Insert Coin Interview – Wearing Your Game

Insert Coin is a clothing company strictly for gamers like you and I. They create high-quality shirts, hoodies, leggings, accessories and more, allowing us to show off our favorite games in a fashionable style. The nice thing about Insert Coin is that their products are of good quality and are extremely unique. As Dan Long (Co-Founder and Head of Communications at Insert Coin) mentioned in the interview below, these aren’t just logos that are slapped onto the chest of some cheap clothing material, these are items that were carefully designed and placed on quality pieces of clothing. I recently got my hands on some items and could tell immediately just how soft and well-made their clothes are for fans to wear. It’s nice, and their unique design makes them even better.

Insert Coin just recently launched a new line of clothing that’s inspired by LittleBigPlanet and Fable. Items include a Kasumi-inspired jacket, Jack of Blades hoodie, Vitruvian Sackboy Shirt, Fable Chicken Chaser Shirt, and new women’s leggings. All items are limited editions of officially licensed product.

Dan Long, the Co-Founder and Head of Communications at Insert Coin was kind enough to answer some of my questions about the company and its operations. Thank you, Dan, for participating in this interview.

Fable - Jack of Blades hoodie
Fable – Jack of Blades hoodie

FanBolt (FB): What is the story behind Insert Coin? How did the company get started?
Dan Long (DL): Insert Coin started way back in 2010. Jon Rhodes (creative director) and I (Dan Long, head of comms) worked together at a creative agency. We used to sit and chat about games all the time and also started bemoaning the terrible videogame merchandise that was available – cheaply made, logos slapped onto the chest… transforming all these awesome, passionate gamers into not much more than walking billboards. We knew we deserved better and we knew we could make a difference, so we got an idea and that idea turned into Insert Coin!

FB: All of your products are limited-editions that are created based on feedback from your company’s network of over 40,000 gamers. How limited are each item? If I see something I like, should I jump on it immediately?
DL: Absolutely! We always recommend picking up an item as quickly as you can. Some items are only made in 100-200 item runs and once they’re gone, that’s it, no more. We always make a point of reminding our community about this and we always try to make sure the biggest fans don’t miss out. But yup, the first rule of Insert Coin is if you love it, buy it!

FB: How often are new items added to the store?
DL: We’re always adding new designs to our line-up. It’s a constant cycle of new ideas and licenses. We usually add designs from around 8-10 games each year and we’re always looking to add new and exciting products, including gloves, leggings, jackets and hats!

Is this not the greatest bag ever?? Dreamcast!!!
Is this not the greatest bag ever?? Dreamcast! The bag is thinking!

FB: Who designs the clothes? Do you accept designs from your following?
DL: We have our own in-house creative team, with Jon overseeing the whole process. We always love to hear what our community has to say and what they’d love to see next. They definitely help shape what Insert Coin is all about, season on season.

FB: What’s been your most popular item?
DL: It always varies and we’ve been lucky to work with some amazing brands who get what we do and let us be so creative. Our lines for Assassin’s Creed, The Last Of Us, Silent Hill and SEGA classics are always huge hits. The support for our new Worms and Fable lines has absolutely blown us away!

FB: As these items are limited-editions, have you ever brought back a popular item after it originally sold out?
DL: We do occasionally extend a run slightly if it sells out really quickly – sometimes in just a few days! But we haven’t resurrected any designs yet, at least not without giving them a makeover and adding an extra little dimension to them, such as backprints on our new Beat (Jet Set Radio) tee or pockets on our Assassin’s Creed gloves.

FB: I haven’t been one to wear clothing that represents my favorite video games until recently when I’ve purchased a couple of cheap Call of Duty shirts. Now I am all about sporting clothes from my favorite games. Insert Coin certainly has a great selection to choose from. I like the Sega love with the Sonic, Shenmue and Jet Set Radio shirts. I’m also happy to see shirts for Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Remember Me, two of my favorite games from 2013.
DL: Thanks so much. We worked hard to get a real selection of licenses from the games we love. That means drawing on franchises of the past, as well as looking to the latest releases too. It means our ranges cover an incredible 34 years of gaming…that’s only one year younger than me!

Splinter Cell: Blacklist - Fisher shirt
Splinter Cell: Blacklist – Fisher shirt

FB: I’m still on the lookout for a shmup shirt, a high scorer’s shirt, and a racing jacket for a game like GRID 2 or Forza. Heck, some Need for Speed Rivals material would be pretty cool to see right now as well. How do I and our readership get involved in suggesting ideas for upcoming clothing possibilities?
DL: We’re always listening to the community for what they want to see next, so the best place to voice your thoughts is at our online community. We have really strong links with the gaming world and our community is awesome, particularly on Facebook and Twitter. They always have ideas on what they’d like to see and we’re always asking them questions too. We want to make the best apparel and accessories for everyone.

FB: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers and fans of your company?
DL: We’d just like to thank all the amazing people who support us and if you haven’t checked us out yet, have a browse on our store, get involved with our community and help us to make the best videogame merch out there!

Thanks again!
Thank you!

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