Brandon Herbel
08/20/05, 11:17 AM
Could you please introduce yourself and tell us what exactly you do for Store_001?
Halo, my name is Beck and I’m just another happy worker for Store_001.
What was the whole concept of starting Store_001?
Concept? There really was no concept for Store_001, nor was there a business plan. It was more of a last minute answer to a request. The request was by our buddies in Taking Back Sunday, and the request was to find them a location to do an in store signing somewhere in Long Island the day of their concert with Weezer. The thing is we only had 2 weeks to do it. So we looked high and low and found pretty much jack. Other than the parking lot at merchdirect (which would have pissed off our neighbors), there really was nowhere to go. So with time against us and not many options we figured... shit, lets be a bunch of assholes and just create a space for them. So with a budget of 3 grand, a space the size of my living room, a couple of fixtures that I found in the trash, and a weeks worth of spackling and painting... Store_001 was created.
Does the name have any meaning or story behind it?
There really isn’t too much meaning behind Store_001. Normally, we like to perfect a brand before we commit to it. That shit can take up to months, and usually, when you’re doing something like a fucking retail store your name and overall aesthetic is one of the most important things that is focused on. So while we were working 16 hour days trying to complete this thing, time to sit behind a computer and fantasize about a great name was not really too feasible. So, fed up with that variable, I was like "lets just call this fucking thing Store." My partner (who is a fucking nerd and billion times smarter than me) said jokingly, "lets call it store_001. That way when we open a couple more stores we can call them Store_002, Store_003 and so on". I think he was just trying to justify that he sees the world in fucking java script with that whole underscore/# thing(fucking geek). We laughed about it and said it was the stupidest idea in the world and we moved on to laying down the carpet. Little did he know that I was dumb enough to commit to that name and start making our store sign and business cards the next day.
What is a daily routine for you at the store?
My daily routine at Store_001 is just to look pretty. I am not there all the time for most of my energies are at merchdirect or in my basement preparing for tours that are not likely to happen. We have a small crew running the store and it is a real simple operation. I just roll through and collect the cash at the end of the night and drive through poor neighborhoods handing out $10 bills to all the unfortunate children of New York.
The store just recently opened up. What were your expectations going in on opening the store?
We had no expectations, there wasn’t enough time to even think that far into it. But on that same note I am nothing but pleased with all the results so far. The first day (granted it was a TBS signing) there seemed to be like a thousand kids there.
Now, the store is a partnership with Merchdirect right? Is that the only brand of shirts that it carries?
For now it is heavy in Merchdirect product but we have other shit in there from shoes to random collectibles. We might even lend a hand in obtaining "hard to get" items for those "real" fans who will only wear a shirt that you can only find in a dumpster or in some random store on some random street in some third world country. We are also going to work with a lot of our Merchdirect bands in creating small/limitied runs of unique shirts(less than 100 pieces made) to be exclusively sold at Store_001. It is kind of free game for what we can do because there is no "big boss" or some crazy protocol that we have to follow. We have a wish list at Store_001 and take all requests. We want to carry the shit you want (as long as it doesn’t suck).
I see that Taking Back Sunday came in and did a signing for the grand opening. What was that day like?
It was fucking mayhem! 1,000,000 kids and a fucking monsoon.
I also read that you will be carrying accessories and CD's. What exactly else will you be carrying and what type of music will be sold at the store?
We are planning to have a small collection of music that will probably switch every month. It will be a small/choice selection that we feel is worth listening to. We aren’t trying to be Tower Records or anything, I am talking about 20 or so CD’s that we back as a collective. Simply put: no shitty music will be sold.
What is the future for Store_001? Any plans to open more stores around the area/state/world?
Honestly, that would be awesome/hysterical but right now we are just taking it day by day. We’re realistic and aren’t getting ahead of ourselves. We are just expanding on some ideas and having fun doing it... you know, doing it for the kids.
If you were asked to give advice on opening up your own store, what advice could you give them?
Hmmmmm, advice? I don’t know, give people a reason to come to your store. Don’t sell the same shit that someone could get at the mall (you’ll die doing it, you can’t compete). Have fun with it and do it budget, utilize the internet for spreading your name and make sure that your product isn’t shit.
Thats about all the questions I have for you guys. Is there any shout outs or last words that you have for all the readers out there?
Yea, thanks to you guys at absolute punk for the interview and blurbs. Everyone can check us out in Merrick, Long Island, at 1284_b Merrick Road...and if that's too far for some of you, hit us up on:
www.myspace.com/store_001.
We also plan to do more more big instore signings. Other than that...
Don’t do milk and drink your drugs!
Halo, my name is Beck and I’m just another happy worker for Store_001.
What was the whole concept of starting Store_001?
Concept? There really was no concept for Store_001, nor was there a business plan. It was more of a last minute answer to a request. The request was by our buddies in Taking Back Sunday, and the request was to find them a location to do an in store signing somewhere in Long Island the day of their concert with Weezer. The thing is we only had 2 weeks to do it. So we looked high and low and found pretty much jack. Other than the parking lot at merchdirect (which would have pissed off our neighbors), there really was nowhere to go. So with time against us and not many options we figured... shit, lets be a bunch of assholes and just create a space for them. So with a budget of 3 grand, a space the size of my living room, a couple of fixtures that I found in the trash, and a weeks worth of spackling and painting... Store_001 was created.
Does the name have any meaning or story behind it?
There really isn’t too much meaning behind Store_001. Normally, we like to perfect a brand before we commit to it. That shit can take up to months, and usually, when you’re doing something like a fucking retail store your name and overall aesthetic is one of the most important things that is focused on. So while we were working 16 hour days trying to complete this thing, time to sit behind a computer and fantasize about a great name was not really too feasible. So, fed up with that variable, I was like "lets just call this fucking thing Store." My partner (who is a fucking nerd and billion times smarter than me) said jokingly, "lets call it store_001. That way when we open a couple more stores we can call them Store_002, Store_003 and so on". I think he was just trying to justify that he sees the world in fucking java script with that whole underscore/# thing(fucking geek). We laughed about it and said it was the stupidest idea in the world and we moved on to laying down the carpet. Little did he know that I was dumb enough to commit to that name and start making our store sign and business cards the next day.
What is a daily routine for you at the store?
My daily routine at Store_001 is just to look pretty. I am not there all the time for most of my energies are at merchdirect or in my basement preparing for tours that are not likely to happen. We have a small crew running the store and it is a real simple operation. I just roll through and collect the cash at the end of the night and drive through poor neighborhoods handing out $10 bills to all the unfortunate children of New York.
The store just recently opened up. What were your expectations going in on opening the store?
We had no expectations, there wasn’t enough time to even think that far into it. But on that same note I am nothing but pleased with all the results so far. The first day (granted it was a TBS signing) there seemed to be like a thousand kids there.
Now, the store is a partnership with Merchdirect right? Is that the only brand of shirts that it carries?
For now it is heavy in Merchdirect product but we have other shit in there from shoes to random collectibles. We might even lend a hand in obtaining "hard to get" items for those "real" fans who will only wear a shirt that you can only find in a dumpster or in some random store on some random street in some third world country. We are also going to work with a lot of our Merchdirect bands in creating small/limitied runs of unique shirts(less than 100 pieces made) to be exclusively sold at Store_001. It is kind of free game for what we can do because there is no "big boss" or some crazy protocol that we have to follow. We have a wish list at Store_001 and take all requests. We want to carry the shit you want (as long as it doesn’t suck).
I see that Taking Back Sunday came in and did a signing for the grand opening. What was that day like?
It was fucking mayhem! 1,000,000 kids and a fucking monsoon.
I also read that you will be carrying accessories and CD's. What exactly else will you be carrying and what type of music will be sold at the store?
We are planning to have a small collection of music that will probably switch every month. It will be a small/choice selection that we feel is worth listening to. We aren’t trying to be Tower Records or anything, I am talking about 20 or so CD’s that we back as a collective. Simply put: no shitty music will be sold.
What is the future for Store_001? Any plans to open more stores around the area/state/world?
Honestly, that would be awesome/hysterical but right now we are just taking it day by day. We’re realistic and aren’t getting ahead of ourselves. We are just expanding on some ideas and having fun doing it... you know, doing it for the kids.
If you were asked to give advice on opening up your own store, what advice could you give them?
Hmmmmm, advice? I don’t know, give people a reason to come to your store. Don’t sell the same shit that someone could get at the mall (you’ll die doing it, you can’t compete). Have fun with it and do it budget, utilize the internet for spreading your name and make sure that your product isn’t shit.
Thats about all the questions I have for you guys. Is there any shout outs or last words that you have for all the readers out there?
Yea, thanks to you guys at absolute punk for the interview and blurbs. Everyone can check us out in Merrick, Long Island, at 1284_b Merrick Road...and if that's too far for some of you, hit us up on:
www.myspace.com/store_001.
We also plan to do more more big instore signings. Other than that...
Don’t do milk and drink your drugs!