FUCK THE MONEY! - Vintage Rant by Jake Olson

When I was asked by my good friend Michael Mantagas (VintagePimps) to write for this blog, I said "Yes" with the intention of talking about vintage T shirts as an investment. Simply for the fact that Michael and I have seen these items substantially increase in value over the last couple of years; and they do offer monetary gain for the buyer in the long run. But the more I thought about why I buy them, the less logical this excuse seemed. It turned out that once I dug into the depths of my God forsaken, obsessive VINTAGE MIND, that the real reason we buy them is for the feelings they give us or the feelings they bring back, for use of a better term, it doesn't have a God Damned thing to do with the money, although the money I make from my store, Trouser Snake Vintage Gallery, supports my habit. Deep down, making money is just some bullshit excuse I use to rationalize the purchase of these items. My business happens to be my love and my hobby, whether any of the readers on this blog can equate to the feelings of wearing a vintage T shirt they purchased or not, I assure you they can equate feelings to nearly everything they purchase. It could be the feeling you get from that new car smell (Accomplishment), to the feeling you get from a twenty dollar blow job from some back alley whore (Validation). We buy things based on feelings, not on money.

Enough about why WE buy! To be honest with you, I only give a shit about why I buy and what I buy and the feelings I get from these shirts. You and your therapist can come up with the reasons you buy and the feelings they resurrect or convey. I'm currently collecting vintage skate T's from the 80's; skate T's from Powell Peralta, Santa Cruz and other skate companies that I used to own as a kid. These items bring back fond memories of NOT BEING IN SCHOOL or NOT WORKING; They bring back memories of NOT BEING ACCOUNTABLE; They bring back feelings of a lack of responsibility, and the freedom of being able to wander the streets aimlessly with four bucks in my pocket looking for my first piece of ass, all the while still knowing I had a loving home stocked with fruit roll ups, Sega games, and a genital caressing creepy Uncle to return to; no matter the outcome of my adventures. These items bring back feelings that I can still be reminded of today, minus the creepy genital caressing Uncle (who happens to be in prison!). It's funny the things we remember about our clothing when we come across something we haven't seen in a while, whether it's a skate T you might of been wearing when you got in your first fist fight, a prom dress you might have lost your virginity in, or the pair of jeans you were wearing when O.J. got acquitted. These items bring back feelings when we rediscover, hold and wear proudly.

There's another reason I buy vintage tees, or another feeling I should say that is a result of these purchases that I like to call "ENERGY.” I've also been collecting Vintage rock T's from the 70's and 80's. Most of the folks reading this blog are collectors that can relate to the feeling of energy that comes from opening a package containing a 1978 Rolling Stones concert T shirt or any piece of memorabilia "THAT WAS THERE.” You get my drift? IT WAS AT THE SHOW! It still has that energy on it; It reeks of the energy of 65,000 people inside a screaming venue from some night 35 years ago. This clothing gives off the feeling of a night of fun, sin, heavy drinking, drug use, sex and all the chaos absorbed from the original wearer three and a half decades afterwards. I'm addicted to this ENERGY! These objects have experience, and to be able to strap all that experience gathered over the years on your back and take it with you on a night out is a very powerful thing. It's great to wear and be able to talk about something that has a story, a history and just an overall vintage aura and patina radiating from it. Below are a few examples of some the items I'm collecting or currently have for sale at Trouser Snake Vintage Gallery and all of them give me certain feelings. Next time you think about purchasing a vintage T or any item of clothing  for that matter, think about the feeling it's going to give you, or the feeling you want to give off to others, because that's really what you're buying. SERIOUSLY, FUCK THE MONEY!

By Jake Olson

TROUSER SNAKE VINTAGE GALLERY

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