Thousands of t-shirts were in boxes and on display at the official Sen. Barack Obama Convention stores inside the Denver Convention Center and key hotels in downtown Denver on Monday. Buttons, state pins, bumper stickers, shot glasses and playing cards were also on the tables.
Walking through DD (downtown Denver) it seemed that there would be no way the official merchandise would all get sold because of all the peddlers* selling their unauthorized gear. But by Wednesday afternoon, pins for New York and Illinois were all gone, one store had closed in order to consolidate items, and the selection of t-shirts and buttons had dwindled and the area around one table was two-three people deep.
But never underestimate the support of an Obama supporter. Though the t-shirts outside might have been a bit cooler and more innovative than some of the Obama shirts, knowing that 100% of proceeds go to Obama’s campaign likely swayed delegates, their guests and others to spend their hard-earned dollars.
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*Vendors were able to get peddlers licenses from the city of Denver that got them within steps of the door of the convention center for a total of $75. They weren’t too pushy selling their unauthorized Obama t-shirts, calendars, and numerous pins and hats and foam fingers.
Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director for BlackEnterprise.com.