Blogtown, PDX

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Portland Twenty People in Line for Ikea Already?

Posted by Chas Bowie on Tue, Jul 24 at 3:11 PM

Can somebody explain this to me? Ikea opens tomorrow, which is a big deal to some people, I guess. I like Ikea just fine. Half my furniture came from the Houston store, and I’ve been known to stop at the Seattle store when I’m up north. On a scale of 1-10, my excitement level is around 3 in anticipation of having a store here in town. But the Portland Business Journal reports that as of yesterday there were already 20 people waiting in line for the opening.

This a new phenomenon, right? As a kid, I don’t remember adults and families camping out in line for anything, except concert tickets that were certain to sell out quickly. But sort of like how after Princess Di died, spontaneous public memorials with teddy bears and flowers became ubiquitous, Americans now seem willing to camp out for crap at the drop of a hat. The iPhone, movies, that Krispy Kreme that opened in the ‘burbs a few years ago… (I’d include the Harry Potter release parties of last weekend, but at least at Powells, there was a horse-drawn buggy or whatever and a mini-festival atmosphere. That was more like a party than a line.)

What I don’t understand is why you can’t wait four more days to get the newest gadget or to buy a collapsable entertainment center from Ikea. Have you been sitting on the floor of your apartment, waiting for years for this Ikea to open so that you can finally buy a couch? Or have big box stores (or Apple computers or whoever) gotten so adept at manipulating our relationship to them that we consider it an honor to be the first to give them money?

I’m not trying to get all Andy Rooney here (“What’s the deal with these campers? Maybe my bosses would let me go camp out for the new Nintendo thingamajiggle—but I doubt it. I’m happy to get my purchases in due time, just like when I was a kid.”), but seriously. Can somebody help me see this better?

(PS—If you’re in line at Ikea, reading this on your new iPhone, I’ll pay you $20 to pick me up a new gray bookshelf. An extra $10 to deliver and assemble it.)

(I got the link to that story from Urbanhonking.)

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Comments

I think they're giving away gift certificates (of meager denominations) to the first however many people through the door. So it's like free pretzel day on The Office. Kind of. I think this desire to do or get something first is understandable. The net-driven proliferation of opinion makes it almost impossible to experience anything with fresh senses. One man's Ikea is another man's (okay, mine) new New Pornographers album, which I pre-ordered (at high price) to get a shitty stream. Maybe wouldn't have waited in line for a day for it, but still. Similar desire.

Posted by Sans Soleil | July 24, 2007 3:43 PM

That's really nothing. Last year, when they opened one in Sacramento, some idiots camped out for a whole month. It doesn't get much more lame than that!
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2006_Feb_10/ai_n16060692

Posted by lula | July 24, 2007 3:45 PM

Even with the new New Pornographers album, or whatever our personal equivalent might be—what's the rush to be first? I guess my analog would be waiting for the new Radiohead album. I'm sure I'll ahem, "acquire" it soon after it comes out. But will it matter if it's the first day, or 5 or 6 days later? Or even the difference between walking down to Everyday Music on my lunchbreak and camping out overnight for it? It's the sort of frantic, manic consumerism and rush to be first that I'm having trouble relating to. (especially for something as banal as Ikea.)

Posted by chas | July 24, 2007 3:55 PM

I addressed what the rush is. It's not being first per se, not necessarily even a manic rush to consume--it's the desire to experience something before before reading and hearing all about it, something increasingly difficult to do.

Posted by Sans Soleil | July 24, 2007 4:00 PM

And then I bet you get all "mad" when other people get it after you, or it gets hyped up. Because YOU were there first and that makes YOU the best! 20 cool points for you!

Posted by gus | July 24, 2007 4:05 PM

I didn't stand in line to get the new Harry Potter and now everyone else has read it and I know who dies already.

but seriously, you potter nerds are every bit as nerdy as the people camping at ikea. I don't care if they had talking owls down there. the ikea groupies are probably just as happy with their meatballs as you were with your buggy.

Posted by RT | July 24, 2007 4:08 PM

SS—I see your point, but I don't think it holds up with the iPhone, or Krispy Kreme, or Ikea. I think it's closer to what Gus said—bragging rights about being there "before it was cool." Although that doesn't apply to Ikea by a long shot, either.

Posted by chas | July 24, 2007 4:09 PM

Gus--Are you talking about me for wanting to listen to an album or see a film or read a book before the torrent of hype commences? What is wrong with that? It has nothing to do with being first. It has everything to do with wanting to form an unbiased, uncontaminated opinion. It's called a thought experiment. Try it some time.

I won't claim to speak for the Ikea people. I'm only trying to relate to them before I lambaste them.

Posted by Sans Soleil | July 24, 2007 5:38 PM

consuming, is most of americans hobby

Posted by mariel | July 24, 2007 5:39 PM

ikea is giving away a modern chair to the first hundred people through the doors. IT IS WORTH $90!!!!! holy shit!!! why are we not all in line for this?!?!?!?!? what are a few days out of our lives worth? A FUCKING CHAIR, THAT'S WHAT!!!!

Posted by ray | July 24, 2007 6:42 PM

the first 100 people through the door get a free armchair ($200 value).

But regardless, this sort of thing is a bit disturbing. Why is it still impossible to find a Wii on the shelf, some eight or nine months after its release? Perhaps because whenever they hit the shelves, 10 of the first 20 people to walk by say "Hey! A Wii! I can't believe it! I got one! MEEEEEE!" regardless of whether or not they actually have much interest in playing video games.

It's all about telling the people you know "So, I got a Wii!" and them being able to say "Oooh, I've heard those were hard to come by!" again regardless of any real interest in gaming.

Not only do nerds know what's up-- resident technophobes do as well. Chalk it up to media saturation, the pervasive connectedness of the internet welding previously disparate social groups together, and the ever-increasing need to feel a paticipatory connection to what we're spoon fed daily: celebrtity, novelty and consumerism.

Posted by maximum adders | July 24, 2007 6:45 PM

It is an $89 chair, according to a TV news report, and a larger number of first entrants get random-denomination gift certificates up to I think $250.

So at least these people will have chairs for the next line they wait in.

Posted by Steve | July 25, 2007 3:35 AM

When I think of the lines surrounding Ikea, I think that, at one time, you had to wait thirty minutes or longer to get one of those sugar-coated artery bombs at Krispy Kreme.

Now? Who gives a crap. Just drive right up.

Sigh.

Posted by Samuel John Klein | July 25, 2007 8:31 AM

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