Why don't the Beach Boys cash in on the classic rock band merchandise trend?

[shelter]

Classic rock merchandise seems to be really trendy now... Even the big record store chains sell it and the people that buy it are often young people that aren't even familiar with the bands... You can get clocks, coffee mugs, handbags, shirts, flags and what not from pretty much all the big names from the 60s and 70s... Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Elvis, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath, The Who... But no Beach Boys. Are some people just not paying attention or is this another one of those cases where the copyright holders can't reach an agreement so nothing happens?

[The Shift]

There was a thread about this quite recently. My take is that the BBs just don't have that "bad boy" image that gives other bands their appeal to youngsters. Other bands behaved badly in public, the BBs' most excessive behaviour tended to be behind closed doors. For example, while the Who's stage image is of instrument's being smashed, the BBs' is candy stripe shirts. Other bands had carefully cultivated images which they lived up. The BBs cultivated image was of sweet boys from California; they failed to live up to it, true, but a lot of it was behind closed doors.

Merchandise companies probably just won't see any profit in selling striped shirts and "cover up your own bald path with a cap like what Mike Love wore" hat.

[shelter]

The Beatles and Elvis aren't really known as 'bad boys' either. I'm pretty sure that 'Pet Sounds' t-shirts or anything with a surfboard on it would sell if widely available...

[donald]

The fun in the sun aspect sure has been commercially effective.  I would love to have a logo license plate and be able to preplace my vintage concert tees with something that is not shrunken and overworn from washing..

Buffett stuff sells well with the parrots and and so on.  I think the likeness of Dennis with full beard and long hair would sit nicely alongside of Hendrix, Plant, Lennon etc in the stores that carry such merchandise.

[Bean Bag]

No kidding!   I don't have any Beach Boys merchandise.  The GV box came with that cool sticker.  And I bought a BW Pet Sounds tour T-Shirt.  That's it.

WTF

The Beach Boys should have a freakin' clothing line.  There's just so much money and potential with their brand -- that's been wasted.  Greg Norman has a great clothing line --- I can't even get a BB-logo hat or Hawaiian shirt.  Un-freakin-believable.

This, combined with their constant catalog mismanagement and the 30 wasted years of 1980 -2009 with only dribbles of new Beach Boy material -- has to add up to a multi-billion dollar industry waiting to be tapped.  There's more to life then money, sure...but that's not my point.  I can understand the "boys" not caring about it...but with all the hangers on and images of girls, cars, America etc. etc....how the FcK has no one tapped that?

I agree they don't have that bad-boy image -- but that's great.  Their rated-G, disney-image of all things good and happy and sunny...should be a cash cow.  Every amusement park should have a store.  Polo Shirt, t-shirts, hawaiian shirts, hats, baseball hats, Mike Love trucker-hats, short-shorts, ladies apparel, swim suits, swimming accessories, automotive goods, music accessories... they're a damn institution!!!

[Fun Is In]

The Beatles and Elvis aren't really known as 'bad boys' either. I'm pretty sure that 'Pet Sounds' t-shirts or anything with a surfboard on it would sell if widely available...

Both were culturally shocking and controversial when they arrived on the scene. Elvis was censored on TV (not shown from the waist down) and the Beatles' hair was very controversial.  Lennon became quite a figure of controversy once he took up with Yoko.

[TonyW]

I recently picked up a pretty nice Brothers Logo Tee with the Beach Boys "Ten Years of Harmony" logo font. Veeerrryyyy nice artwork indeed. My guess is its a boot not licensed (insert the obigatory how can it be a boot if its a tee comment here .................). Black tee with white print ... so so quality as any good printer would have put down a base before printing white on black.

The only other "classic rock" tee I own is a Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers tee ... I guess that says it all as far as my "classic rock" taste is concerned.

[The Shift]

Would anyone here invest their capital in BBs' merchandise?  I can't see there being that much of a market, beyond those of us who post on boards like this. I've got a stack of T-shirts I've bought at BBs' gigs over the last 29 years, and the odd badge, baseball cap and scarf but very few of the Ts even have tour dates, which I read as implying that they sell so slowly at gigs that they're left undated, so the unsolds can roll over to the next tour (now I think about it, do BBs tours ever end?).

I think the Brother Records logo is exceptionally cool but it's the graphic that's cool, not the association with the BBs!

Years ago I had a Caribou Ranch T-shirt but had to explain to folk why I liked it!

[Steve Mayo]

The Beach Boys should have a freakin' clothing line. 

about 20 some years ago they kinda did. got a few items. didn't last long..

[holeypeacoat]

at Urban Outfitters

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=16301566&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS&color=40

[Beach Boy]

The Smile shirt looks great. I have a Dennis Wilson/Pacific Ocean Blue shirt and some girl in school said:"Oh, I thought that's Jesus!"

[shelter]

Both were culturally shocking and controversial when they arrived on the scene.

They were controversial then, but they surely don't have that image anymore. And come to think of it, I'm not sure if the Beach Boys really have such a 'nice guys' image. I think that to a lot of people they're "That band with that guy that lost his mind and that other guy that hung out with Manson".

[shelter]

Merchandise search results:

band-tees.com
Beatles: 54 items
Beach Boys: 1 item

tshirtsville.com
Beatles: 35 items
Beach Boys: no items

shirthunt.com
Beatles: 37 items
Beach Boys: no items

t-shirtking.com
Beatles: 12 items
Beach Boys: no items

jiggy.com
Beatles: 36 items
Beach Boys: no items

8ball.co.uk
Beatles: 42 items
Beach Boys: 1 item (Brian Wilson)

star500.com
Beatles: 35 items
Beach Boys: 4 items

[Sheriff John Stone]

I really believe, and I hate to say it, but, just like admitting that one likes the Beach Boys'music, most people would feel "square" or uncool wearing clothing with the Beach Boys' name on it. It takes a committed, thick-skinned individual, like many of us on this board, but we're in a small minority.

[juggler]

at Urban Outfitters

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=16301566&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS&color=40

Hey, that Smile shirt is cool!  I know that there have been "unofficial" t-shirts featuring Frank Holmes' Smile shop, but it's neat (though a little weird) to see the Beach Boys officially licensing (?) apparel based on Smile.

[KokoMoses]

Pet Sounds, SMILE, and all bearded 70's Beach Boys  contraband would sit very well with all the hipster kids!


Bring it on!!!!!

[Lady]

I would love to have a logo license plate.....

They do have license plates that say BEACH BOYS.  I've seen them for sale at concerts.  There are others on-line that say GOOD VIBRATIONS, etc.

[Lady]

There are a few BB items, but some are a little cheesy:
 

 A “tin box” with the Surfin’ Safari photo on it and CD’s inside.
http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Beach-Boys/dp/B000S1KRMW/ref=sr_1_113?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240260009&sr=1-113

A big wave cookie jar that played Surfin’ USA and Catch A Wave:
http://www.surfwarez.com/ProductDetails.aspx?PID=211&c=0

2003 Hallmark Christmas ornament – “Rockin’ & Rollin’ Santa” plays “Little St. Nick”

Tooth Tunes plays Fun, Fun, Fun
http://www.amazon.com/Tooth-Tunes-Beach-Boys-Soft/dp/B000PEG84S/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1240258254&sr=8-29

The Brian Wilson doll.

www.thebeachboysstore.com


But it’s true.  Their merchandising has never been aggressive.

[?]

at Urban Outfitters

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=16301566&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS&color=40

Awesome!  Thanks for the link.

[jeffh]

go here for BB car shirts

http://www.classic-muscle-cars.com/Beach-Boys/BeachBoys.html

I've got a few. Kind of neat

[Emdeeh]

A big wave cookie jar that played Surfin’ USA and Catch A Wave:
http://www.surfwarez.com/ProductDetails.aspx?PID=211&c=0

I have one of those cookie jars and it's not the BBs singing.

[jeremylr]

I'm 25, & I'd buy that Urban Outfitters "Smile" shirt in a heartbeat.  Though I don't know if it being exclusive to Urban is the best idea.  I'm in Georgia, & there's only 1 store in the state in Atlanta.

 Maybe someone will wise up & start offering BB shirts, etc. in malls/outlets, because as another poster previously compared them to the Beatles, there's much room for improvement.  You'd think the 1966--1973 era would be more exploited.

 I can't say I'd buy their surfin', car memorabilia, but then again, that's the era the public remembers, for better or worse.

I'm about to conclude, but has any Dennis Wilson merchandise been made available since POB's reissue?  Jim Morrison's face has been plastered on many a tee, & someone with enough savvy could market Dennis along similar lines (late '70s image preferably).

[mikeyj]

I'm about to conclude, but has any Dennis Wilson merchandise been made available since POB's reissue?  Jim Morrison's face has been plastered on many a tee, & someone with enough savvy could market Dennis along similar lines (late '70s image preferably).

Go here: http://www.threadshop.net/denniswilson

There used to be another design too, but that's now sold out

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

For people around college age right now, anything that looks very 1980s is aparently cool again. If they remade an 80's tour t-shirt and sold it at a store like Urban Outfitters, it would be a big seller.

[The Heartical Don]

What I really want for christmas:

A Brian Wilson coffee mug

A t-shirt with a huge Mike Love photo

And a Dennis Wilson condom set