My Favorite Type of Merchandise

Merchandising! It is a common way that art and capitalism collides in this society. They are how people can show their love and support for something, and they come in many forms and are presented in many ways. The diversity of merchandise means there are enough niches to form opinions on and pick favorites. Therefore, the ones listed below are my personal favorite types of merchandise. 

Anything themed to appear in-universe

If you show me something that looks like it would actually be canon? That's basically catnip to my collector brain! I have curated an entire outfit dedicated to being an employee for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza with official pieces. Does it say something about this job market that I'm cosplaying having a job at a fictional company? Perhaps! Is it still a fun way to dress up while facing difficult times? Absolutely!

This is just one example of what I mean. "In-universe" merchandising can work in many mediums. The important factor is the theming of the piece.

Fan Creations

Nothing is better than supporting passionate artists who could use the money more than some big company. 

Artists are diverse, both when it comes to what they create and the person behind the pen (or other appropriate tool of their medium of choice). They are a perfect avenue to go through if you wish for everything to have a unique feel. 

Quality will be less consistent, as it will depend on the artist's technique and skills, but you can guarantee you're paying a human and receiving something with more soul and love put into it than anything official can possibly have.

Apparels/Accessories

Anything I can wear will always be welcome, especially if the design is particularly awesome. The only unfortunate thing is that apparel happens to be an extremely common form of merchandise, which can make choosing what is worthy of the closet space extra difficult. But even then, multiple favorite pieces of mine are clothing that I wear. It's a great way to show off what I love and give other people something to talk about.

Plus, if you know a thing or two about sewing and fabric care, clothes can last a very long time. Once care and repair no longer works, however, the fabric can be upcycled and used in creative projects. I even wrote some ideas for reusing old pieces a while back. If you're interested in such a thing, you can read it here: https://dextiveblog.blogspot.com/2025/09/best-ways-to-reuse-old-clothing.html

Keychains and Buttons

Ita bags are a type of bag that I adore and collect. Unfortunately, ita bags are essentially a portable collection showcase, so buttons and keychains are two things I am always on the hunt for. They hit several points in this list, plus they are small and affordable, so they're among the easiest type to collect with that added element of satisfaction in seeing a bag come together over time.

Anything That Can Be Used

I love space fillers as much as anyone else, but there is only so much space someone has. I don't know about you, but my surfaces are filled with trinkets and can't handle any more. Which is absolutely a problem and means I need to be a little pickier with what I take home. If it's something that doubles as practical, then it will do more than take up space. It's not like the standards are particularly high, as pens and notebooks count as something useful.

Conclusion

Do you agree with these favorites, or do you have a different opinion on merchandise? I would love to hear from you, so don't forget to leave your own thoughts in the comments. The best part of sharing opinions online is seeing what other people think.

If you have nothing to share, or feel like lurking some more, then you might be interested in seeing what makes me love OCs. You can read about that here: https://dextiveblog.blogspot.com/2025/09/what-makes-me-love-ocs.html

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and follow the blog. You can also see what I have to offer on my shop and Artistree, which are linked through my profile.