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Right-wing extremist tradespeople

Trade in extreme right-wing stuff is probably as old as the ideas themselves, but in recent years there has been a significant growth: Jewelry, T-shirts, cd’s, books and propaganda materials go in large quantities over the counter. So provide the traders in need of both the extreme right-oriented customers, as young people who are active in skinhead- in gabberjeugdstijlen. Thus far right material in the Netherlands distributed on a large scale and at the same time there are also a lot of money earned.

In the 80s and 90s was trading at extreme right material still a marginal phenomenon. Extreme right-wing parties and organizations were often a shop after. There were members and sympathizers by mail or buy items at meetings. That went to (partij)advertising, to book, magazines and sometimes music or paraphernalia as necklaces or buttons with extreme right-wing symbols. This trade was mainly ambulatory: a suitcase with merchandise was dragged from meeting to meeting. The well-known neo Stewart Mordaunt adheres almost two decades engaged in such trade. Until the day he walks off meetings of various extreme right-wing organizations to bring Nazi trade wares. Also you can do with him at home your purchases.

Wim Beaux (links) en Stewart Mordaunt (rechts) in the party shop CP'86

In the 90s there changed the one and the other by the emergence of a skinhead scene. In the Netherlands emerged as a (modest) market for extreme right-wing skinhead music. This was due, among other things with the establishment and growth of the Nazi skinhead organization "Keep Contact" and the presence of a large group of skinheads in CP'86. These skinheads had to do it first with our own import, but after some time arose in the Netherlands a few companies that appeared in this hole: Viking Sounds en Nordisc. The owners of both companies were both already active in the extreme right circuit and therefore aware of the needs and market. Viking Sounds, set up by an active member of the CP'86, oriented primarily on the extreme right field and sold so especially Nazi music. In addition to these domestic trade was Viking Sounds also a player in the international context. In the time that the Internet did not exist, it was difficult and dangerous for German right-wing extremists to engage actively with trade in Nazi music. In Germany the law and prosecution regarding Nazi propaganda indeed much stricter than in the Netherlands. To keep the German comrades from the wind was cared for transmissions from the producing countries (often the United States of America and Scandinavia) to the German customers. In these transports, that elapsed including through Netherlands, Viking Sounds played smuggle a role music players on the Dutch-German border. Both trade routes went through until Viking Sounds late 90s into trouble. Viking Sounds had some time arguing with a number of other international traders, but that was still out of control. At the same time justice was interested in the company. A police raid in 1999 eventually led to the end of Viking Sounds.
Meanwhile, there was another player entered the market, Friesian Nordisc. Nordisc focused more on all Skinheads, not just those with extreme right-wing ideas. After Justice attention appeared to have trade Nordisc of the extreme right segment was partially removed from the catalog, but went privately just by. Both organizations initially acted on meetings and concerts, where potentially interested in came off and by post. However, it remained quite small, even when late 90s Internet as a medium was more important. The reason for the limited scale was fourfold:

– There was much opposition and even judicial action against trafficking, because of the racist nature of some of the merchandise. Therefore, trading never came from obscurity.

– The communication between merchants and customers struggled to stand. You had initially fairly entered in either the extreme right or it skinhead scene to know the channels.

– De market which (yet) not so large. The skinhead circuit was indeed quite small in the Netherlands and many other interested parties were not there.

– Viking Sounds had been involved in international transit of extreme right-wing CDs, but the direct marketing of its own stuff was primarily focused on the Netherlands and hardly abroad.

In recent years, much has changed. The role of the Internet has been of great importance. Trading in the extreme right material is now widespread, international and diverse. When a German neo-Nazi from a village now wants to buy a swastika flag that can easily and anonymously through various Internet sites. Complicated contacts and smuggling have become superfluous.

It is also notable that the market has become even more diverse. It is not just more propaganda, music, shirts and jewelry. Entire clothing lines are put on the market, at a small mail order are soon hundreds of CDs and DVDs for sale and there is an incredible amount available extremist and racist gadgets.
The internationalization of trade would expect that a Dutch market is thus controlled enough. But here are now several extreme right tradespeople risen. The most eye-catching is the Fenris shop Tim Mudde. Mudde began around the turn of this store 2004/2005 and appears since then the most successful far-right tradesman to have developed in the Netherlands. The shop around the 1300 Articles, which comprises about half CDs. There is a wide choice of things for all kinds of different currents within the extreme right circuit: skinhead music, extremistische Black Metal, but also music from all kinds of ordinary bands. Additionally chains, flags and stickers with celtic crosses and a kinderslab with "Little Teuton".

Tim Mudde as a model in his shop Fenris

Besides Fenris there are no specialized wing extremist web stores, but that does not mean there is no further acted. Various organizations have their own online sales.

One example is the website "Holland Hardcore". Holland Hardcore is designed for extreme right-wing cronies and offers all kinds of possibilities for users, including a large and active forum section. But in addition there is also a small shop. Holland Hardcore has never known a wide range. At this time, the site sells several kinds of stickers. In the past, there are clothes (sweaters and T-shirts) sold and email addresses ending holland-hardcore.com. However, what makes the business interesting is that the parody site michielsmit.com in 2006 calculated what the owners of Holland Hardcore there earn about it. Based on the sales figures of Holland Hardcore themselves they came on revenues of a small 40.000 euro. At that time, but still sold Holland Harcore 14 products. This is to get some insight into which amounts are dealing in this trade.

A compilation CD from the Website from Holland Hardcore

Apart from these two sites have the most extreme right-wing parties and organizations also shops of the same magnitude as Holland Hardcore. Usually, these are directly related to the organization stuff. When the Nationalist People's Movement for instance you can sleeve emblems, pins and coasters with the party logo buy.

This is different with the Dutch People's Union. That party has an extensive shop and sticks Fenris to the crown in the width of the range. Here, too, are all sorts of articles of clothing, music, films, jewelry and propaganda for sale. What the NCE however striking is that the focus is clearly on a much more radical spectrum than Fenris, Nazi propaganda here trumps. T-shirts met Léon Degrelle, White Power scarves, imitation hats German Wehrmacht, posters with Waffen SS'ers. Striking is the DVD section of the NCE. Besides a large stock of films about the Third Reich, there is a five DVDs for sale with television appearances of party Kusters. That is remarkable, because these performances were not always happy. Especially a two television show with Catherine Keyl Kusters gave serious problems with his political friends. He had Keyl, the half-Jewish, for that program has taken to a German neo-Nazi demonstration. Something his German colleagues, but also Dutch supporters are not particularly appreciate knew. Nevertheless, this is for private copying 12 euros to buy (including shipping).

In the beginning we wrote about the suitcase trade as took place in the 80s and 90s. Which is through the "violence" of Internet quite naturally driven to the background. But this is a kind of digital variant emerged in the form of individuals small extreme right stuff trying to bring the man to come and as a piece. For the real radical and controversial stuff we should be in this corner. Through marktplaats.nl (an online marketplace for used stuff) For example, you can buy various types of Nazi propaganda from a private dealer. Another example is the amateur label / mail order company "Pagan Heart" Arjan Peeks from Denekamp. Pagan Heart acting exclusively in music (especially Black Metal), but of a very dubious kind. Between the trade is much called National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM) with all sorts of ill references to the Holocaust and openly anti-Semitism. For example, there is, for example, a strap for sale with the title “A black metal tribute to the death of Simon Wiesenthal”. Furthermore Pagan Heart sells Nazi skinhead music. Yet another example of this kind of small business is the brand "NLOnsdeel", a parody of the English brand Lonsdale. Lonsdale is a clothing brand that has long been popular in the Netherlands to include skinheads and cronies. When this increasingly bad publicity went produce and racist youth in the Netherlands even if "Lonsdale youth" were dubbed, Lonsdale tried to reverse it by taking more and more openly anti-racist views. Lonsdale did this in part by giving money to anti-racist projects. That was obvious from the sore leg of right-wing extremist Lonsdale Carriers, who did the brand promptly banned. When Fenris is now even some special anti-Lonsdale Items for sale. In response to this whole discussion coined the far-right activist Ben van der Kooi the brand "NLOnsdeel" a sort of abbreviation for "Netherlands Us Part". T-shirts with the imprint were then taken and put in the market through a clothing business out from Hengelo. While the market of this company seems mainly to be found via the Internet, took Ben van der Kooi for its own distribution line through his extreme right acquaintances circuit.

Ben van der Kooi with NLonsdeel-shirt on a demonstration NA

All in all, they act a lot in extreme right stuff by ditto organizations and individuals. There is more supply and trading looks nicer, but something has changed in essence since the coffers of the 80s?
Ja, that there is. Firstly, the market has become much greater. Many young people, which is located a gabber-, skinhead- or extreme right identity fitting end to these traders. And there is in all these groups in the last few years have seen a growth. This new group of candidates do not always shop at the Dutch mail-. The few times that of foreign extreme right postorders data postmen became available, usually there were also a number between Dutch. Also be on the extreme right web forums regularly tipped foreign sites if someone asks where he can buy some stuff.
But the other will therefore undoubtedly also apply: for the Dutch mail order is not only a larger Dutch market, but are also easy to reach foreign customers. Fenris praises her merchandise instance in four languages.

Fashioned stall trading on Flemish IJzerwake in 2004

Then there is the financial side, what is earned with this trade? In the 90s the market was, as said, much smaller and amateuristischer. But then there were persistent rumors, that was well deserved to trade in far-right music. If we follow the math Holland Hardcore is also now soon to hefty sums; In any case, tens of thousands of euros in turnover but probably more. Because there is certainly no friends prices charged (a home-burned DVDs of the NCE costs 10 euro, a sweater Holland Hardcore cost € 39,95, Fenris is counting normal retail prices without having much further fixed charges) the margins will not be childish. And whether there is then paid tax on these sales – which often take place in the twilight of the Internet – is difficult to control, but is certainly doubtful. (#1)

A Brigade M sticker Fenris

Will this trade to the further development of a far-right movement? Not directly, perhaps even on the contrary. Because even within the extreme right circuit is much doubt about where all that money is going and that often leads to discussions. Or the sale of books and DVDs contribute to training and development, which clearly does the thought is at Fenris, is also questionable. The level of discussions and publications remains generally very miserable.
On the other hand if the money earned is indeed used for political activities, Fenris as in any case says to do, there is a significant investment made in the extreme right landscape. And that alone is enough reason to stay very sharp to the extreme right middle watch.

(#1) – An exception is Fenris, that is registered as a sole proprietorship by the Chamber of Commerce. It further says nothing about whether or not to pay taxes, but the chances are greater that what the business side is regulated.