For many die-hard fans of certain pop stars, their dedication can cost them an arm and a leg – almost literally. They’d endure long queues to buy concert tickets or the latest albums, even if it means camping out outside the store. If they have enough budget, they’d buy the best front-row seat tickets, even if the “seat” doesn’t actually exist. Instead, they’d stand throughout the whole three-to four-hour concert, because that would allow them the closest view of their favorite pop star.
And their spending doesn’t always end there yet. Concert organizers usually set up merchandise booths outside the concert venue. They sell posters, CDs, T-shirts, hats, hoodies, and every item imaginable bearing the pop star’s name or face. The fans, still high from the concert, wouldn’t hesitate to spend their money again just for an additional reminder of their awesome experience.
If you’re clueless about celebrity merchandise, you probably assume that they’re priced just a few dollars, perhaps $10 to $20. Tell that to an avid fan though, and you’d receive a wishful sigh as a response. In reality, celebrity merchandise can cost up to a hundred dollars and up.
The Market for Celebrity Merchandise
Despite its exorbitant prices, celebrity merchandise still has a very solid customer base. K-pop fans are particularly known for having a vast collection of their favorite idol group’s merchandise. But what makes K-pop merchandise distinct from other pop stars’ is that every member has their own merchandise. It’s a custom in K-pop, in fact. All idol groups have two types of merchandise, one that covers the whole group, and one that only shows the individual members.
K-pop fans call their favorite member in an idol group their “bias.” Often, it’s their bias’ merchandise they collect. In a K-pop Reddit thread discussing merchandise spending, one user wrote that they spend an average of $350 to $400 every month for merchandise. Another user admitted that they’ve spent $150 so far, but if their bias made a comeback, they’ll spend more. Another user shared their monthly outlay too, stating that on average, they shell out $325 a month.
It seems that for K-pop fans, any amount less than three digits is an unacceptable average spending figure. Among fans of Western pop stars, on the other hand, the behavior toward expensive merchandise is quite the contrast. When Billie Eilish released her merchandise, fans loved them, except for their prices. A hoodie cost $120, and the rhinestoned sweats $190. In fact, the feedback was so bad that one fan tweeted that they “lost respect” for the pop star after finding out the price of the hoodie.
Travis Scott also released merchandise with skyrocketing prices. A hoodie costs $95, a long-sleeve tee $65, and a baseball cap $40. The items may not have been as expensive as Billie Eilish’s merchandise, but still, they’re quite jaw-dropping, considering that they’re just streetwear.
What makes merchandise prices so concerning is the fact that its market is mostly teenagers. As such, they’re using their parents’ money to buy, unless they earn a salary from a part-time job. Still, part-time jobs don’t pay much. Teens must be sacrificing meal times just to afford their favorite pop stars’ merchandise.
Is Celebrity Merchandise Really Worth the Price?
Practically speaking, they’re not. No one needs to spend $120 dollars for a hoodie that has the same quality as a $50 dollar one. Nobody should also spend $400 every month for calendars, CDs, and other items you can get from another retail store for less than $10. If fans are more sensible with their savings, they’d stop buying merchandise altogether, or at least set a limit for themselves. They may also DIY their merchandise; if they own a laser etching machine, they can simply engrave their idol’s album insignia on the back of their phone cases. They may just run into some copyright issues with that, but they won’t get in trouble as long as they don’t sell their creations.
How Teens Can Manage Their Money Better
Speaking of engraving, teens can develop a hobby out of it and consider turning it into a business. Having a small business will help teens increase their savings, which they need if they’d insist on buying more celebrity merchandise.
But if they’re running themselves dry for the sake of feeling more included in a fandom, teens should reevaluate their values first. What do they really gain from spending hundreds of dollars on merchandise? Is it their own personal satisfaction, or the approval of their fellow fans?
Whichever the case, teens should still be more conscious of their spending habits. If they pay with their parent’s credit card, they should consider if they can still afford the item if they were to pay in cash. Often, if you can’t pay for something in cash, it means you can’t afford it yet.
But at the end of the day, nobody can tell how others should spend their money. Still, teens should be well aware that they shouldn’t pour their money down the drain for things they’d have no real use for, especially for the long term.