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>> BROOKLYN BASEMENTS ...Continued
Speaking of collecting, what would you go through to get one more item in your collection? Would you pack up and take a road trip to Delaware because you heard there was a pair of sneakers you've wanted for years sitting in the stockroom of a store that was going out of business? Would you troop through three boroughs in a single day to acquire that Polo P2 Hoodie? If so, then you've got an addiction. He still collects to some extent, but even he admits that his assortment is but a fraction of what it was then. Whatever is no longer in his possession is either in his friends' or in albums. There used to be meetings in the underground store where people would talk about what they'd recently obtained, what they had to give up to get it, and what of Rebel's they were hoping to add to their own collection. Not all visitors were like that, but almost all had traded with him at one point. There people all were in this before ebay and none of them have ever stopped looking,
You can't forget about the music while on the topic of collecting. This nation has made compact discs mainstream. There are still people aside form dj's that collect vinyl, but who even owns tapes now? Really though, when was the last time you used your tape deck? There are some old school tracks here, and I'm not talking about 1994. Newcleus "Jam on Revenge" from 1984 is one of his oldest tapes. He's got old rock, new age, punk, hip-hop, reggae… the list goes on. Only one word describes his compilation: classic.
Because of Rebel's sharpened networking skills, hundreds of visitors have come to share amazing stories. They treat it like a speakeasy, a place where you can hide away for a while and talk about things not so typical. Groups have come here to arrange graffiti missions and even pass around the occasional blackbook.
The Brooklyn Basement brings people together. Whether from NYC, the west coast, Italy or France, at least one person representing all these places and more has crashed on Rebel's sofa. You can run into anyone from an ex-supermodel to big name graffiti writers from around the world. If there existed such a place as a free hotel for only the most elite collectors and appreciators of fine things, then this could be it. This haven is the headquarters of youth preservation and plans to bring to humanity some of the illest ideas on this side of the sun.
The basement is the epitome of collection. When you're a collector, you'll go to any length to obtain the necessary items. If getting it means trading several pieces, selling other things to others, or driving somewhere far away to have it, then it must be done. This serious mentality is the reason why the basement is as full as it has always been and preserved to this day. Sure, as long as you're building up a collection of things you love, you may as well give friends something to talk about. It has been through much dedication and sacrifice to be the eye candy it has become today. To some, it may seem materialistic or a waste of money. But to the ones who know what it's all about and support the cause, this article is for you.
All the pictures seen in this article are credited to Rebel and the Brooklyn Basements. Look out for the official long-bill hats dropping in Spring 2005 in limited quantities. You can find out more information at the web site www.bklynbasements.com. Don't sleep...
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