History Main / TheMerch

* All sorts of merchandise based on the ''VideoGame/{{Tamagotchi}}'' toys has been made, with candies, cards, bath bombs, playsets featuring figurines of the characters, plush toys, and keychains being just some of the pieces of merch they've put out. The [[Anime/{{Tamagotchi}} TV show]] has also had merchandise relating to it.

* During the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Hasbro made figures based on several DC Comics, including the ''Legends of Batman'' line, which was a toyline based on ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' or {{Elseworlds}} ideas; ''Superman: The Man of Steel'', which dealt with ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' and [[ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey its aftermath]], ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfClarkKent'', and in Lex Luthor's case, his post-DealWithTheDevil incarnation after ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed''; ''Total Justice'', which while not based on any particular storyline, reflected the then-status quo and gave characters like Kyle Rayner, Wally West, Connor Hawke, Huntress, ComicBook/BlackLightning, Dr. Polaris, Despero, and Parallax their first figures; and ''JLA'', a toyline based on ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'' and later Creator/PeterDavid's ''ComicBook/YoungJustice''.

* ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'' has the LBX model kits released by Bandai (of ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' fame). They are all in 1:1 scale (thanks to being tiny robots to begin with), complete with fully interchangeable parts for customization, weapon expansion packs and the cardboard arena diorama seen in both the game and the anime. There's also the Riding Saucer, a remote-controlled LBX support unit compatible with the model kits.

These are often based on popular kids’ franchises.

So, you start to sell stuff. T-shirts, pins, prints, [=CDs=], {{Toys}} and cards are the obvious choices. But mouse pads, coffee mugs, baseball caps, plushies, posters, babies' onesies, messenger bags, and refrigerator magnets all have their fans. Furniture, jewels, costumes, food, hygiene products, and sporting gear are for those wanting to go overboard. In fact, anything that you can figure out how to stick a logo, character or catchphrase onto will do. That's "The Merch". The merchandise. The moneymaker. The stuff that pays the bills.

* Being a manga about mangakas, *''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'' occasionaly discuss it in-universe. For example, a figurine of the main character of Hiramaru's manga [[ShowWithinAShow Rakko 11]] is made. Of course, the manga and anime have received a lot of merchandising in real life. [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs And finally]], there are [[{{Defictionalization}} real life figures]] of the characters of the fictional mangas written by the characters: [[https://www.nautiljon.com/images/goodies/00/13/bakuman_-_rakko_11_-_diorama_box_collection_megahouse_1431.jpg?0 Rakko]]. [[https://www.nautiljon.com/images/goodies/00/72/bakuman_-_gitantei_trap_-_diorama_box_collection_megahouse_1427.jpg?0 Detective Trap]]. [[https://www.nautiljon.com/images/goodies/00/92/bakuman_-_daihatsu_tanto_-_diorama_box_collection_megahouse_1429.jpg?0 Tanto-kun]]. and [[https://www.nautiljon.com/images/goodies/00/62/bakuman_-_crow_-_diorama_box_collection_megahouse_1426.jpg?0 Black Crow]].

* Of late, there have been many attempts by Creator/GamesWorkshop to expand their supplementary material eg. books, computer games etc. to an actual line of merch. Small badges and practically everything you could use for tactical miniature gaming with their label on it, thus doubling the price, not withstanding; there are now mystery pack collectible figures (toylike cheap crap that cannot be used in the game) and POP vynil figures available.

* Creator/GeorgeLucas wanted creative control of his upcoming movie, so he agreed to drop his director's fee to keep the rights, including merchandising. Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox was convinced his "space movie" would flop, so they agreed, thinking they just saved more money they would lose. To put it mildly, they chose...[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade poorly]]. Adjusted for inflation, ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ANewHope'' is the third-highest-grossing movie of all time in the US, with $2.8 billion in total ticket sales. ''Star Wars'' merchandise makes that much money ''every year''. On top of that, Disney, who bought Lucasfilm in 2012, would go on to acquire 20th Century Fox in 2019, effectively giving Lucas the last laugh.
** At the time, merchandising involved selling posters, tie-in books, maybe t-shirts. ''Franchise/StarWars'' is the reason you can get everything from promotional shoes to toothbrushes.
** Producer Gary Kurtz notes in [[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/08/star-wars-was-born-a-long-time-ago-but-not-all-that-far-far-away-in-1972-filmmakers-george-lucas-and-gary-kurtz-wer.html this article]], "The toy business began to drive the [Lucasfilm] empire. It’s a shame. They make three times as much on toys as they do on films. It’s natural to make decisions that protect the toy business, but that’s not the best thing for making quality films."
** And Lucas didn't fight to keep the merchandising rights because he was far-sighted and knew it would be profitable in the long run. He just wanted to be able to promote the film himself in case the studio gave it InvisibleAdvertising.
*** The reason why Lucas was able to make out like a bandit in merchandising was that Fox and its marketing partners had gotten seriously burned with the notorious flop, ''Film/DoctorDolittle'' in 1967 and merchandising for a feature film didn't seem worth the bother in 1977.
** Kenner, the toy manufacturers, did not see the ''Star Wars'' mania coming. They couldn't keep up the demand for tots, that the holiday season of 1977 became known as the year of the "Empty Box Campaign", when customers got merely coupons to buy the toys when they were made available.
* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' spoofed this in so many ways, from putting the movie's name on every other product, to having Dark Helmet play with the action figures. See the page quote.
** One of the reasons why there is so ''little'' merchandise is due to an agreement between George Lucas and the producers of Spaceballs.

* During the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Hasbro made figures based on several DC Comics, including the ''Legends of Batman'' line, which was a toyline based on ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' or {{Elseworlds}} ideas; ''Superman: The Man of Steel'', which dealt with ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' and [[ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey its aftermath]], ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfClarkKent'', and in Lex Luthor's case, his post-DealWithTheDevil incarnation after ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed''; ''Total Justice'', which while not based on any particular storyline, reflected the then-status quo and gave characters like Kyle Rayner, ComicBook/WallyWest, Connor Hawke, ComicBook/{{Huntress}}, ComicBook/BlackLightning, Dr. Polaris, Despero, and Parallax their first figures; and ''JLA'', a toyline based on ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'' and later Creator/PeterDavid's ''ComicBook/YoungJustice''.

An original tabletop game based on the show.

A Trading card series based on the show.

Merchandise of animated works often use still pictures that have more detail than the shows.

Little stuffed versions of your favorite... anything from the show.

One of the most common types of merch is a shirt of something from the show.

The merch is a video game based on the show.

When creative decisions are based on what can be sold on the show.

The show may not be appropriate for certain groups, but sell the toys to them anyway.

When a show's merch is plugged InUniverse.

The merch doesn't exist until fans of the show demand it.

An original TabletopRolePlayingGame based on the show.

A crossover with the show and a classic board game.

Characters that only appear in the merch but not the show/movie the merch is based on.

Show is aimed at both male and female audiences, but the merchandise tend to cater to one gender.

Compare TieInNovel, TheFilmOfTheBook, TheAnimeOfTheGame, {{Defictionalization}} (when something on the show, merch or otherwise debuted in the show and was then made real).

--> '''Calvin''' (arms full of stuff and wearing a triceratops hat): I'll say! I wonder if we could get any Franchise/Batman junk this way.

** This is exploited in a strip of Calvin and Hobbes, where they visit the museum and Calvin wants his mother to buy him things from the museum's gift shop.

--> '''Calvin''' (arms full of stuff and wearing a triceratops hat): I'll say! I wonder if we could get any Batman junk this way.

* More recently, Creator/BruceTimm confirmed that ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' and ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'' were cancelled due to this as well. ''Young Justice'' had a toy line, but it didn't sell well, while ''Green Lantern'' never even had one due to the surplus of unsold toys from the flopped [[Film/GreenLantern live-action movie]].

[[folder:Fan works]]

* ''Fanfic/HeroChat'': In-universe. The fic goes into some of the legal issues of making merch of heroes with secret identities, as well as villains who are innocent victims subject to TheCorruption. The heroes chastise the city for the fact that only a couple people asked permission before making merch of them, and Chloe (in her civilian identity) starts to handle merchandising rights. The heroes of course donate all their royalties to charity, but akumatized victims get royalties from their merch too. The heroes joke that technically Hawkmoth has shared creator rights to the villains, and they might be able to trick him into revealing his identity by offering him royalties.

* {{Wrestling/ECW}} constant money problems led to this in spades. Rather hilariously most of the merchandise was designed by wrestler Taz, with other wrestlers like Dreamer and Richards involved in sales.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' sells T-Shirts, posters, action figures, [=DVDs=], an [Music/StrongBadSingsAndOtherTypeHits album]] and other merchandise. It has become so successful, that the store is basically the creators' jobs.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' sells T-Shirts, posters, action figures, [=DVDs=], an album and other merchandise. It has become so successful, that the store is basically the creators' jobs.

* The David Willis-run wiki for ''{{Transformers}}'' has a page entitled ''To Sell Toys.'' Because everything in Transformers revolves around it, including the cartoon series.

*

* Wrestling/{{WWE}} tag-team Wrestling/DGenerationX, during their "reunion" years, was the subject of a RunningGag in which they would find ways to plug their merchandise, whether it be their action figures, T-shirts, [=DVDs=], or even their new book (now available at [[http://www.wweshop.com WWEShop.com]]!) in the most blatant, forced, and incongruous way possible, with Cheshire Cat grins on their faces the whole time. Pretty much every wrestler has Merch, mind, and will plug it in more subtle ways (like wearing their latest T-shirt as they come down to the ring), but D-Generation X raised parodying the practice to an art form.

* Wrestling/{{WWE}} tag-team D-Generation X, during their "reunion" years, was the subject of a RunningGag in which they would find ways to plug their merchandise, whether it be their action figures, T-shirts, [=DVDs=], or even their new book (now available at [[http://www.wweshop.com WWEShop.com]]!) in the most blatant, forced, and incongruous way possible, with Cheshire Cat grins on their faces the whole time. Pretty much every wrestler has Merch, mind, and will plug it in more subtle ways (like wearing their latest T-shirt as they come down to the ring), but D-Generation X raised parodying the practice to an art form.

* ''Fanfic/HeroChat'': In-universe. The fic goes into some of the legal issues of making merch of heroes with secret identities, as well as villains who are innocent victims subject to TheCorruption. The heroes chastise the city for the fact that only a couple people asked permission before making merch of them, and Chloe (in her civilian identity) starts to handle merchandising rights. The heroes of course donate all their royalties to charity, but akumatized victims get royalties from their merch too. The heroes joke that technically Hawkmoth has shared creator rights to the villains, and they might be able to trick him into revealing his identity that way.

Not to be confused with [[VideoGame/Splatoon2 Murch]].

** It is not an exaggeration to say that, should you have the money, you could live entirely off of Eva merch.