It is all about the art. Mike Supermodel is the owner of Jinxed Philadelphia located at the Piazza in Northern Liberties Philadelphia. He is a retail veteran, before Jinxed, he ran Rock and Roll+ on South Street for many years. His values of artistic appreciation come across with what he sells.
Ron and I always take a visit when we are up in the area. I know Ron visits more often than me.
  
The products are a mixture of clothing, some screened by Jinxed, limited edition art books, and collectible vinyl. The book selection ranges from tattoo flash to mid century illustration and design to look books for new underground artists. Original artwork abounds. There are screen prints and handmade pieces available for sale, as well as a rotating art shown at the Toothless Cat Gallery, the conjoined fraternal twin that shares the same front door. Gallery events are held often and a schedule can be found at the Jinxed website or posted to our blog.
I completely am digging these Japanese imported wrestling figures they have in stock, some of them based off of American wrestlers. Their manufacture history is a bit of a mystery but is an example of the one of a kind items you can find here.
 
During our visit Supermodel was nice enough to take the time and sit down with Ron and myself in the back room.
  
OOPM : Can you give a little history about the Jinxed move?
SUPERMODEL : Let me tell you the way it worked out. Jinxed was at fourth and south for five years. We had a great landlord. Unfortunately with the decline of South Street we were doing more business our first year than our last year. Occupancy on our block of Fourth Street is about 60% right now, not the best of times in that area. With the way things were, we knew Jinxed could not continue indefinitely at that location. My friends had the gallery space here and I was looking to relocate but called to inquire about the neighborhood in general. I was under the impression that the Piazza was pretty sealed up, which it pretty much is. But they were like we have more room than we need and everyone works full time. Why don’t you take some measurements and maybe you can stick your store in our space. Back here in the studio, works : Dave Fox, Jason Goldberg, Dave Glass and JL Schnaple. The Piazza wanted more retail so it was a good fit all around.
OOPM : There is a great selection of independent stores at the Piazza. It reminds me of how South Street used to be about ten years ago.
SUPERMODEL : It’s planned up here. Bart Blatstein, who built this whole thing is very hands on. I had a conversation with him about leaving South Street and coming up to Northern Libs. And what he said is true. On South Street you had a hundred different landlords all trying to get the maximum buck that they can. Where as this is planned. He wants galleries, he wants stores like mine, he wants restaurants that are varied. Where is if you visit South Street now, there is just a collection of ear ring stores and that’s the opposite of how South Street was.
OOPM : Jinxed has history. Been around for a while. Is there a motto for your success?
SUPERMODEL : [laughs] Fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke.
OOPM : How has your business changed from when you started?
SUPERMODEL : We opened the store in 2004. I had just come off from doing a lot of traveling. I was out in San Francisco, I had been up to New York pretty regular. I just had the t-shirt line at the time and that was my main occupation. We would visit these stores in other cities that are kind of what we are now. But six years ago, that doesn’t sound like a long time, but there weren’t stores like this in Philadelphia. The thing that used to bother me was … we would go into nice stores with a lot of cool stuff. And we would go in there and be treated like an idiot. My whole thing is that if you are going to be selling exclusive merchandise you have to educate your customers. You can’t talk down to your customers because they don’t know what something is. Your potential customer doesn’t know what it is because you are one of the only people that has it. In the beginning we focused more on the t-shirt line and the other stuff. We had a few books and a few toys. But since there was not anyone here selling that, we kind of moved our focus as interest here increased. My catalyst to get things going… Traveling to these stores where they had great product but the people were so snobbish, with a cooler than you attitude.
If there’s a theme to the store it’s “stuff that I like”. I go outside of that sometimes. Again because we have customers, we need to serve them. But with the companies we deal with and what we have to focus on, I always like to look at it as art based. Graphic design or more conventional art. Take a look at Sam Flores. Here’s a guy who started painting on the side of buildings, then got in with the gallery scene, now puts out books, puts out his own t-shirt line on Upper Playground. We can sell all of those things. It all stays art based and it all stays true to that artist. They’re not knock offs you find in Target.
OOPM : Is it hard to juggle finding new product with running the business operations?
SUPERMODEL : It has been hard to find great product because three years ago it got really saturated. There were 4 toy companies then it went to about 40. People have the misconception that there is money in this business. This is definitely a labor of love. You can make a living with hard work but there’s not a lot of money. As much as it is for me, and for you this stuff has great appeal. We’re willing to shell out a few bucks for a t-shirt or toy . The general public still isn’t, but what’s good about up here – now that this stuff has become, for the lack of a better word, mainstream we’re still presenting it as an underground store. We are keeping things limited. We get a really good response from people. The Dunny for example. people ask “what is this?” we explain how they are an artistic canvas, their packaging and how you may get a rare one. people get interested. If can stock something that I recognize as quality then people seem to recognize that quality.
SUPERMODEL : want to bring your bike in?
OOPM : [Ron goes to bring his bike inside.]
OOPM : Do you collect toys?
SUPERMODEL : I do. I am more of a mark for the packaging and the graphics. And more of the older stuff, more stuff from the sixties. Hot Wheels are a big thing with me. Hot wheels, Rat Fink stuff.
Other than that it is really hit and miss. We sell some vintage stuff here. Mostly from estate sales going to different flea markets. Again it’s what catches my eye. I am not boxed in to where I need to collect the pink version of a hot wheel that was produced in 1971 that is $250 on eBay… If you have the blue one for 4 bucks, I’ll take two. Take Dunny’s again. I think at home I have a dozen. They’re great. They’re here and it’s limited and it’s meant to be sold. Most of my toy collection is here, which used to be in the window at our old store.
OOPM : Closing time. What’s the theme song?
SUPERMODEL : Maybe the Curt Hennig piece from WWF. It has a nice full orchestra going for walking to your car. A classy way to end your day even if it’s more of entrance music.
OOPM : Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
SUPERMODEL : No problem at all. Thank you.
Store Hours :
starting 4/15 our hours are 12-10 everyday.
Address Location :
1050 North Hancock St. #86
The Piazza at 2nd St. and Girard Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-978-JINX
http://jinxedphiladelphia.com
http://upsetthesystem.com
Hilary White ALTAR @ Jinxed & Toothless Cat
Jinxed And Toothless Cat’s 3rd Annual heART Show
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