Bush merch still moving
Washington Examiner
03/03/09 12:05 AM EST
Serving all your ‘43’ needs
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Other times, it’s a political statement. (And not just in the Starr Report.)
For evidence, look no further than georgewbushstore.com, an online hub of all things Bush, which is proving that though he may be out of power, ol’ No. 43 can still move merchandise.
The store began during Bush’s first term, but of late has added a slew of merchandise commemorating his tenure in the Oval Office.
Like $12 commemorative cigars with “January 20, 2001 - January 20, 2009” emblazoned on the tube. Or a set of four glass tumblers ($24.95). Other items simply feature a “43” logo, from crystal bookends ($199.95) to a crystal decanter ($114.95) to a paperweight ($29.95).
For something simpler, there’s always the “Thank You President Bush” bumper sticker ($1.50 each, but there are volume discounts for large orders!) or the ever-popular merchandise with the simple “W” logo.
“It’s doing really good,” said Ted Jackson, president of the Spalding Group, a Kentucky firm that does merchandising for many GOP candidates and runs the George W. Bush store. “It won’t go on indefinitely, but we started emphasizing the commemorative line around Christmas, and there was a real spike around the inaugural, as you’d expect. And it’s continued.”
He added that there were “still a lot of people who say, ‘We owe this man a lot’ and they want to have something to commemorate that. There are not a lot of ways to do that. These are symbols that people use, if [for example] they want to get a coffee cup.”
More from Jeff Dufour
Follow The Examiner
