‘Not a Republican, just vaccinated’ merch pops up on Etsy bestsellers as mask mandates lift
As mask mandates are lifting across the United States, several businesses on Etsy are making quick money selling vaccine-related merchandise
(AFP via Getty Images)As the US lifts mask mandates for those who have been inoculated against Covid-19, pins and T-shirts that designate the wearer as “vaccinated” are proving increasingly popular on Etsy, an e-commerce site best known for handmade and vintage items.
Etsy sellers appear to be filling demand from customers for innovative ways to show that while they are not wearing a mask in public, it doesn’t meant they are against masks in principle.
One popular design that has become one of the bestselling items on the site is a pin that reads: “Not an anti-masker, just fully vaccinated.”
Mask mandates have divided the American public during the pandemic, with some conservative politicians speaking out or refusing to wear them.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommended wearing masks to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the US in April last year.
One shop on Etsy, CoolGiftAtelier, run by Caroline from Florida, received a custom request from a customer a few weeks ago. The owner told Business Insider that the customer wanted a pin that read: “Not Republican, just vaccinated.”
A quick look at the items in her new Etsy shop reveals a similar theme. One pin reads: “Relax, I’m vaxxed”. Another reads: “Zombie apocalypse cancelled, I’m vaccinated.”
“Vaccinated, you can hug me. But like... don't,” reads another message on a T-shirt.
People are buying pins and t-shirts on Etsy that say 'Not a Republican, just vaccinated' now that mask mandates are going away https://t.co/LGKGP5yRos
— Insider News (@InsiderNews) May 31, 2021
The description for the “Not a Republican, just vaccinated” pin reads: “This patriotic pin button is perfect to celebrate the moment we all have been waiting for [for] so long!”
The owner said she was amazed by the success of the “Not Republican” pin in particular, saying that as soon as she created it it became a hit among her existing customers. “Then the sales kicked in. I think I received almost 50 orders in one day. A record for my brand new little Etsy shop,” she said.
Joe Biden, on 14 May, had tweeted: “The rule is now simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do. The choice is yours.”
These are great!! https://t.co/tDfxubMqXn
— Rollin Willow (@rollin_willow) May 31, 2021
And those who are against vaccines are also represented on the site. One seller is promoting a T-shirt complaining about “the ingredients in vaccines”, including “mercury” and “formaldehyde”. Another sells a sticker boasting: “I am not vaccinated, I have an immune system”.
These items seemed considerably less popular, however, with most not having any reviews on the items.
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