This past weekend, fans everywhere flocked to the new Kanye West pop-up stores. In total, there were twenty-one Pablo merch shops located around the world. One of those stores was located here in Toronto, Canada. In fact, Toronto had the only Canadian location, which I quickly realized upon hearing of fans who drove into the city. The lineups were horrendous, the crowds were restless, and the resellers were merciless. The experience was at sometimes unbearable, and yet totally satisfying. It truly was the epitome of Kanye fandom.
You meet a lot of people when you spend seven hours in line to get a Kanye West t-shirt. It’s enough time to bond with them, whether through the shared experience, or the Yeezy music emitting from an increasingly long line. Some other people you begin to loathe, whether through their obnoxious behaviour, or their braggadocious plot to resell. But after a while, these faces begin to blend into one another. I’m not sure if it was the heat or the lack of hydration, but I couldn't for the life of Pablo, tell you the names of the people I had met. What I began to do, however, is categorize these fans into five subgroups. After my phone died, this alone helped me kill time.
We spent seven hours in line to get a Kanye West t-shirt, and here were the fives types of people that we met along the way.
You’d have to be somewhat devoted in order to accept the wait and experience of this massive line. Thankfully, this devotion made for some great sightseeing. Firstly, I was able to spot Kanye merch from all over the place. Of course, I was able to glance at my fair share of Yeezus wear, but every once in awhile, I could spy a DONDA crew neck, a Paradise Fest shirt, or an “I Feel Like Kobe” sweater. There were people reciting entire albums verbatim, and others telling stories of what Ye means to them. Collectively, these fans acted as a support group when the going got tough, and they helped to keep each other sane.
Every so often, you’d catch someone who looked completely out of place. Oftentimes, these people were in their forties and fifties. When questioned, these folks explained that they were here to pick up something for their children. The first thought that came into my head, was “wow how spoiled are these kids?”. After feeling the sun beat down on my neck, that sentiment slowly transitioned into “wow these kids are really lucky”.
Hey, you know what doesn’t feel good when you’ve been waiting in line for hours upon hours for something seemingly out of reach? Being told you’re never going to get into the store. That was the mandate of vulturous resellers, as they paraded their merch throughout the line. Some gave in, while others scoffed at the idea. Ultimately most, myself included, paid their steep price.
Despite the unfortunate nature of many in the resell community, there was the occasional dude that gave a fair markup. Their perfect pitch struck a chord with many, and they themselves, walked away with a nice little profit. This was all done without utilizing the nasty tactics of their colleagues. In addition to their fairness, these resellers kept it straight with everyone in line. There was little discouragement involved with their sales pitch, but rather a motivational "look you can have this now!".
Shout out to the guys and girls who supported their friends throughout the experience. The day saw a ton of people fetching drinks and snacks for their buddies standing in line. Despite the rather treacherous adventure, friends came through and delivered the support. I could have been delirious a few hours in, but seeing this friendship totally warmed my heart. Although, that feeling could have also been the heat.
