The Ipso Facto Story & Directions to Visit Us



When in the Los Angeles/ Orange County area visit our retail location for your your music and fashion needs. Ipso Facto's website http://www.ipso-facto.com is the online weblair of the gothic/alternative store located at 517 N. Harbor Blvd, Fullerton CA 92832 (phone:714-525-7865). Opened in 1989 by Terri Kennedy (Bob Medeiros came onboard shortly thereafter), the store first hosted an art gallery (amongst many notable art events was the Rozz Williams/Eva O art show), monthly band performances, cd release events and signings (such as Shadow Projekt) and poetry readings. Also serving as practice space for Terri's bands, Stone 588 and Strychnine FX, the remaining gallery space was utilized for body piercing until 1999, when fashion and music merchandise engulfed the entire store. Ipso Facto still annually hosts live bands such as Former Humans and D-Tox (2012), Unextraordinary Gentlemen (2011), Peeling Grey (2010), Bloodpenny (2009), The Darklings (2007), The Last Dance (2006), Faith and the Muse (2004), SEMI and Human Drama (2004), Audra (2001,2002, 2008), Voltaire (2001, 2004), Mors Syphilitica, Lovespirals (2002), Lycia and many more.

Ipso Terri and Bob

We are located at

517 N. Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92832

We are near the 91 and 57 freeways, at Chapman Avenue, 26 miles south of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles take the 5 fwy south to 91 East and exit Harbor. Go left on Harbor, 8 blocks north, past Chapman, we are on the left side.
From south Orange County take the 55 or 57 north to 91 west, exit Harbor/Lemon, go north on Lemon left on Orangethorpe,right on Harbor, 8 blocks North past Chapman. We are on the left (west) side of the street.
From the Inland Empire take 91 West, exit Harbor/Lemon, go north on Lemon left on Orangethorpe,right on Harbor, 8 blocks North past Chapman. We are on the left (west) side of the street.
From Disneyland take Harbor Blvd. North 5 miles, a few blocks past the 91 fwy to Chapman Ave. We are just North of Chapman on the West side of the street.

Hours are 11 - 7 p.m. Monday through Thurs; Fri & Sat. 11 - 8 p.m.; Sundays 12 -6 p.m. Call for further information 714-525-7865 (fax 714-525-5053). Sorry, we cannot take phone orders, nor do we ship COD. We also do not wholesale any items except for Stone 588 merchandise.

For $2.00 you may receive a copy of our complete printed catalog.

The 2002 edition (final print edition-a newer catalog will not be printed) features some of the items pictured here, and many more. Please send $2.00 cash or money order (U.S. dollars only) to

Ipso Facto 517 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92832.

Catalogs to Canada & Mexico are $2.50; Worldwide $4.00. U.S. funds only.

Pen us a missive with your comments!
(Please no catalog requests or wholesale inquieries.)
ipsofacto@ipso-facto.com

Back to the Ipso Facto Homepage Index


Here are some anecdotal memories about Ipso Facto by Terri in no particular order:
1. Beat Bob over the head with the open sign, when he let too many people in for free to our poetry "Sofa Readings!"
2. I signed the lease at the adjacent Taco Bell in October 1989. None of us ever imagined that Ipso Facto would still be going strong a quarter of a century later as I had never owned a shop before, having worked in retail and wholesale sales for 10 years.
3. We had NOTHING on the walls when we first opened. Just blank space that echoed.
4. Before we opened, my Dad (RIP) and friend Diana Andrews helped me lay black and white tiles on the floor. First we tried to paint the floor patina green. I rented a belt sander to get all the carpet adhesive up off the floor, but after several attempts to paint the floor, it just refused to adhere.
So we opted for the black and white tiles on a whim.
5. My friend Mark O. (artist/fashion maven extrordinaire) helped drill the anchors to construct the dressing room wall in his witch boots & gothwear with his Dad's 1/4 horsepower drill.
(Hmm he used to hike in those pointy cockroach killers as well..come to think of it, so did I! Well, I had my own pair..lol)
6. At Stone 588 band practice one night in the shop after hours bassist Jon's amp rumbled so low and loud that a wig head fell off a shelf and cracked our jewelry case glass.
7. Random ankle tickling, lights going on by themselves, mysterious voices appearing on tape all lead us to believe that Ipso Facto's location, built in 1919 is haunted. OCPS investigated in January 2011 and got no evidence, however.
8. An older gentleman came in once in the early fledgling days of the shop and told me that the space was at different times an ice cream shop and a Chinese restaurant called the Lotus Cafe.
Hmmm..stay tuned for more interesting tales as the saga continues..
Visit our Facebook Group for more fun and stories!

Interview in the January 2013 issue of Body Magazine with Ipso Facto owner Terri Kennedy. Text version is here: