Does anybody know, now that numerous stores selling rock/music T-shirts,
magnets, postcards....Why Prince items are not seen amongst the Stones,
Kiss, Who, Guns-n-Roses, Aerosmith stuff?

I realize Prince has had stores, but they were in isolated places.

Tame said:

Generally, these items use images of the artist, insignia such as trademarked symbols and covers of albums or photographs possibly commissioned by the artist.

In other words, using the images would possibly require some form of permission. Prince has generally tended to control release of authorised merchandise through his own outlets (website, 1-800 phone ordering, former retail outlets, concert merchandise stalls etc).

.

I See, yet you can't help noticing that his T-shirts are missing.

I've wondered this a lot myself.
The Beatles have T-shirts and now I've seen bags you can swing over your shoulder with their name on it.

That's why I've said I'm better off making my own Prince Tees... but it might take a while to figure out what i want them to say.

a few years ago Purple Rain shirts were sold in malls around here (pennsylvania)

happyhappy said:

!!!
where was I when this happend? (from Pocono area, then Bucks County near Philly, but go to school near Atlantic City)

... oh right... I probably either didn't know who he really was then (didn't catch that part of the movie yet) or I knew so little that I wouldn't know waht to do with a T-shirt?

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

haha. suburban philly I guess (phillaburbia). I don't really wear band shirts so were on the same boat (kinda')

happyhappy said:

at the time, yeah.
But yeah, I could make my own for less money. I think my siggy would be a good design 4 a Tee (well, the part about 80's Prince and so on).

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

you should totally make your own. i'd say you could even sell them (if you're in philly there's the this giant arts fare called the punk rock flea market) but there might be a giant purple lawsuit?

happyhappy said:

I think I'd make them for me.
I'm looking to use homemade Prince tees as a way to immediately let people know where I stand with him. Gets some things out of the way and might be a good ice-breaker.

In the 1980s, the record store in my area used to have Purple Rain T Shirts. They used to also have buttons for Controversy and several for Purple Rain.

Also, back in the early 1980s, I won two Prince mirrors from the fair. One was the 1999 album cover on a mirror, which was red instead of purple, and the other was the Purple Rain album cover. I still have those two mirrors.

vainandy said:

I have a shirt from the 80's. I think it's one of those transfers that they used to press onto a shirt...anyways it of the Purple Rain Album cover...I never did wear it though so it's still in perfect condition.

And I do remember all of those buttons, I might even still have a few!