 "Photo: Jackie Gilles; The Daily Texan")
The election is over, but that doesn’t matter to the owners of a local shop filled with Obama merchandise.
Former state Rep. Glen Maxey opened the Obama Store in East Austin because of high demand for Obama gear. Maxey said he decided to open the store after leaving a watch party on Election Night when he could not walk with a box of campaign items to his car without being bombarded with requests for a T-shirt.
“After seeing people wanting to celebrate the election, it screamed out at me that somebody needed to do it,” he said.
Maxey, who worked for the campaign, said business has been at a “fever pitch.”
“I’m shocked,” he said. “I’ve already had 200 people in here today, and it’s Wednesday.”
Customers may purchase campaign merchandise, such as stickers, buttons, lawn signs and T-shirts. Other items include jewelry, posters and Thanksgiving cups, all created by local artists. Maxey said Christmas cards and ornaments should be available soon.
The hottest items, he said, are brown coin purses featuring a red-and-blue drawing of Obama’s face.
Another big seller has been a T-shirt designed by Austin artist Guy Juke.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Paul Wang, a community organizer who purchased some items and works a few blocks away from the store. “If it’s supported by local artists, that’s cool. But if it’s just campaign stuff, that’s a little weird.”
Maxey said a dozen local artists have contributed to the store, and 15 more are expected to design more merchandise. He added that he and the artists split the profits.
Maxey said that despite the high level of excitement, the shop is scheduled to close after President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009.
“It’s the cultural change,” he said. “That’s what these people are excited about.”
The Obama Store is located at 1111 E. 11th St. and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
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