Obama stimulates big merchandise sales

A Barack Obama T-shirt sells for five dollars on K Street in Washington. An Obama bronze medallion costs 60 dollars through the official presidential inauguration committee outlet.

The US is a wash in Obama merchandise, ranging from refrigerator magnets to baseball caps to Obama-style coffee (half Hawaiian, half Kenyan) capitalizing on the image of the new president.

Obama coffee mugs, key chains, scarves and baseball caps are flying off the shelves. The Washington Post and The New York Times sell commemorative books and special editions of their inauguration issues.

People want a bit of history, they take the advantage of Obama's popularity,this is not only the first black president, it's the first president in a long time that makes sense to people.

Online retailer eBay had Obama's items for sale on Friday, including an Obama pin and an "Amazing Spiderman Barack Obama" comic. Amazon.com had several thousand, including Obama bobblehead dolls and action figures.

Some items come from the presidential inaugural committee, which operated a Washington store until Thursday and continues to sells through its website, using the proceeds to defray the costs of the inauguration events.

Sales of inauguration medallions are a tradition dating back a century but that the marketing of memorabilia has taken on a new dimension.

Yet virtually anyone can sell items with the presidential or inauguration seal or Obama's image, with many calling themselves sellers of "official" merchandise.

The store, which sells items ranging from barbecue sauce to framed Obama prints, will remain open indefinitely, Ellis said. Shoppers can also have their picture taken with a lifesize cardboard cutout of Obama behind a replica of the Resolute desk of the Oval Office.

Our new president is invigorating interest in government and the office of the presidency and politics.The interest in Obama may continue for some time.It's going to continue in the short term because he is even more in the limelight than he was three months ago.

The younger generation is used to wearing their brands on their shirts and their hats.Up to now their brands have been Apple and Facebook, so Obama is the first political brand of this generation.