Buyers give peace products a chance
Being against a war in Iraq may not be politically correct in these very PC times, but it sure seems to be good business.
Peace comes at a price: $48.
That, at least, is the going rate for the Nation of Peace Flag — stitched with "peace" in 37 languages — from a tiny outfit called Syracuse Cultural Workers.
Or, if you want peace at a bargain price, you can order a "peace sign" button online from several manufacturers for as little at $1.
With war drums beating loudly, a mini-boom has emerged in anti-war merchandise. And it's growing. By one estimate, upward of $15 million in anti-war T-shirts, buttons and posters have been sold in the past six months. Industry experts say it's the single-biggest spike in "peace" merchandise sales since the Vietnam War — even more than the Gulf War.
But unlike past wars, the key market for the merchandise this time is not student activist groups. Rather, it's mostly church and community organizations, which gives the sellers and manufacturers of anti-war materials a tad more stability.
"Unlike students, these people don't suddenly go home at the end of the semester," says Scott Cramer, owner of Northern Sun Merchandising, a social activist and maker of merchandise in Minneapolis.
And most sales now are online.
Hah! You didn't see THAT during the Vietnam War, did you?? Say what you will about the anti-war movement; their marketing efforts sure as hell outshine anything war supporters have come up with to date.
