 Reply by ruthyruth (edited by ruthyruth 2012-06-30 01:39:48)

  • From: At Large
  • Registered: 2011-08-30
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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

Carrie, you're right - Polysics / Berryz Koubou = Apples / Oranges. True that.

BUT if what appears to be true, then Berryz Koubou, or any Hello Project ensemble, should be able to tour the world with no problem...right?  So why don't they? That's actually not a rhetorical question because I believe B.K.'s  lack of world success issues are quite different then those of Polysics.

I'm not talking about what appeals to US fanatical / loyal Polysics fans, I'm talking about the math. IF an idol band(s) can appeal to a broader audience, then WHY aren't they touring?

On the other hand, Polysics is arguably a "cult" band at the very least, and a band that appeals to a more discriminating world audience at its very best in the USA / Europe, right?

I would venture to offer Talking Heads as a business model...This was a band from the 70s / 80s that toured the world on a shoe string budget, forged a name for themselves, then proceeded to use their earnings to memorialize their accomplishments in a single concert film (Stop Making Sense). PS - If you didn't already notice, T.H. has had as much an influence on Polysics's stylings and presentation as DEVO, the B-52s, Kraftwerk and The Clash...but I digress...

From all evidence so far presented, I'm convinced that Polysics is as austere a band as Talking Heads - putting every single penny up on the stage and in to every video and every audio recording. Besides the economics, there is every reason in the world that Polysics should be a "world band" on the same level that Talking Heads was in their time - and they were / are still - very close to it, and they could still do it... (sidebar: It is not easy to ignore that Talking Heads's late 70s / early 80s stage presence is like four Kayos...)

How about a couple of T.H. numbers...right about now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4uqBkiVV5A (Found a Job)

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZYHP6IBoac (Don't Worry About the Government)

Let us take historic and factual note that there was a great deal of unspoken "coolness" that this band had a woman (Tina Weymouth) playing bass, and that the lead singer / song writer, David Byrne,  is / was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome...but again I digress...

Polysics is a smokin' hot band, with a female bass player - but (as far as I know) nobody with Asperger's is in the line-up, and ironically like T.H. in a certain way, Polysics had / has  a keyboard player issue; Talking Heads started as a trio, then GAINED a keyboard player - cut to 30 years later and we see a phenomenal band that LOST a keyboard player and is now a trio...

We can argue the minutia forever, but the fact is that this group of Heavy Polysick fans here in this forum KNOW P is a vital life force, and whether we choose to admit it or not, they could flourish just as easily as they could plunge into obscurity at the drop of a hat. I REALLY believe the trio has found their new groove, and now they have to find the confidence and support of the money people to bring it to the world.

Polysics is so beyond some bar-band workin' the islands of Japan. If they were something like that, then DEVO would NEVER have acknowledged them. I sincerely hope they find the launch switch and fire-up the candle - otherwise, they'll be into their 40s soon, and beside the Rolling Stones (who I'm not sure are human), they are likely to turn their hearts towards their own lives and the fleeting few moments life has to offer (kind of like the keyboard player already took note of, and hit the road for...)

Polysics has got it goin' on. All of our discussion about marketing, webshops, and random ideas doesn't mean much beyond this global tribe (us - brought together by the internet and our common interests...) unless they (Polysics), can bring it to the world.

OK, they would still be the world's GREATEST bar band, but we'd have to get our butts over there to enjoy happy hour!

HEY! Regardless of hopes and dreams of Polysics being able to continue making a living at their job AND forging a world name for themselves (and I sincerely hope they do), would it not be a moment to remember if somehow, all the fans in this forum were to end up at the same event and be able to share a drink / make a toast together - face to face? How cool would that be?

Now I know I'm really dreaming!!!

TOISU!!!!

-RR

PS - a BONUS for the T.H. fans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA1oFSMwRDU (Psycho Killer)

  • From: North Carolina
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Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

And one way to support the band would be to buy things from their store.

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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2012-12-14
  • Posts: 14

Re: unofficial radical Polysics Tshirt shop:sticking it to the man edition

The official MUST BUY OR DIE!!! SHOP has new merchandise to offer. So still no chance to get these outside japan...
http://polysics.shop-pro.jp/

I need this High Kcal shirt now! lol
http://i.imgur.com/zC1vr.jpg

http://t.imgbox.com/abcRXDIR.jpg http://t.imgbox.com/abqkScdb.jpg

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