And the fangirls have it.

I am a geek. Specifically, I guess I’m a fangirl, and my particular favorite fandom is a television show called Doctor Who. It’s a sci-fi show from the BBC that’s been running since 1963 – nearly fifty years now! While the BBC puts out an official product line, there are also tons and tons of products made and sold by fans, to fans.  This post applies to just about any fandom, but since I’m right in the thick of the Doctor Who markets, that’s what I’m focusing on.

The Doctor, an alien who travels through space and time in his TARDIS and usually brings a pretty human girl along for the ride, is a cult phenomenon that spans at least four generations. He’s so appealing because he offers his companions, and his viewers, a glimpse of the extraordinary – and fan sellers can capitalize from his appeal. One companion, after abruptly returning to her normal life, said, “What do I do every day? Get up, catch the bus, go to work, come back home, eat chips, and go to bed – is that it? … The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life.” (Rose Tyler, The Parting of Ways, 2005.)

I consider the fear of boredom, the fear that every day is exactly the same, as compelling a fear as the fear of loneliness or pain. Though the show itself isn’t trying to sell much, at least as far as physical things that you pay money to keep, sellers around the world have moved in to take advantage. Having a sweatshirt that looks like the TARDIS, or a Dalek alarm clock, or even just a bracelet that says Bad Wolf or Don’t Blink, those are all subtle reminders for fans that they are different. It’s a reminder of those lucky few who got away from the same thing, every day, all the time. It’s a way to get closer to what we want… and if you talk to most fans, you’ll quickly find out that they’re waiting for a certain blue box to fall out of the sky.

Sales of bow ties have skyrocketed since 2010, when the most recent Doctor tied one around his neck and proclaimed it cool. Anything you can think of is probably a Doctor Who product somewhere, from night-lights that make an iconic sound at the push of a button, to remote controls shaped like the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, to ride-in Daleks for toddlers. I’ve even seen aftershave called “Skinny Boys in Suits” (a reference to the Tenth Doctor, since he’s… well, skinny, and wears a suit).

So why do people buy? Like I said, it's that fear of boredom. They're afraid that life is going to be boring - wake up, work, come home, eat, sleep, repeat, every day for the rest of your life. Or they're afraid that they are a boring person, a small person, utterly insignificant. They might want to feel connected to something bigger than they are, something that's lasted nearly half a century already and has fans all across the world. It's not just Doctor Who - it's all sci-fi, all fandoms. Haven't you ever seen someone in a Star Trek shirt, or carrying a toy lightsaber? It's everywhere and the great thing is, there will be new generations of fans, and late-comers to the fandom, so you can keep selling the same products. You don't have to switch it up like fragrances and even things like snack foods.

I don’t actually have room in this post to explore the depths of idolatry (I wasn’t kidding earlier when I called it a cult; it is, at least to some fans, and oh, there are so many Bible verses) or what it means for society today. To be honest, since I buy and sell fan-made Doctor Who products too, I have to be careful what I say, anyway. The point is, fans of shows buy things. A lot of sellers market directly to fans - both small, online sellers and places like McDonald's teaming up with the newest kid's movie. It's fascinating and a largely under-used resource for marketing, on the whole. TV ads might sell on the back of the biggest new names in music and movies, but they often neglect the hard-core fans of less widely known but much more enduring fandoms.

The pictures in this post are real products, really for sale. In the interest of citing sources, the images should link back to the seller's page. Overall, the message is clear:  "Dream big! Reach for the stars! And buy our product to remind yourself why!" And, just for giggles, have a clip from the 2007 episode Blink. Warning:  scary monsters ahead.