June 29, 2007--Fanaticism LXXXI: iMadness
I live in downtown Manhattan, not the place where one expects to find people standing in line for anything. Everyone here is too cool for that. OK, so maybe very late at night some kids will line up behind a velvet rope straining to get into the latest hot after-hours club or minimally to stare at the beautiful things who are allowed to enter.
But I’ve been noticing lately a new kind of line. It’s different because on these lines people appear to be camped out on the street for days. Literally camped out in sleeping bags, in tents, or sprawled out in recliner chairs. They have huge Igloo ice chests with them and in some cases camp stoves.
These are not street people, living on the streets because they have no money and are thus homeless. In fact, most are young (in their 20s I estimate); demographically diverse (though on occasion almost all are Asian); and from the looks of their high-end camping equipment appear to have money.
One morning about six months ago, a cold morning at that, walking north on Lafayette Street I came upon such a line. It stretched around the corner. There must have been at least 50 people hopping up and down on the sidewalk to keep warm in spite of all their North Face gear. I had seen them there the previous morning and out of increasing curiosity asked a few what they were up to. They told me that the athletic shoe store at the front of the line was getting a supply of the latest from Nike and they wanted to be sure that they would be able to buy a pair. I said, “What the big deal about being first? If they run out you can always come back in a few days when they’re restocked.” Rolling their eyes at my naiveté one deigned to tell me that I wasn’t getting the point—this I already knew. “What is the point?” I persisted. “It’s a limited edition. When they run out tomorrow, that’s the end of it.”
“Tomorrow?” I thought to myself. That means that all tolled, before they get their hands on the sneakers (sorry, that's how I think of them), they will have been on that freezing line for at least three days. I only hoped it wouldn’t snow or sleet over night.
I subsequently learned that these sneakers are collectable. These kids will never open the boxes, take the shoes out, or even touch the paper in which they are presumably wrapped in order to keep them in “mint condition.” That will assure a higher price when they put them up for sale on eBay. I also learned that some are paid to sit or camp in line by others who are too arthritic to do so themselves.
So I was not entirely surprised earlier this week to see a line forming outside the Apple store on Prince Street in Soho—a full four days before the iPhone went on sale. (See linked NY Times story.) At least it won’t snow, though the temperature soared into the mid-90s and the humidity hovered above 70 percent. But I guess it will be worth it—to be the first on the block to have one of these $600 gadgets.
But, hey, it combines a Web browser with a media player; and you can even use it to make phone calls. You really can have it all. But you need to get a tent. And be sure to drink plenty of fluids. It’s hot out there.
But I’ve been noticing lately a new kind of line. It’s different because on these lines people appear to be camped out on the street for days. Literally camped out in sleeping bags, in tents, or sprawled out in recliner chairs. They have huge Igloo ice chests with them and in some cases camp stoves.
These are not street people, living on the streets because they have no money and are thus homeless. In fact, most are young (in their 20s I estimate); demographically diverse (though on occasion almost all are Asian); and from the looks of their high-end camping equipment appear to have money.
One morning about six months ago, a cold morning at that, walking north on Lafayette Street I came upon such a line. It stretched around the corner. There must have been at least 50 people hopping up and down on the sidewalk to keep warm in spite of all their North Face gear. I had seen them there the previous morning and out of increasing curiosity asked a few what they were up to. They told me that the athletic shoe store at the front of the line was getting a supply of the latest from Nike and they wanted to be sure that they would be able to buy a pair. I said, “What the big deal about being first? If they run out you can always come back in a few days when they’re restocked.” Rolling their eyes at my naiveté one deigned to tell me that I wasn’t getting the point—this I already knew. “What is the point?” I persisted. “It’s a limited edition. When they run out tomorrow, that’s the end of it.”
“Tomorrow?” I thought to myself. That means that all tolled, before they get their hands on the sneakers (sorry, that's how I think of them), they will have been on that freezing line for at least three days. I only hoped it wouldn’t snow or sleet over night.
I subsequently learned that these sneakers are collectable. These kids will never open the boxes, take the shoes out, or even touch the paper in which they are presumably wrapped in order to keep them in “mint condition.” That will assure a higher price when they put them up for sale on eBay. I also learned that some are paid to sit or camp in line by others who are too arthritic to do so themselves.
So I was not entirely surprised earlier this week to see a line forming outside the Apple store on Prince Street in Soho—a full four days before the iPhone went on sale. (See linked NY Times story.) At least it won’t snow, though the temperature soared into the mid-90s and the humidity hovered above 70 percent. But I guess it will be worth it—to be the first on the block to have one of these $600 gadgets.
But, hey, it combines a Web browser with a media player; and you can even use it to make phone calls. You really can have it all. But you need to get a tent. And be sure to drink plenty of fluids. It’s hot out there.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
10:43 AM
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