everything about cheki

[miyuu 40]

^ that way of thinking. i know..

 

the visual kei lives and  fans in japan have  so different mentality than  rock fans. or fans that go to underground rock/metal  lives and listen to non mainstream or not pop music.

i think it's because it's a genre that appearance matters more than music and idolises people as much as pop culture but still is underground and have non mainstream sound. that is contradictory .

 

as much as i love visual kei . i am so used to different way of thinking that vkei annoys me sometimes and seem so stupid. i guess that's the price for liking a genre that appearance matters so much. i am guilty too lol but i just have my limits .

 

for example.you are a better fan because you have a lot of chekis?are you serious. here you are just pathetic etc.

i mean don't take that personally i know it's just fun to collect for some people. i am just pointing out the different attitudes and way of thinking

as general discussion

[Number Girl 48]

Tbh, I would buy cheki from the bands I like if they ever made or sold them. I think that little bit of sentimental value, to have a one-of-a-kind photo of them with a signature, would be worth it imho. Although don't get me wrong, there's a very low chance I'll pay $50 + for one. Maybe around $15-25. . . but anything higher is getting a little crazy for me. 

[GazeRockSnob 34]

Yeah, not like they say I must buy them, that wasn't my problem in the first place. I think that person was pretty clearly saying that if you actually want to support band you buy the merch (even if it is plain chekis.) and also dissing those who think chekis are ripoff yet cry for their dying indie bands. therefore I present my argument. Not much room for misunderstanding there anyway that apparently I should be buying those pics when I go to gigs if I actually want to support them. however I don't really plan buying them still as I feel I am then paying just for supporting band instead of actually getting something worthy at all in change (read: I personally see chekis as nearly useless things.) And surely I don't think I should be paying band extra just for them to continue existing, that is laughable thought, I don't think it is "my job" as a a fan, getting pretty much no value pics in exchange doesn't make it any better for me. I already paid for their concert ticket and CDs, even maybe bought other merch if they had something fun, if that is not enough then there is a problem in business they are doing, maybe it is best for them to disband then? I don't have money to scatter for some random pics, maybe I could buy one or two if they really don't have anything else to sell and it is small band I like. But as I am not really feeling the return, I don't feel I as customer am getting anything, even if idea of supporting them is cool in a way, it is just a bit much for me as as mentioned I don't see value in those pics. 

 

But yeah it is just simply my opinion about them and I really don't really think it should in general be fans role to use much money for such things, therefore I see them as ripoff but if people feel it's cool I guess it is kinda OK (as mentioned in my very first post.) I just don't personally like it but I guess it makes sense for them to do it anyway, it kinda fits to whole thing actually. Still, lets say someone buys 5 of those meji chekis, uses fucking 100€ for 5 pics, obviously not reasonable pricing at all, I don't think you can really even argue over that. But that is business for you of course ;P.

I second every single thing in this post. Cheki may not be expensive at lives and events but they're just pictures. They hold no value except sentimental value. They might be fun to collect but in the end, there's always more important stuff to spend your money on. The only way I would pay over $15 for a Cheki is if it were from GazettE lol.

 

Just wondering though, if you guys had a choice between buying a rare ¥500 cheki and a live limited ¥500 single, which would you buy?

[Gizorz 24]

Why would you spend over 15$ if it was gazette? It's still just a picture isn't it?

[Umi_Niwa 31]

Maybe I don't know quite how this industry works but honestly I don't understand it why a band can't make a profit from their music. Isn't that the whole point of becoming a musician? Now that I think about it it's kinda funny how everybody who posts a band's music online writes "buy their CDs to support the band" when it's actually support the label (unless it's the band's own label).

I personally think the whole thing is somewhat childish, although it does have a certain sentimental value. it kinda makes me chuckle because sometimes it's the only way you'll see a visual kei band without makeup (or with minimal makeup). Besides if I ever stop listening to the band I'd have nothing to do with a 50 pictures set. So bottom line I would rather spend money on music, if at all.

[sugoge 11]

I never said it was your duty as a fan to buy cheki. But let me paint a scenario for you.

 

Say you go to a lot of VK concerts in Japan. You discover a fairly new, very small band and you fall in love with them. After the concert you buy the only single they have. You're happy to have music you like. The band is happy to have a sale. Everyone is happy. You start following the band as much as you can, but every time you go see them you don't buy anything, which is perfectly reasonable. No one is forcing you. But the band only barely breaks even every time they perform. You want new music. The band wants to put out a new single or even a new album but they don't have the funds because they aren't making a profit. So now there's a problem. You can't get the only thing you want: music. Say you still wait it out, you follow them every concert for a year, or maybe even two years. They don't put out any new music. Now what?

 

Is it your responsibility to keep a band alive? No, it's not. But to say the only thing you care about is the music so you're not going to buy merch makes zero goddamn sense. I only care about the music. I don't even like cheki. But I buy them anyway because at least I know that money goes directly into profit and the band can use that money to *gasp* make new music.

 

But considering that some of the bands you are mentioning in this thread aren't small or indies, then I can see why you think cheki are stupid. But don't spread that across the entire scene. They exist for a reason, and bands are grateful when people buy them.

[Lestat 2167]

I think with your general pricing of Japanese merchandise, ¥500 is fairly reasonable. You often pay about ¥2200 for a single including three songs. That's over ¥700 for one song. If you start picking at every single thing in the Japanese music industry you aren't done yet in five years. 

 

What other merchandise other than t-shirts and mugs do you see from your average American band that isn't milked like huge sellers like KISS or the Rolling Stones? Shouldn't you be more grateful that there actually is something to collect for collectors? It's not like they have numbers and come in packages, but having a collection of cheki is indeed valuable to most people. See it as collecting baseball cards; technically there's nothing interesting about information you already know printed on a small card with a picture of an old man on it, but these things sold like crazy and the market was an insanely well-working business.

 

That's the same for cheki. Bands need to make a profit. And if you weren't aware yet; an actual business, if you do it right, is to slowly milk people of their money with smart marketing by bringing products on sale that people are interested in. That is business.

[Guest mitsubana]

Since I don't live in Japan, it is difficult to purchase merchandise and chekis of my favorite bands. I do my best to support them by buying their music/ DVDs, but I am envious of people in Japan, to be honest... I wish I could buy those live-limited singles / DVDs, chekis, other merchandise of my favorite bands. Now that I am aware of chekis making bands money, I would love to go to an 蒼-AO- live and an ANSIA live to get all the cheki haha.

[Slsr 207]

I never said it was your duty as a fan to buy cheki. But let me paint a scenario for you.

 

Say you go to a lot of VK concerts in Japan. You discover a fairly new, very small band and you fall in love with them. After the concert you buy the only single they have. You're happy to have music you like. The band is happy to have a sale. Everyone is happy. You start following the band as much as you can, but every time you go see them you don't buy anything, which is perfectly reasonable. No one is forcing you. But the band only barely breaks even every time they perform. You want new music. The band wants to put out a new single or even a new album but they don't have the funds because they aren't making a profit. So now there's a problem. You can't get the only thing you want: music. Say you still wait it out, you follow them every concert for a year, or maybe even two years. They don't put out any new music. Now what?

 

Is it your responsibility to keep a band alive? No, it's not. But to say the only thing you care about is the music so you're not going to buy merch makes zero goddamn sense. I only care about the music. I don't even like cheki. But I buy them anyway because at least I know that money goes directly into profit and the band can use that money to *gasp* make new music.

 

But considering that some of the bands you are mentioning in this thread aren't small or indies, then I can see why you think cheki are stupid. But don't spread that across the entire scene. They exist for a reason, and bands are grateful when people buy them.

 

 

Well, I guess chekis aren't that bad thing necessarily, I give them that much. Still, What I kinda read you wrote there is in the other words there was that it makes ZERO SENSE someone wouldn't want to buy something that they don't really want AT ALL even if actually in time they would use hundreds (if not thousands if there would be multiple bands) of euros/dollars for that shit too in longer time period   . I think it is pretty fair to disagree about that no matter what to you reach by doing that, sure it might be super important for a band and I would like to support them (especially as I loved them), but really?I am not saying I might not do it as it seems it must be something like my favorite band but It is like donating money to them or something, and it is not just donating them a bit but something that for many, me included, is fair amount of money as that what it comes during longer time span when you continue buying those even if it is only few at the time. surely it has to make rather much sense for someone not wanting to do that. I guess you can kinda see it as investment though, as band then might produce something even just because of that but not like it is even sure, especially if you don't buy much which actually would obviously mean rly huge hole to your wallet.  Now of course most people would probably think those cheki's are cute or something anyway even if they don't like to buy them so they won't have this issue then though. But yeah, I guess I can somewhat support cheki's in situation like this though. DO NOT READ:

However cynic in me believes they were only invented to make easy money from idiots and probably I am quite right with that, those cunning bandoman can be smart at times. HOAX is still going strong.

 

But now I will really stop posting to this thread after this as I realize I shouldn't really be here anyway, I guess thread was made to have rather some cute cheki discussions or sumthing actually xD...

[LIDL 692]

Rather than selling cheki I would opt for all these bands to sell tour program.

I have never buy cheki and i never get the point.

If I really want a picture of bandmen with make up on that I can kiss or cum on I would print what I find from Google with glossy photo paper.

But I have yet that obsessed.

So yes agreeing with someone who called it as scam.

Because those pictures are pretty much take outs that they cannot published as promo pictures but still want to make profit over it.

To each their own though.

[stylelover 1086]

Is it your responsibility to keep a band alive? No, it's not. But to say the only thing you care about is the music so you're not going to buy merch makes zero goddamn sense. I only care about the music. I don't even like cheki. But I buy them anyway because at least I know that money goes directly into profit and the band can use that money to *gasp* make new music.

 

But considering that some of the bands you are mentioning in this thread aren't small or indies, then I can see why you think cheki are stupid. But don't spread that across the entire scene. They exist for a reason, and bands are grateful when people buy them.

 

thats some weird reasoning. why does it make zero goddamn sense? i think it makes perfectly sense. i still dont get why i should buy them, even if i dont like them. the band disbands then? well thats my loss i guess. if they dont have enough money, then they dont have enough money. easy as that. i have no problem in supporting the bands i like, but im not going to do it for nothing. and yes its still for nothing even if my actions would result into new music. it doesnt matter if you support them with it, if chekis have no value for you at all, it would be the same if you would just throw your money at the stage, because either way you wont get anything in return. and yes i would rather see a band disband , instead of giving them money for nothing.

 

and also:"But to say the only thing you care about is the music so you're not going to buy merch makes zero goddamn sense". he never mentioned merch in general , did he? this discussion is about chekis after all.

i would never buy chekis, but i dont mind other merchandise , if its cool. i bought quite a few things at different lives in japan.

 

and i dont see how he spread that across the entire scene. theres nothing wrong with chekis and if people like them its perfectly fine. slsr obviously stated his own opinion. its not like he wants to forbid other people to buy them.

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

VK is more about the image than the music anyway. It's not surprising chekis became a standard way to make some extra cash at lives since fans are mostly superficial people primarily there for the image.

I don't think it's a bad thing, some have said why don't bands make enough from CD or merch sales. I'm under the impression it's the same situation that western bands run into. Most of the profit from initial CD sales is gobbled up by the middle man before it even reaches the band. So the band is stuck with making most of the money back from touring and selling merch and CDs at their lives. This is the case with metal bands and why I wait and buy CDs when the band is in town. If metal bands could make money by selling chekis I'm sure they would do it but instead it's guitar picks, patches and stickers.

If I could go to VK lives, I would probably buy their CDs and merch there in person and also pick up a cheki or two as a memento from the event. However I wouldn't buy entire boxes of them though because that's just crazy. It's no different than me grabbing a patch or sticker at a metal show. That's like me buying out all the stickers and patches the band has for sale.

Also posting from my phone so ignore typos and grammar :C