‘It’s been insane:’ Swift’s Philly tour stops are giving local Etsy sellers a sales boost

Armed with Cricut vinyl cutting machines and Etsy storefronts, local creators are seeing an economic boost from Taylor Swift’s upcoming Northeast Eras Tour stops.

In Philadelphia and beyond, DIY sellers are cashing in on a widespread appetite for “hot girl” merch themed around everything from the Eagles and Phillies to Taylor Swift. The sales are sparked by common criticisms that the official merch is often painfully corny, poor fitting, or straight-up ugly, prompting creators to take their own creative licenses. Taylor Swift merch is no exception.

Swift’s merch for the Eras Tour has been widely criticized for its shoddy quality, with $65 crewnecks and $45 T-shirts fading after one wash and prompting a replacement campaign. The graphic designs have also left something to be desired for some fans. Still, it hasn’t stopped fans from crowding days ahead of the show to snag official merch. In Philly, Swift’s merch trailer will begin selling on Thursday — one day before her slated performances — at the stadium’s K lot from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Fans are looking for merch to commemorate Swift’s three-day residency at the Linc — whether they were lucky enough to score tickets or not. They’re also looking for stadium-security-friendly clear bags that have a bit of Swiftie flair. That’s where local sellers come in.

» READ MORE: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ arrival in South Philly is just days away

When Mallory Minor of Manayunk lost her job in mid-March, she decided to focus her energy on her Etsy shop. She’s made dozens of sales since, boosting her total to over 1,300. Minor offers about 40 different products, some custom, some Phillies, and lots of Swift.

A self-described “huge Swiftie,” Minor, 30, said she began creating her own Swift merch because she was annoyed by greedy resellers who flip official merch for hundreds of dollars.

“I wanted Swifties to be able to get the merch they wanted at the same cost as the tour but for higher quality,” she said. “It’s a decent mix of dupes and also fan-made original designs.”

Some of her top sellers include a “Swiftadelphia” crewneck sweatshirt that’s printed in a font that resembles Swift’s Folklore album font. Minor is also selling $10 commemorative Eras ticket stubs, which fans can use as keepsakes since the tour’s ticketing system is fully digital. Buyers can send Minor a note to match their actual ticket’s date and seat number to the souvenir ticket. She makes every item by hand in her guest-room-turned-mini-factory and screen-prints her designs.

Entrepreneurial-minded creators across the country have been capitalizing on the opportunity to sell commemorative tickets in an age where paperless tickets are the industry standard. A similar phenomenon spread during the Phillies’ World Series run last year.

» READ MORE: Phillies World Series tickets are digital only, not printed

Shannon Coughlin, who lives in Center City, has been a fan of Swift’s since her debut album dropped in 2006. Over the years, she has used her Cricut machine for crafting and making gifts for friends and family. But in February, she had the idea of creating customized Swift-inspired designs to print onto clear stadium-friendly bags. The idea took off, with Coughlin filling up her nights and weekends with the side hustle.

For Coughlin, besides a little extra cash, the bags and merch sales have been a way for her to link up with fellow local Swifties.

“I’ve loved making these bags and being able to meet so many Swifties in the process,” she said. “It is bittersweet that it will be coming to an end soon ... I love that this tour was able to connect me with so many people and can’t wait for the concert and to see people wearing the bags there.”

A search for “Taylor Swift Eras Tour” on Etsy brings up nearly 40,000 results, including original designs and “dupe” merch. It’s a far cry from 2015 when Swift’s legal team went on a trademark rampage, sending cease-and-desist letters to several Etsy sellers. Earlier this year, the NFL went on a similar spree, sending letters to local Eagles sellers and shutting down their respective Instagram accounts.

Minor said she’s had one of her dupe listings — a blue crewneck sweatshirt that mimicked the official version — taken down from her Etsy storefront, but overall she’s unfazed.

“It stinks, but I am still working on making them and other [merch] and just hoping for the best,” she said. “From my experience, they [legal representatives] usually just ask you nicely to remove the listings and stop making them and don’t just jump to a lawsuit. My fingers are crossed it keeps up because I am truly doing it for the love of Taylor Swift.”

Last Friday, local Swifties gathered at Social House near Fitler Square to make sure their outfits were ready to go.

Swiftadelphia, a Swiftie-themed pop-up shop, hosted several local vendors and encouraged attendees to shop local for their Eras Tour outfits.

“I was seeing all these other cities organize fun pop-ups,” said Cassidy Fairey, 27, who organized the event. “I work part-time at Social House and realized it would be a great space to make it happen. Our owner was totally on board.”

The event played a soundtrack of Swift songs (obviously) and had vendors selling everything from shirts and jewelry to Taylor-themed art.

Fairey sold friendship bracelets, a practice that started as a bonding activity for her and her young sister but has become slightly more lucrative thanks to Swift’s song, You’re on Your Own, Kid, which has a lyric about making them. In turn, the bracelets have become a popular activity among Swifties with fans trading and collecting the jewelry at Eras tour stops. Fairey said she’s sold about 100 bracelets, but only about a fifth of them locally. Events across Philadelphia are nodding to the friendship bracelet making, including a ticketed bracelet-making workshop on Wednesday at the Bok Building.

» READ MORE: Missing Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ in Philly? Shake it off at these parties around town.

Swiftie sellers say they expect to see their Eras Tour sales trickle off once the singer wraps up her three days in South Philly. But they expect some online sales from other tour stop attendees or non-ticket holders with FOMO to keep their businesses alive.

“It has been insane,” Minor said. “I began my Etsy in 2020 during COVID and I started with digital drawings. That was always a decent side hustle. But holy cow, I will ride this Swiftie wave as long as I can.”