Say you are into Psychopathic Records albums. Instead of going directly to an online ICP store like you would today, in 1995, you’d walk to record shop and treat it like an ICP store. You’d sample different Psychopathic Records albums via CD (and possibly vinyl), and if you were in the right store at the right time, might even witness an ICP pop-up display to entice you into purchasing any other ICP store merchandise that might be available.
It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for another Psychopathic Records albums enthusiast to meet you at the store, either randomly or planned, and then explore Psychopathic Records albums with you, each learning from the other.
But enough longing for the past. ICP stores and the Insane Clown Posse shirt inventory today and probably for the foreseeable future will exist online and online only. But there are advantages to this…
When treating chain record shops like ICP stores, chances are slim that you’d find any merchandise in the building aside from the music, and unfortunately, that goes for Insane Clown Posse shirts too. Psychopathic Records album collections are usually incomplete too.
There just wasn’t enough demand to warrant shipping Insane Clown Posse shirts, action figures, backpacks etc. across the country. However, by moving the ICP store online, all of these things can be housed in one location and shipped out to Juggalos when they’re ordered.
At ICP’s store online (hatchetgear.com), Juggalos can expect not only all Psychopathic Records albums from active artists, but also rare collectors items like comic books, key chains, lighters, and even the new ICP energy drink.
But what this online ICP store is most important for, in my opinion, is not the Psychopathic Records album collection on CD, but rather the Insane Clown Posse shirts. Insane Clown Posse shirts promoting albums that were released almost 20 years ago, Insane Clown Posse shirts of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and Insane Clown Posse shirts for Juggalettes, are all in attendance.
My personal favorites are the pink and blue Carnival of Carnage ICP t-shirts available. That design has early 90s written all over it, and believe it or not, would be extra fresh today as retro is coming back.
Aside from Insane Clown Posse shirts online, you can expect mini ICP stores at concerts in the form of merchandise tables. These stations will probably be selling multiple Psychopathic Records albums too, because ICP often tours with their label mates.
More importantly, ICP stores at concerts often sell limited merchandise that’s available to concert attendees only, like Insane Clown Posse shirts that have the dates listed, and possibly even pay special attention to your city.
Resource Box
The days of treating your local record store like an ICP store are dying, because physical record stores are going out of business. Instead, the ICP store has moved online and into the thriving concert arena. To learn more about ICP’s store, the Insane Clown Posse shirts and Psychopathic Records albums it sells, visit http://www.hatchetgear.com/bands/icp.html.