A long time ago, a bunch of friends got together and started a blog, planned car meets, and sold merchandise. As time moved forward, the responsibilities of grown-up life came calling, and now all that’s left of this organization is the occasional blog post and some Instagram posts, and a small line of merchandise. If you’re reading this and haven’t pieced this together, the blog I’m talking about is DODOlogic. But what does this have to do with the Checkpoint x Printing Yes! Pop-Up Shop held Sept. 11 in Richmond, BC? Let’s see if I can connect the dots.
At the height of DODOlogic’s success, it felt like anything was possible – like we were just one decent step away from our “big break.” That feeling is hard to explain and even harder to capture. That feeling is maybe the best way to explain the event. However, this time I was a bit of an outsider looking in at a bunch of friends doing cool things.
I thought the days of media-sponsored events were behind me, so it was nice to see Checkpoint x Printing Yes! put on such a well-orchestrated event. The streets were lined with cars, while a few handpicked cars surrounded the Printing Yes! storefront. Lines poured out of the store as people eagerly waited to grab some retro Japanese garments.
Now if you’ve made it this far and are wondering what exactly Checkpoint is, allow me to enlighten you with my interpretation of its definition: Checkpoint seems to be one of those media outlets that have its business model sorted out. Every Wednesday, you can expect to see a new article on their site and their Instagram filled with engaging content. But as we all know, hobby-based content creation doesn’t always pay the bills. The genius of Checkpoint is content is only half of the equation.
The other half is the highly refined apparel business. When most sites (yours truly included) try to sell you their own homespun merchandise, Checkpoint does something a little different. They meticulously source vintage automotive garments from Japan. It’s sort of like a hip Japanese consignment store at your fingertips. You can also grab some of their own homespun designs, but what I’m trying to say is they have a diverse portfolio of unique apparel that would excite even the most avid car enthusiasts.
Printing Yes! Is, in case you haven’t figured it out, is a print shop. Most print shops can be stale or stuffy, but that’s not the case with Printing Yes! Over the years, they’ve become a cornerstone of the local car scene. Their work can be seen in the liveries of many local cars and they’re like the number one merchandise supplier for all of the local automotive entrepreneurs in these parts. Seriously, you’d be hard-pressed to find a local car entity that hasn’t had some stickers printed by them.
One of the tell-tale signs of a good event is when it pours rain and people stay and hang out, and that’s exactly what happened. And there was something more to this event for me: It was the first time anyone has ever invited me to a car meet based on my car. It was also the first time I was invited where it didn’t feel like I was expected to take photos, but I did that anyway because (truth be told) I don’t know how to car scene without a camera. At the same time, I felt very old at this event. I don’t mean that in the way that doesn’t understand today’s youth, as I’m totally picking up what the team at Checkpoint is putting down. Instead of being envious or even jaded watching young guns do it better than I ever could have, I’m just glad there’s someone out there who has figured it out. Now if anyone needs me I’ll be sitting in a room by myself blasting Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen.