Take Note: The merch of time

Despite recent reports to the contrary (thanks for reading), music isn't the multi-million pound industry it once was.

Adele may be richer than your average health authority, but Eminem is, it seems, down to his last $100,000,000. And that could be gone in seconds thanks to a misplaced bank password or an attack of the munchies. So, the rapper is making a bit of extra cash by selling off 700 bricks from his childhood home. Each brick will be authenticated (so no problem flogging it later at Sothebys) and comes with a cassette of his 2000 album.

At $300, it’s some way behind the single brick produced by The KLF, formed from the ashes of the million quid they set fire to.

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Fortunately, there are more successful merchandising schemes. The humble T-shirt may be the greatest moneyspinner of all at £20 a time, though other items of clothing are available – the Weezer snuggie, Oasis trainers, and Katy Perry’s pants (oh yes she is).

But oddest of all, records are now technically ‘merch’, sold as a premium wall-hanging. Fortunately, these usually come with a digital version meaning your pristine vinyl can be preserved forever – just in case the internet mysteriously deletes your entire music collection …

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