This is going to horrify some people, I can sense it. But I need to be honest. I need to put my truth out there.
I’m laughing so hard at my own joke right now. Unless you follow beauty guru drama, you probably have no clue what I even mean. but so it is here we GO.
The fact is, I’m not a big fan of book merch. I don’t scream in absolute terror when I see people post their merch online. In fact, I’m known to double tap quite a few merch-rich Insta pics. But my personal preference is to not buy anything with slogans/images from books, including shirts, posters, those little card thingies you put in a book with your name*, and character cards.
*Mandy keeps telling me what they’re called, and I keep going AHHH yes, and then forgetting
I really don’t get the point of character cards. (is perhaps throttled by a million book lovers). What do you do with them? Aside from taking a picture for Insta… store them in a box?
I think part of my problem is a lot of the stuff is not practically useful (aka I can’t do stuff with it, and I’m a functional shopper. I don’t like purchasing things that are purely decorative/nice) and I don’t like commitment. AKA yes, I love your book, but I don’t love it so much I need to wear it on a shirt or see it on a poster every morning when I wake up.
I can see many upsides to it as well.
📚 You support the author financially.
📚 A lot of merch makes for great Insta pics.
📚 And many books fans get pleasure from connecting more with a book through tactile and visual representations.
But that’s ME. Tell me what you think. Is book merch a yay or a nay?
VOTE BELOW!
BOOK MERCH: A YAY OR A NAY?
I’m so glad someone finally said it! I say nay as well but like you said, I understand why other people like it it’s just not my thing.
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Hey, thanks for voting! Yep, there are for sure pros to book merch and I fully acknowledge them but fully agree: it’s just not for me.
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I agree, it’s just not my thing!
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I once won a Giveaway and got a Love, Simon travel mug – it’s merch and it’s practical because I use it every week or so. I love it! And I think I could also use t-shirts and accessories or jewellery … if it’s a book I’ve loved for a very long time or really passionately because I suffer from not wanting to commit too. so it’s a thumbs up for that!
And art (in prints and cards, for example) is really pretty but unless I /have/ a specific place to have it on display, it’s just a big no for me … I don’t want to keep it in notebooks or boxes, that’d be a waste!
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I would enjoy a mug for a book I like, or a general “I ❤ Reading" themed mug. That would be practical and something I could use a lot.
I know that there are people who can wear clothing/accessories for books they really like — you're case in point! And that's why I'm happy book merch exists! Thanks for sharing your opinion on book merch!!
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Hmmm … it depends. If it’s useful and/or a decor item I would use, then yes. Like candles … I like candles in general, but the book ones are nice. There are some sweaters and stuff I like, but again … I’ll wear those.
So … yes and no? Lol!!
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I agree! I do have a bookish mug and necklace but those are things that i actually use. I just don’t see the point of for example character cards 🙈
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I love that! Mugs and wearable merch would be one of the few exceptions for me because they’re more practical items.
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I feel the same way you do: I just don’t see a point, personally. As a reader with limited funds, I’d rather spend money on books, not merch. And as a person with limited space in my apartment, where would I keep all those little things? Personally, it’s just not practical. Although I will admit to occasionally feeling left out on insta. Great post!
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‘Yay’ but only if the merch is useable! I’m not a bookstagramer (yet) so I don’t care for decor and I don’t count candles, really, ‘cause they get used up and thrown out unless they’re recycled as decor and plus, the scents tend to not be unique.
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Oh definitely! I’m functionality all the way! So if I get free merch, I take it. But I only spend money on books and at times, book sleeves. Everything else is nice, but I don’t care enough to buy it when I know I’m not going to use it or see much of it. And even with free merch, my favorite is definitely bookmarks. They’re just so useful!
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I’m yay/nay on the matter, largely leaning towards the latter! (whoa, that rhymed) I’m a practical minimalist by nature, so I similarly don’t like seeing decorative stuff sprawled all over my bookshelves no matter how pretty they look. Buuut I do selectively collect a few things like bookmarks or signed bookplates (also depending on how much I like the look of them) to keep inside the books themselves – doesn’t clutter up anything, don’t have to look at them until I read the book itself, and they can be functional when I’m reading. 😉
On the whole, I’m totally with you though! I’m of the Marie Kondo mindset that if something doesn’t give you joy (or serves for functionality), out the window it goes!
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Can I pick “It’s Complicated?” Look. I agree with you on most of this. It is partially why I don’t subscribe to any book boxes except BOTM (which is just books). I wouldn’t know what to do with all that STUFF. You can only have so many bookish candles, and tapestries etc. HOWEVER. I am a Harry Potter HOARDER. If it has Harry Potter on it, I want it. I can’t exactly explain why but here we are. Now, Harry Potter aside, the only “merch” I would be down to see more of are Pop Vinyls. I think those would be fun to collect! But other than that, I am kinda with you on the merch thing. Although- I must confess, I do love a clever bookish tee 😀
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