[Dreamboat] Fan Club

[DRMFRIEND at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/3/2006 3:42:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
swimfishie at hotmail.com writes:
I'm stating this this because I feel very strong about the Heart Fan Club.

<Here we go. lol...>


$30 per year is not asking much to join a fan club.  It pays for the band's 
website and staff which gets those excellent tickets for the shows, plus the 
"other" goodies. 

<Assuming you also have the money to go to multiple shows out of state every 
year.  I don't.  Alot of people don't.  Not just everyone can take off that 
much vacation time or pay the extra expenses of travelling to get to all these 
shows.  Even if the show is a 'free' one.  So, for me , it's definately not 
practical.  [NOTE: At the DC show in '04, I went to the 'last show of the tour' 
in my own home town... so all these mongers came from all over and because they 
were able to travel, my 'special seat' got pushed back several rows.     The 
thing that made it most special to me was getting to hang with my bud's Lynn, 
AJ, Tom, Rich, etc.]  As for the other goodies, the once or twice a year token 
chats?  Guess I'm old fashioned.  I think back to the old AOL days.  It's an 
old arguement and I guess I just shouldn't even make comparisons.  Those who 
remember know what I mean. And that didn't cost us a dime.  >

Styx, Prince and other fan clubs  - especially Fleetwood 
Mac - charge a PREMIUM to belong to their fan clubs.  Melissa Etheridge's 
fan club just raise their price from $35 to $45.  When her fan club started, 
it was $25 in 1993-94.

<Outrageous.    Melissa should take the extra kickback she's getting from the 
sale of her signature Adamas 12 string and reinvest that in financing her 
fanclub so her fan's don't have to feel insulted to 'like her'.   Other bands 
should consider investing a portion of the initial fee in stock funds, so it'll 
pay itself  back...and future fees might not have to be as much.  There are 
ways and resources to make a fanclub inexpensive to belong.   There are many fans 
who would and DO things for free to help out...even moderating and passing on 
info. > 

I paid to belong to a Heart fan club from 1980 until 1995. $30 isn't much 
this day in age.
$30 is a tank of gas, a nice dinner out, a night out at the bar.  It's the 
extra change you have after you break a dollar.  I don't know about you, but 
I put my change in a jar for vacation.  You could do the same to join the 
fan club if you really want.  I'm going to grad school right now and 
although money is tight, I have $30 to join.

<Perhaps this really just comes down to 'how much of a die hard fan are ya' 
or 'what's important to you today?'  :)   I spent probably a few thousand on 
Heart over the many years that I used to collect stuff.   I spent 300.00 at a 
convention just on photographs alone before there was an online fan site. That 
was just one little 'expenditure'.  Money used to 'not be an object' where 
Heart was concerned.  I emptied my pockets left and right.  I wasn't 'cheap' when 
it came to Heart and my fanship.  I'd eat P&J for a few weeks to afford 
something.  I'd say I was 'diehard'.   I've spent all the money on them and/or 
bootleggers(excluding CD releases and concerts in my home town) that I'm personally 
interested in spending anymore.  As some people here are aware, I will 
shortly begin to sell off my entire Heart collection.  I don't hate them...  I just 
need to start investing in myself.  I've gotten over "it".  >

There really wasn't an "offical" fan club durning the late 1990's and early 
2000's although A&N used their own money to have a website.    
Communication 
was okay but not great.  I will say those who are running the fan club now 
are on the cutting edge of getting info to the fans through a very 
interactive website.

<I agree that the communication of info is more effecient with the current 
volume of the fanbase...than in the past.  However, this is at the expense of  
putting  up with certain 'Drama Queen' postings and editorials.  That is the 
main reason I stopped going over there.  I'm really tired of it.  Kinda 
unfortunate, not to mention ..embarassing. > 

That's my 2 cents.  If you don't agree, that's okay.  You're entitled to 
your own opinion.  This is mine.  Thanks for letting me share.

<I respect your right to state your feelings.  We can agree to differ. :) 
Good luck with grad school.  

Vik>


Francie


                              



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