Sadvertising

I'll never understand it. Why are we expected to pay more for merchandise just because it has a company's logo on it?

They take a black T shirt that's worth about $7, tops. Then, they silk screen a Harley Davidson logo on it, for example. Now, it costs you $25. I can go to Wal Mart and buy a Dickies work shirt for about $16. But if I look in the Dennis Kirk catalog, I can find work shirts with logos of Vance & Hines (exhaust), Throttle Threads, Yoshimura (exhaust), Wiseco (pistons), Suzuki, etc. starting around $55! I realize there may be some cost associated with the patches and/or silk screening, but come on. Seriously?

Why the high price tag? Because the shirt maker/vendor had to pay the company whose logo they're using a licensing fee. Which is kind of stupid, if you ask me. I think Wiseco (or whoever) should look at it as free advertising. They should be freaking subsidizing the price of those shirts, just to get them out there in circulation! But no, they charge more. Then, some people are ridiculous enough to pay the inflated fees for the "privilege" of advertising for these companies.



It's like charging the billboard to display the ad, ain't it?


(Honest disclosure: I do indeed own shirts with motorcycle company logos, but I've never bought them myself - they've been gifts or door prizes at events, with the exception of buying one dealer T shirt - but they were a cool dealership who'd cut me some deals, so I felt I was repaying the favor.)

Thanks to my Other Half for the title.