Academy Printwear Blog

Academy's updated blog on everything Academy Printwear! Music, Fashion and everything else.

academy St. Paddys Day Merch carts!!!

Peter Academy - Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Every year the academy crew braves the crazy streets of the New Haven St. Patrick's Day parade, to sell the coolest St, Paddy's merchandise and gear one can buy! So if you see us walking with our pimped out shopping carts, stop by and say hi, and pick up something festive!

St Pattys Clover Shirt - S
photo






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In & Out Secret Menu

Peter Academy - Monday, March 07, 2011
Anyone that has ever been to California talks about In and Out burger, and just as it is mysteriously so good, it also has a secret menu, someone finally broke it down.


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Bomb Fest 2011 - Lineup Announced!

Justin Academy - Tuesday, March 01, 2011

B.O.M.B. Fest 2011 Lineup Poster

Bomb Fest 2011 comes back to CT this year with an even bigger lineup than last! Headlining the festival, which is going down at Western Connecticut State University, is Weezer, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa! The two day festival is sure to be a blast and tickets are available from around $90! Talk about a deal. Check it out at www.BombFest.com

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The Dean's List's "The Drive In" Mixtape sponsored by academy!!

Peter Academy - Monday, February 28, 2011
We have been working with Boston's The Dean List for  awhile now, and it's so exciting to see them grow!  They are back with their newest mixtape called "The Drive In" and believe me it surely does not disappoint! 

Download tape here for FREE!

mixtape

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50 Worste Band Photos Ever!

Peter Academy - Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Working with many artists we see all different kinds of press photos, this article puts it all into perpective. This article on UGO is amazing check it out!

50 Worste Band Photos ever by UGO

Valley Of The Damned
Serious Mullets
Lightning Tits
Spandex Beach
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Odd Future - NYC Performance

Justin Academy - Thursday, February 17, 2011


Lovin these dudes. Check them out HERE
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15 to tips to create an effective merch table

Peter Academy - Monday, January 10, 2011


As album sales are becoming a less meaningful component in the overall success of an artist or band, the live performance sector, including ticket sales and merchandise sales, is becoming increasingly important. While the live show itself must be unique in order to encourage repeat customers and ultimately drive ticket sales, the merchandise table has the opportunity to drive significant revenue and first hand, artist-fan engagement. But just having a merch table is not enough, as there are essential elements that must be accounted for in order to make the effort worth while.

Assuming that you have accounted for the typical 'guts', such as T-Shirts, CDs, Hats, Stickers, etc. there are essentials to any effective merch table that will do three very important thing:

- Increase your sales
- Increase your long-term engagement with new and existing fans
- Decrease wasteful overhead when investing in the merch for your next tour

Use these following merch table essentials to make sure that you are making the most of every opportunity at every show to make as much money and as many new fans as possible:


1) Mailing List: Far too often overlooked, yet one of the most crucial aspects of retaining fans, the mailing list is an absolute must on any and ever merch table. If someone is willing to invest the time and money to come over to your merch table and purchase your music, your t-shirts or even just a little sticker or button, it means they felt strongly enough about the performance to further their interest. Every merch table customer is a valuable potential fan. Do not let them get away from you.

2) Accept Credit Cards: To be frank, if you do not accept credit cards, you are not maximizing your potential to make money, and are letting potentially valuable fans walk away without your music or merch in hand. There are a few different apps out for the iPhone/ iPod Touch, iPad and Android platforms that allow you to turn your device into a credit card terminal, including the Square, ProcessAway, Merchant Swipe and iSwipe.


3) High Traffic Area:  As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Putting your merch table in a high-traffic area is crucial to sales. The increase in passersby will make your table seem more desirable. As more people check out your merch and start to make purchases, the more likely it will be that others will want to check out the scene as well.

4) Lockbox for Money: Professionalism is crucial when dealing with a merch table. No matter how the musicians represent themselves on stage, online or in public, merchandising is purely the business side of the operation. Not only does a lockbox hold one person accountable for any lost cash and discourages outside theft, but It also makes it less apparent how little or how much cash you actually have from the event.

5) Plug from the band: Make sure the people who are actually listening to the music and who are enjoying it, have the opportunity to at least join the mailing list if nothing else. Announce the table, its location, and that YOU, the artist, will be there and are looking forward to speaking with everyone.

6) The Main Attraction: Nothing helps merch sell faster than putting the artists behind the table. Especially after the band has plugged the merch table and its specific location, it will be a delight for fans to have the opportunity to speak with the artists, get engaged and walk away with a new album and/or t-shirt because of the pleasant experience.

7) A Clean Table: Just like any store (think grocery store, toy store, convenience store, clothing store), potential customers connect the appearance of unorganization and sloppiness with that of a weak business. By splitting the table into well organized sections dedicated to each type of merch or even price point, it makes it much easier on the eyes, makes sales much more likely. Also continue to think of a clothing store, make sure you have clean, well folded t-shirts that range in color, size and gender specificity. 

8) Bright Colors: Not only should your merch table be located in a high-traffic area, but it should pop out as the sour thumb in the room. Venues are typically dark, so keep in mind that darker colors will be lost into the clutter of the room. Set up a back-drop, use a table cloth and create a banner, all of which should use bright, vibrant colors to catch people's attention.

9) Prices: Setting the right prices for the available merch is crucial to successful sales. Not only should everything be fairly prices based on the industry standard (which means you MUST do your research when planning the pricing strategy), but there absolutely needs to be merch available at every price point, from $1 dollar up to $100 dollars (or more depending on what you are offering).

10) Inventory Sheet: Organization is key to a healthy business. Using an inventory sheet will help you keep track of sales and will decrease the chances of wasteful overhead for your next tour as you start to use the historical sales to forecast growth. This is especially important if you do decide to create unique merchandise for each stop on the tour, as it allows you to see where your merch sold better or worse, so you don't waste money creating unique merch for the wrong places.

11) Unique Collectables:  Though this is a much more expensive option to consider, creating unique collectables for each show creates an incentive for repeat purchases from repeat customers. Some fans will be so into your music that they decide to hit every show within a 100 mile radius of their hometown, so why not create incentive for them to hit the merch table at EVERY show they attend? 

Ideas for some unique collectables are merit badges with a unique design reflecting each venue, laminated tour passes with specific dates printed on them, high-quality original prints of the show poster (signed by the band AND artist of the poster) and even shirts that specifically reflect the venue, date and city. 

12) Bundles: Just like the unique collectables, you want to make sure that you offer unique bundles that can only be purchased from the merch table. The more creative you can get with these bundles, the more likely you will be to encourage a higher volume of sales.

An idea for unique bundles include a unique USB thumb-drive with hand-painted artwork that offers the entire back catalog of studio albums, plus free admission to all shows for the next year. The more unique, limited edition and exclusive you can make these bundles, the more people will be willing to seek them out, not to mention pay a premium for them.

13) Contest/ Drawing: This is a great way to ensure longer-term engagement with fans. The drawing could be for free tickets, a free limited edition bundle of music or even something above and beyond like an opportunity to go out to dinner and hang out with the band. 

14) Picture Board: Remember the idea of the main attraction? (see above).  Using a picture board is an opportunity for the artist(s) to establish a stronger connection with fans, meanwhile advertising the merch in order to increase sales. Start taking pictures of the artists with fans who are either wearing or holding up newly purchased merch. Then compile a huge collection of the pictures taken and display the picture board either behind the table or to the side of the table. Make sure it is visible and most importantly, make sure to include a band member in every picture!

15) Branch Out Beyond The Table: Though the purpose of this list is to make the merch table itself more effective, the ultimate goal is to increase revenue and fan engagement. Grab a few friends and have them walk around the venue in a crisp new band shirt with their own mailing list sign-up sheet, some albums for sale, a few t-shirts for sale (especially the one they are wearing) and some FREE stickers or buttons. The idea here is to engage as many attendees as possible and to direct them back to the actual merch table where they can interact with the band members, buy an increased level of merch because of this new connection to the band and will walk away with a great, personal experience from the show rather than just a 'fun time'.


Using a merch table to increase sales is always good, but if used properly it can be so much more than that. If you are going to take the time, effort and money to plan out and finance the merchandise for your tour, make sure you have taken all of these things into consideration to ensure that you maximize revenue and fan engagement at every show. 
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Best & Worst Of 2010

Steve "The Provolone Wolf" Teo - Tuesday, December 28, 2010
NAME: Terry Urban
CLAIM TO FAME: DJ
WEBSITE: TerryUrban.com


TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. iPhone 4
2. Inception
3. Sandra Bullock kissing Scarlett Johansson at VMA's
4. Viva La Hova Remastered
5. Angry Birds

 TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. BP
2. Earthquake in Haiti
3. Gary Coleman RIP
4. NY Rangers not making the NHL playoffs
5. Justin Bieber






NAME: Christopher Truth
CLAIM TO FAME: Nice Guy + Beer Enthusiast + DJ

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. aP Party Bus in NYC - epic night.
2. Going to Austin City Limits Festival for the second straight year.
3. Every night I drank and the night ended positive.
4. Modern Family.
5. Every visit to the Brooklyn Brewery.

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. The Celtics losing in the finals to the stupid Lakers.
2. Stupid hipsters.
3. The passing of Guru
4. The Office isn't that funny anymore
5. Finding out Santa isn't real.





NAME: Geoff "OnCue" Sarubbi 
CLAIM TO FAME: Rapper extraordinaire over some rock shit.
WEBISTE:
www.twitter.com/mynamecuey
www.facebook.com/mynamecuey
www.mynamecuey.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Releasing Cuey Sings the Blues & Leftovers
2. Kanye's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"
3. The invention of Taco Bell's XXL Chalupa
4. Jets making the playoffs second year in a row!
5. Surviving jumping into the subway tracks drunk to get my IPhone

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Dropping my iPhone in the NYC subway tracks wasted as hell, and deciding to climb down after the phone.
2. The Jets loss to the Pats in Foxborough (FUCK THE PATRIOTS!)
3. Government arresting Julian Assange of WikiLeaks
4. When Blake fell off on the content of Freaky Friday
5. Failing Physics






NAME: Nathan S
CLAIM TO FAME: Managing Editor, DJBooth.net & RefinedHype.com
WEBSITE: www.djbooth.net @djbooth | refinedhype.com @refinedhype

TOP 5 BEST THINGS ABOUT RAP IN 2010 - 
1. Good Fridays.
2. A recovered Eminem.
3. Waka Flocks parodies (Shawt Bus Shawty, Baracka Flocka Flame)
4. The rise of B.o.B.
5. Getting Kid Cudi wasted.

TOP 5 WORST THINGS ABOUT RAP IN 2010 - 
1. Swizz Beatz rhyming on Good Fridays
2. The lost art of entourage members taking a charge (cough Lil Wayne and T.I. cough). 
3. Kat Stacks, people slapping Kat Stacks, Kat Stacks slapping people, Kat Stack's heart's refusal to stop beating. 
4. Diddy's continued belief in his own musical talent. 
5. Getting Kid Cudi wasted.





NAME: CJ Luzi
CLAIM TO FAME: Producing Music   
WEBSITE: CJLuzi.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. MC Hammer's triumphant return 
2. Cuey Sings the Blues by OnCue
3. Meeting my gorgeous, redheaded girlfriend, Erika 
4. Watching Michael Vick lead my team to victory 
5. Seeing the progression of my music & my name, all thanks to God 


 TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. The red line on my macbook screen that won't leave 
2. Jersey Shore 
3. Brett Favre returning 
4. Hearing Dancing With The Stars updates from another dude
5. The doctor saying "Yes CJ, you have mono."  






NAME: Stone
CLAIM TO FAME: Owner and CEO of The Couch Sessions
WEBSITE: http://www.thecouchsessions.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. The Academy Party BUS!
2. Kanye West
3. Going to LA TWICE on some Baller Status
4. Michael Vick returning to form
5. Celebrities following us on Twitter

 TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Our website getting hacked
2. MIA
3. Wack Rappers
4. Wack Rapper Groupies
5. The Redskins






NAME: Mick Boogie
CLAIM TO FAME: Party Rocker / Entrepreneur / All Around Good Guy
WEBSITE: www.MickBoogie.com


TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. Being here another year.
2. Outsourced on NBC.
3. Traveling to Asia (twice), South America and Dubai just to play some records and make people dance.  How awesome is my job??
4. Pete Rock producing a Kanye/Jay-Z track.
5. Having Academy book me to spin drunken frat parties in New England. Lol.

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Having ecstasy in the car while doing a U-Turn.
2. Wondering how Liza made it to the final four on The Apprentice.
3. Rappers who figured out how to move from MySpace to Facebook
4. Rappers who figured out how to move from Facebook to Twitter
5. TSA getting even more overzealous at airports but couldn't even get a job at 7-11.






NAME: Kyle / DJ Kaybee
CLAIM TO FAME: DJ / Academy Chef Extraordinaire

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. Learning to DJ & DJing some cool events
2. Kanye West - Good Fridays +Best album of the year 
3. Resurrecting the car bong
4. Sick Parties(4th of July, NYC Bus etc) & Concerts (Rakim, Spring Heeled Jack etc)
5. This Picture - (water birth)

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010
Wasn't such a bad year, so some quick hitting hate
1. Wacka Flocka Flame - No
2. Lebron James - You should have at least gone to NY
3. Sarah Palin - Go back to your igloo
4. Banning of Four Locos - I hardly knew ye
5. Brett Favre - Hopefully it ends






NAME: The Deans List
CLAIM TO FAME: The Deans List
WEBSITE: www.itsthedeanslist.com
TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1.  Having sexual relations with everyone we have ever wanted to.
2.  All moving into an apartment together - Music. every. single. day.
3.  Signing to NUE Agency.
4.  Went to flight school for 72 hours.
5.  Soup time sundays (S.T.S.) at Panera Bread.  Soup, Sunday, ladies, and free wifi.

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Mik addicted to cigarettes…again.
2. Being turned down by Donald Trump to invest in us.
3. Being not as fly like a G6.
4. Our old website.
5. Oj Da Juiceman.






NAME: Yomi Desalu
CLAIM TO FAME: Director - Music & Talent Programming Strategies at MTV Networks
WEBSITE: MTV.com
TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. My engagement!
2. Kanye album 
3. 4Loko 
4. Knicks Getting Amar'e 
5. J Cole mixtape 

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Haiti Earthquake (we aint forget!)
2. Government website shutdowns 
3. The Mets record
4. Obama bashing
5. The continuing recession






NAME: Matican
CLAIM TO FAME: Competitive Wing Eater 
WEBSITE: www.spaceghetto.net
TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Going to Munich for Oktoberfest. "Mein schwanz ist ein flammenwerfer," or, "my dick is a flamethrower," was the one German phrase we learned, and many German locals heard.
 2. Music - Faith No More reunion tour in Brooklyn, Diamond Eyes, new The Damned Things record, new Glassjaw tracks, and of course, Riff Raff.
 3. Apple products. iPhone 4, and my new MacBook Pro is pretty awesome too.
 4. Beer. Drank a lot of good beer this year. Most notable - Brooklyn Pennant, Schneiderweiss, and Saint Arnold's.
 5. Old Spice commercials. Not even one mediocre one out of like a dozen that were released...Great job!
 
TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Deaths. George Steinbrenner, Bob Sheppard, Dio, Leslie Nielson, Greg Giraldo, Corey Haim...
 2. Jay Leno and the rat dicking of Conan O'brien. That should be a book title.
 3. Will Smith's kids. Please stop doing things.
 4. Music - New Cudi record, Lil Wayne, Black Eyed Peas, Bieber...Shitty to lump Cudi in with this group, but the new record is just as unlistenable as any of these..
 5.Food poisoning in NYC. Fucked by General Tso. Could barely move, non stop shitting and vomitting. Good times.






NAME: John Gotty™
CLAIM TO FAME: Founder & Editor, The Smoking Section
WEBSITE: www.smokingsection.net

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Kanye rapping again and killing it
2. Nike Trainer 1.2 Mids, hands down one of the best new sneaker models released.
3. Both SXSW & A3C Music Festivals were both blasts. 
4. Ronnie Fieg's shoe collaborations with various brands.
5. Danny Brown's The Hybrid

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Poor Yung Berg got robbed again
2. Rap's revolving jail doors saw Gucci, T.I., Wayne and a few other knuckleheads spending more time on government-sponsored vacations than on stages. 
3. Some fool hit my truck. It's been repaired but we all know that it official takes the new, untarnished feel off things once they've been damaged.
4. LeBron James and his woeful team really botching "The Decision" presentation and leaving a smear on his future legacy.
5. Death & taxes






NAME: Aaron T
CLAIM TO FAME: Knuckles (Death Threat Frontman), Kitchen Manager, Jetblack Bullseye manager
WEBSITE: myspace.com/jetblackbullseye
TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1.Ms.JetBlack
2.Revenge Canada Weekend
3.Mike Flynn joining DT
4.Brooklyn
5.CeeLo Green "The Lady Killer"

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1.Puking blood
2.Drank piss(accidentally)haha
3.Dropping my phone in collard greens
4.Almost moving to L.A.
5.Canceling DT shows






NAME:  Pete "J.R." Wasilewski
CLAIM TO FAME:  I know Peter @ Academy Printwear
WEBSITE: www.lessthanjake.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. My "Top 5 Best Things of 2010" List
2. Blake and Teo's "Top 5 Best Things of 2010" List (tie)
3. Playing this year's Riot Fest as a member of both Less Than Jake and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
4. Cee Lo Green's "Lady Killer" record
5. Spring Heeled Jack playing 2 show's at Toad's Place.

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Peter's "Top 5 Best Things of 2010" List
2. Justin Beiber and/or Black Veil Brides (tie)
3. Kanye West's and Taylor Swifts performances on the VMA's...embarrassing.
4. Glenn Beck
5. LeBron James's hour-long "where I'm signing" special - should have called it "How to turn heel in 6 words or less"






NAME: Justin Toussaint
CLAIM TO FAME: Web Design @ Academy
WEBSITE: www.academyprintwear.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. purchasing my first car (2005 Accord)
2. turning 21
3. Halo Reach
4. Academy Bus Party
5. Ten Penny Ale

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. still not having enough money for a macbook
2. winter
3. Fall 2010 school semester
4. wisdom teeth pulled
5. drafting Tony Romo, Dallas Clark and Beanie Wells in fantasy






NAME: Jake Blauvelt
CLAIM TO FAME: Boardin'!
WEBSITE: jakeblauvelt.com (starting Jan 1st 2011)

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. La Nina
2. Virgin America Airlines
3. Leo Messi
4. Ping Pong 
5. Yoga

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. United Airlines
2. Being hungover
3. Pulled Muscles
4. North Korea
5. U.S economy 






NAME: chanes
CLAIM TO FAME: producer
WEBSITE: twitter.com/chchanes


TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. working with freeway and kurupt.
2. linking up with house shoes.
3. the luther burger.
4. the phrase "2010, get it in".
5. detroit hip hop.


TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010
1. kanye disgracing the mpc.
2. the remake of a nightmare on elmstreet.
3. blacking out in vegas.
4. the breaking of the fish eye lens.
5. the smoking ban in michigan.






NAME: Blake Kostka
CLAIM TO FAME: Academy Printwear / Putting a landscaping company out of business/ CEO Freaky Friday
WEBSITE: twitter.com/academylife

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1 .McRib and Double Down
2. Finding a gold coin
3. Dropping $100.00 on deep fried hot dogs during our academy NYC tour bus event
4. Sleeping with Betty White
5. Killing a pet pig and eating it the same day. RIP Carnitas. You were tasty though.

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Nicki Minaj’s annoying voices and accents
2. Anything Waka Flocka Flame, OJ Da Juice Man, or P Diddy
3. Leaving our T – Shirt launcher in the trunk of a NYC Cab
4. Head smashed off of a car door on St. Patrick’s Day
5. The next morning after a 4Lokos challenge






NAME: Peter Michael Fertiguena Jr.
CLAIM TO FAME: owner, academy printwear
WEBSITE: www.academyprintwear.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. iphone4/angry birds/face time
2. academy parties and college tour/academy tattoo challenge/Justin's 21st Bday
3. 2011
4. Best album-Wiz Khalifa's :: Kush & Orange Juice
5. Clogging every hotel toilet as soon as we get in the room

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Leaving the old academy office
2. Rapper's that couldn't deliver a pizza & band's that quit their day jobs
3. 2010 Worste Trends- Bro's Icing Bro's/Four Loko/The Shake Weight/ People Dressing Like avatar esp girls
4. Getting stuck & Sleeping in a South Bronx gas station parking lot, after the Less Than Jake Booze Cruise
5. The Milford Oyster Festival







NAME: Steve Teo
CLAIM TO FAME: Design & Photography @ Academy / Death Threat / Bread Man
WEBSITE: TeoAcademy.tumblr.com

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Seeing Sheer Terror @ This Is Hardcore Fest in Philly.
2. Four Loko
3. Academy Party Bus
4. Death Threat Canadian Weekends
5. Finally seeing Henry Rollins in Boston

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. Stomping on a wine glass barefoot
2. The death of Paul The Octopus
3. Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon Part 2 (come on man! I was psyched for this and it sucked)
4. The 2 year old Indonesian kid quiting smoking
5. The Milford Oyster Festival (biggest shit show ever)






NAME: Cassidy
CLAIM TO FAME: Electrician / Handy Man / All Around Good Dude / That dude who built the bathroom
WEBSITE: I like them

TOP 5 BEST THINGS OF 2010 - 
1. New job
2. Not going to the Milford Oyster Festival
3. Getting a normal sized room (no more closet room)
4. Playing Softball
5. Building my first bathroom

TOP 5 WORST THINGS OF 2010 -
1. No more free Government Checks
2. Not going to the Milford Oyster Festival
3. Going through 2 cars in 2 days
4. The passing of a close family friend
5. Babysitting Melissa's dog Max... 

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Best Christmas Video ever?

Peter Academy - Wednesday, December 08, 2010


I always wondered if they were serious when they made this video | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

20 Years of Must Have Gifts

Peter Academy - Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Apple iPad
2010: Apple iPad

2010: Apple iPad

$499 - $699, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Really, were there any other contenders? It's the first of its kind — a slim tablet that lets you seamlessly glide between movies, music, browsing the web, and Street Fighter beat-downs. With Wi-Fi and 3G, everything from racing simulators to magazines are just a touch away. And don't get us started on that gorgeous LED display.

The Weird Part: You can use the iPad to do just about anything, but you're probably going to waste all your time on Angry Birds, which has been purchased over 10 million times on Apple's App Store.


Nook eReader
2009: Nook eReader

2009: Nook eReader (Barnes & Noble)

Starting at $149, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: B&N's e-book has a second screen while Amazon's Kindle has just one; throw in its Wi-Fi and the Nook seems set for a Christmas KO. That said, Beta had a much nicer picture than VHS.

 

 





More from Esquire.com: 

Gifts That Will Keep You Married

What Sexy Celebs Want for the Holidays
iPod Touch
iPod Touch

2007: iTouch (Apple)

iPod Touch 4th Generation, Starting at $275, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: The first touchscreen and Web-enabled iPod went from annual fanboy fantasy to national must-have, largely because it came at a fraction of the iPhone's price tag. Christmas? There's an app for that.

The Weird Part: Apple's profits took a slight hit when they had to deal with a lawsuit filed by an irate mother claiming her child's iTouch burst into flames while in his pocket, igniting his pants and "nylon/spandex underwear."


Playstation 3
2006: Playstation 3

2006: Playstation 3 (Sony)

PlayStation 3 Slim 160GB, Starting at $300, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Sony's response to Microsoft's Xbox 360 had a North American launch inspiring such anticipation that pre-sale units hit $3,000 on eBay (retail topped out at $599), while mothers and mouth-breathers alike camped out for days to buy one in person.

The Weird Part: Legend has it one man on an advance line at a Walmart discovered there would not be any PS3s left by the time it was his chance to make a purchase. So he did the only logical thing: he treated people ahead of him in line to coffee spiked with laxatives. He got one.

Xbox 360
2005: Xbox 360

2005: Xbox 360 (Microsoft)

Xbox 360 250GB Starting at $200, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Beating Sony to the punch? Check. Internet connectivity for Halo tournaments stretching from nerds in Taiwan to schoolchildren in Toledo? You got it. Enough supply to meet holiday demand? Not so much. Frenzy ensued.

The Weird Part: Xbox 360 started production a mere sixty-nine days before its launch. Customers lucky or savvy enough to recognize the potential profits of Microsoft's dilemma cashed in, as forty thousand units (or 10 percent of total supply) ended up on eBay within a week.

RoboSapiens
2004: RoboSapiens

2004: RoboSapiens (WowWee)

Starting at $24, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: What's a RoboSapien, you ask? Why a remote-control, fourteen-inch-tall humanoid capable of performing sixty-seven preprogrammed actions and movements, including (but by no means limited to) break dancing, farting, and belching, of course!

The Weird Part: Prior to the resurgence of human movement with the success of Dancing with the Stars, humanity faced a sedentary period consisting entirely of RoboSapiens shaking their mechanical groove thangs on YouTube.

Beyblades
2002-2003: Beyblades

2002-2003: Beyblades (Hasbro)

Starting at $13, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: In a classic demonstration of the power of synergy, Hasbro released these customizable "fighting" spin-tops in Japan simultaneously with a hit cartoon. World domination followed soon thereafter.

The Weird Part: Beyblade competitions quickly became a sensation, with the first one drawing eighteen thousand people. One need only YouTube the highlights of such an event to discover why this attracted more folk than the average heavyweight title fight.


Dr. Cool & Dr. Hot Bags
2001: Bratz Dolls

2001: Bratz Dolls (MGA Entertainment)

Starting at $10, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Ah, Cloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin. They're the original quartet of ten-inch "teenagers distinguished by large heads and skinny bodies." While their June 2001 launch proved disappointing, by Christmas they were well on their way to generating billions.

The Weird Part: If the Bratz remind you of Barbie dolls, you're not the only one. Mattel won a $100 million copyright suit against MGA in 2008 (though it should be noted that Mattel requested $1.8 billion).


Razor Scooter
2000: Razor Scooters

2000: Razor Scooters (Razor USA)

Starting at $40, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: This was the year we decided we didn't want to drive... or walk. What to do? Dodge children in the streets! The original Razor also won Toy of the Year for establishing itself as a "classic mode of transportation, like bikes and skateboards."

The Weird Part: Only downside? Any grown man on a scooter looks like a total zero. John Mayer celebrated this in a short film about his songwriting process.



Pokemon
1999: Pokémon

1999: Pokémon (Nintendo)

Starting at $10, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: With the Japanese cartoon a sensation, kids demanded more, and the video-game series came to rival even the Mario titles in popularity, inspiring South Park to parody the whole phenomenon (you know, the one where Japan wants to brainwash America's children into launching a second attack on Pearl Harbor).

The Weird Part: An eight-second-or-so segment of a TV episode duplicated a strobe-light effect so effectively that it triggered seizures in hundreds of fans, proving right mothers the world over: Cartoons are bad for you.


Furby
1998: Furbies

1998: Furbies (Tiger Electronics)

Starting at $10, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Who wouldn't want a furry robot that can talk and blink its eyes? Indeed, who wouldn't want one so badly that they'd be willing to pay a huge markup? After retailing for $35, Furbies skyrocketed to $100 a pop, not to mention "collector's items" like "tuxedo Furby" and "biker Furby."

The Weird Part: Owners discovered Furbies were strikingly affected by magnets, inspiring a demonic-looking video craze.


Tamagotchi
1997: Tamagotchi

1997: Tamagotchi (Bandai)

Starting at $6, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Housed in an egg-shaped computer, these digital pets required feeding and poo-cleaning, but the hard work paid off with the occasionally redeeming happiness monitor. Deeply creepy stuff, but apparently very popular: seventy million Tamagotchis have been sold to date.

The Weird Part: When a Tamagotchi "dies," you can reset it and start again, but owners who truly cared for their pets found that heartless and instead had proper burials at (real) pet cemeteries, complete with gravesites and coffins.


Tickle Me Elmo
1996: Tickle Me Elmo

1996: Tickle Me Elmo (Tyco)

Starting at $25, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: "When squeezed, Elmo would chortle. When squeezed three times in a row, Elmo would begin to shake and laugh hysterically." Needless to say, this was something Sesame Street watchers everywhere needed to have. And they needed to have it now.

The Weird Part: Beloved puppeteer Jim Henson may be gone, but surely he'd be moved to know he inspired a toy that would be resold for up to eighty times its $30 list value and trigger at least one stampede of parents so crazed they left a store employee in the hospital.


Beanie Babies
1995: Beanie Babies

1995: Beanie Babies (Ty Inc.)

Starting at $7, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: First conquering Chicago and then spreading all over this plush nation, Legs the Frog, Squealer the Pig, Spot the Dog, Flash the Dolphin, Splash the Whale, Chocolate the Moose, Patti the Platypus, and dozens of other $5 bean-bag creatures with pun-tastic names devoured our hearts.

The Weird Part: Recognizing the willingness of Americans to abandon any shred of dignity to get what their children want, an Atlanta radio station dumped eggs and beans on people in exchange for free Beanie Babies.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
1993-1994: Mighty
Morphin Power Rangers

1993-1994: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Bandai)

Starting at $6, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: Five racially diverse teenagers with superpowers fought evil aliens for a TV smash, and so came a line of toys featuring the Rangers and their "Zords" — you know, giant robotic dinosaurs they used to combat aforementioned evil aliens. Duh.

The Weird Part: The Power Rangers's catchphrase, "It's Morphin Time!" reportedly outraged authorities in Malaysia, who feared it encouraged children to become morphine addicts.


Barney Talking Doll
1992: Barney Talking Doll

1992: Barney Talking Doll (Playskool)

Starting at $10, ebay.com

The Big Deal: Barney & Friends was aimed at a younger crowd that somehow found it irresistible to watch a man in a dinosaur suit sing some of the most mawkish songs ever. This talking doll brought the tunes all day long. Needless to say, parents were thrilled.

The Weird Part: Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers this show was not. From TV Guide's "Worst 50 Shows of All Time": "...his shows do not assist children... [T]he real danger from Barney is denial: the refusal to recognize the existence of unpleasant realities."

POGs
1991: POG

1991: POG (World POG Federation, Others)

Starting at $1, ebay.com

The Big Deal: It may have the least likely origin of any Christmas-season smash: a milk-cap game played during breaks by Hawaiian dairy workers. A two-person contest involving a flimsy discs and a slammer, POGs gave kids the chance to, well, take their friend's Christmas present supply away in minutes.

The Weird Part: It goes without saying that a game played by Hawaiian dairy workers would threaten educators. They quickly deemed POGs a form of gambling and banned them from schools across the nation.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles

1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Bandai)

Starting at $8, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: The action figures were so popular they got kids to learn about Renaissance painters — or learn their names, at least. Adolescent abnormal reptiles Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo discovered the ancient art of Ninjutsu from a giant talking rat to fight ninjas while eating pizza. Cowabunga, dude.

The Weird Part: The toys made a bundle, but the turtles also cleaned up with 1990s live-action film earning over $200 million — at the time, the highest-grossing indie movie to date.

GameBoy
1989: GameBoy

1989: GameBoy (Nintendo)

Starting at $6, ebay.com

The Big Deal: The first eight-bit handheld videogame system to utilize cartridges, GameBoy went anywhere and didn't force you to play the same damn game over and over again. Goodbye, couch! Hellooooo... other couch.

The Weird Part: Goodbye, Cold War! And thank you, USSR. A Soviet R&D center employed Alexey Pajitnov when he designed the puzzle game Tetris, which came bundled with the original GameBoy and to this day fills people of a certain age with an overwhelming desire to stack rectangles.

Care Bears
1985: Care Bears

1985: Care Bears (American Greetings/Kenner)

Starting at $10, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal: The rare successful line of toys inspired by greeting cards — really — these plush teddy bears didn't become a smash until their TV show offered children a glimpse of life in the Kingdom of Caring.

The Weird Part: There are few things weirder than the intro to the Care Bears cartoon. (Note: All viewers should know that the theme song may lodge itself deep in your brain and make you hate yourself for being so darned insufficiently caring. You've been warned.)

Transformers
1984: The Transformers

1984: The Transformers (Hasbro)

Starting at $14, Yahoo! Shopping

The Big Deal:Without them, we might never have discovered Megan Fox. Or how to turn plastic robots into cars, planes, tape recorders, insects, and dinosaurs. Transformative, indeed.

The Weird Part: Before this decade's Michael Bay calamities, there was the 1986 animated movie featuring the vocal talents of Orson Welles, who shrewdly died eight months before the movie premiered.

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