HotmailObama products spark economic stimulus for sellers
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Time and experience dictate that all wildly popular crazes eventually come to an end — and that can be a painful thing for retailers who get stuck holding boxes of coffee mugs and T-shirts that no one wants to buy.
“The smart, small, specialty retailers sell this stuff while it’s hot and then get out before it’s not,” said retail expert Doug Fleener, president and managing partner of Dynamic Experiences Group in Lexington, Mass. “One of the benefits of being small is that you can see an opportunity, jump on and jump off. And if you think about it, probably a lot of people are just doing this out of their houses.”
Brochstein agreed that the inventory risk can be great with trends like this one.
“While there will still be a market for this merchandise after Jan. 20, the emotion will dissipate over time,” he said. “A smart business person will factor that into their decisions.”
Some entrepreneurs and product designers are managing to avoid inventory risks altogether, though, thanks to the advent of on-demand printing of online orders. Products offered through sites such as CafePress.com and Zazzle.com, for example, remain “virtual” and don’t even get made until they’re ordered.
Collectors hear the siren call
Yet another factor driving the appetite for Obama products is the notion that they’ll be worth real money someday. After all, it’s hard to think of an event that brims with as much historical consequence as a presidential inauguration — and the inauguration of the nation’s first black president is about as historically significant as it gets.
Nevertheless, consumer protection advocates have been warning people not to expect to cash in on most of these items down the road.
“In order for memorabilia to become worth much money, it generally needs to be quite rare,” Better Business Bureau spokesman Steve Cox said in a statement. “Unfortunately for Obama collectors, there is a glut of merchandise being sold nationwide. There’s nothing wrong with buying a plate or a coin celebrating Barack Obama’s inauguration, but consumers need to be aware that the value of the item might be purely sentimental.”
Brochstein also noted that the key to value is scarcity — but he said Obama’s popularity around the world could drain at least some product inventories more quickly than expected.
“Because of the reach of the Internet, you’re now dealing with a more global marketplace and your potential audience is bigger,” he said.
Some experts have speculated that authentic items from Obama’s days as a U.S. senator could have real value for collectors in the years to come.
Would this happen with anyone else?
From an Obama puppy shirt to a patriotic thong, check out these products with inaugural spirit.
The stunning explosion of Obama merchandise invariably leads to the question: Would this much stuff have been created and purchased if McCain had won the presidential election?
The answer is, probably not. The historic nature of Obama’s win coupled with his youthfulness and hope-inspiring presence have taken consumers’ excitement level to dizzying new heights.
Retail expert Fleener said that’s likely for the best.
“If John McCain had won, I’m not sure a John McCain thong would have been a huge seller,” Fleener said. “I mean, that’s just downright frightening.”
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