How many of you use your comics for merchandise? Or sell memorabilia related to your comics?

If you do:

What do you sell?

Where do you sell it?

Are you successful?Do you have any expectations to be?

Is it difficult?


I ask because I'm just starting out doing this memorabilia thing. I'm selling George the Dragon stuff just for kicks at www.zazzle.com/loud_g. I find zazzle to be an interesting idea in a web based selling company. You can make mugs and Tshirts and all sorts of stuff and then post them for sale. You get 10% of the proceeds if your item sells.

This sounded like fun to me. Not really because I want money. More because I think it would be neat to have physical manifestations of my comic floating around.

What are your thoughts? Is it a waste of time? How can you do it successfully? What kind of products would/do you sell?

I set up stuff at CafePress: http://www.cafepress.com/vbusedbooks

I mostly did it to make books for my family and friends. I've bought a few things for myself and for fun, but no one else has bought anything. (My backpack is covered in mini-buttons, and I bought a couple t-shirts and a magnet.) I don't have any delusions that anyone will be interested in anything, but it's fun anyway.

You should really have a bit of a following and *gasp* a demand for merchandise. I see some cats come out of the blocks trying to sell T-shirts and coffee mugs. No, that's not going to work unless you have something unique. Otherwise, you gotta put in the work.

Now, after some time, you'll be able to put up some merchandise, just realized that only 3% of your audience is going to buy this merchandise. An example, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was mega-huge, but not counting the books, only 3% of the fans bought swords, posters, etc. So, if you got 100 people viewing your stuff, there's an excellent chance that 3 people (on average) will buy your stuff, IF it's something worthwhile. Don't expect to stick your logo on some underwear and watch the dollars roll in.

Well I have 12 people who have fav'd me....So unless it's like half a midget out there I won't sell anything! Aw!

Well, keep at it. A little networking and a little advertising, even grass-roots will get you some steady viewers.

I do. but I dont make it a point to. If it just so happen to be a fav or I realy like it, I'll turn it into some thing.
here's my store: http://tkawaii.cafegraphica.com/store.htm



most people dont know me much at cons, they just love the bright and pretty pictures that caught their intention. I try to make sure it's something that they can use (like the note books and such) and realy low priced (like 5$ posters) mostly to continue promoting my style till I get more known