Thinking Outside the Booth: Making Your Merch Stand Out in a Crowd

Continuing the series discussed here. And paying tribute to some of the coolest stuff that I saw in my time in the industry, and a few things I wish I had.

You’ve got the standards. Your t-shirts are dope, your hoodies sell out, and you’ve even got buttons, stickers, and maybe some extra wearables at your booth. There’s no denying it; your merch game is solid.

But you want more.

Never fear, my friend; there’s a lot more to the world of Artist merchendise than we’ve covered¹. Unique merch can become a conversation starter between your fans and their friends — or as we like to think of them, your future fans — as well as an avenue for the die-hard fan who already has all your stuff to keep supporting you.

It’s gonna get a little weird; let’s not waste any time.

Jewelry

Okay, this isn’t that weird. Even so, there aren't a ton of options readily available; you're going to have to get creative.

Dog Tags

For rappers, metal bands, or anybody with a song referencing soldiers, warriors, etc., custom dog tags are absolutely money. Oriental Trading Company has some good stuff for cheap, letting you put text on red, black, and other colored dog tags without ordering a ton at once. These are perfect if you’ve got a lyric that works in the format. Not always a huge seller, but distinctive and fun.

Custom Necklaces

So, this is likely to be limited-run, high-cost, custom work. But, if you’ve got a fanbase that is:

• Big enough to support the run 
• Dedicated enough to purchase high-ticket items…
• …and actually able to afford them

Then these can be your golden ticket. If you don’t know anybody who does custom work, your best bet is finding someone on Etsy whose work you like, and talking to them about doing some custom pieces for your band. This can work well for all involved, and has the added benefit of getting you in contact with an artist who can make other types of jewelry, such as earrings, for you. It'll be expensive, but if you've got a market there, it's a fun, unique opportunity.

Gauges/Plugs

This is another custom item that is either a goldmine or a trap, depending on your audience. But if plugs and tunnels outnumber standard piercings or unpierced ears in your audience, they just might go nuts over these. It’s difficult to find custom plugs, but DHGate has a couple offerings, and Google is ever your friend in these endeavors. And it's a hell of an endorsement, and awesome publicity. If you've got a circular logo, this can be a home run.

Busted Stuff

No lie. If you break something during the course of your performances, don’t just throw it away – autograph it, and set it at your merch table. Drumheads are the classic here, but the point is to turn garbage into collectables; feel free to get creative.

Grown-Up Stuff for Grown-Ups

We’re all adults here; and those of us who aren’t probably want this stuff more.

Shot Glasses

A classic. Don’t neglect mugs and water bottles, but Shot (and pint) glasses tend to sell much better.

Lighters

Inkhead has some great stuff here – from disposable “gas station specials” to Zippos, flameless and electronic lighters; you can get some great designs on these little guys, and it always pays when someone asks about your fans’ cool lighter. Plus, it encourages fans to bust out the lighters during your ballads.

Other Stuff

We’ve seen all kinds of things over the years; from incense burners, to underwear of various sorts, to (ahem) “adult toys,” the sky’s the limit. Just make sure it’s something your fans will actually buy – nobody wants a box of unsold, branded adult paraphernalia sitting in their garage².

Bespoke Merch

Tailor things to your own work. Have a song about a nasty breakup? See if you can get a custom tissue box. Spit bars about the flask in your jacket? Get some custom ones made. The only limit is your creativity, and what you can get produced, but if you make something that ties into your music, it'll sell a lot better than generic item #32.

Make it Yours

Bottom line, if you offer something unique, interesting, and unusual, it's more than just another option for your hardcore fans to support you; it's a source of word-of-mouth buzz when you're not around. Any of these should be more than enough to make your merch stand out.

* * *

1 - Somehow.

2 - True story: I used to play D&D with a punk bassist, who had a crate of panties with his band's logo on them, as well as some more... creative merch. It was funny, but it was a hell of a cash sink for the poor band.