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Tiger King Merch Is Everywhere

Swag tied to the wildly popular Netflix true crime documentary miniseries has exploded in popularity.

Amid the public health and economic nightmare of the coronavirus pandemic, America is in need of a distraction.

The nation seems to have found that in Tiger King.

Joe Exotic and one of his tigers.

Joe Exotic and one of his tigers.

The Netflix true crime miniseries has exploded in popularity. Released on March 20, the documentary delves into the life of Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, popularly known as Joe Exotic. The series focuses on the turbulent interconnected world of big cat conservationists and collectors, detailing one of the wilder true crime stories to come along in a while. With his bleached mullet, piercings, loud wardrobe, pistol-toting ways, love for tigers and larger-than-life personality, title character Joe Exotic is can’t-miss viewing for many.

And when something’s popular these days, there’s bound to be branded merchandise. And boy, is there ever. Lots and lots of it, popping up everywhere from Etsy, eBay, and Amazon to e-commerce swag sites like Teespring and Redbubble. (Netflix hasn’t released official merchandise, so it’s generally been clever third-party sellers who are active on e-commerce platforms that are trying to make the most of the show’s popularity through swag sales.)

Joe Exotic tee

This Joe Exotic-themed tee was available from Crochetangelgoods on Etsy.

Just like the show, the merch is proving popular: A spokesperson for eBay told Rolling Stone that searches for “Tiger King” jumped 336% in the two days immediately following the release of the show. Sales for “tiger-related apparel, toys and accessories” have increased by 56% over the last two weeks, the spokesperson related.

Similarly, Rolling Stone reported that retailers are seeing a swell in interest in tiger-themed products. “Sales of stuffed tigers have tripled in the past week,” David Niggli, chief merchandising officer at FAO Schwarz, told Rolling Stone. The toy store’s New York City location is shuttered because of COVID-19, but Niggli said that FAO Schwarz is experiencing a surge in online tiger-related orders.

Joe Exotic mug

This ceramic mug featuring Joe Exotic was available on Amazon.

On e-commerce sites, Tiger King Products run the gamut. There are T-shirts, stickers, mugs, posters, buttons, travel tumblers, prayer candles, can coolers, Joe Exotic crochet toy patterns, wine glasses and more. The profusion of merch to hit the market – and its apparent popularity – in such a short span perhaps demonstrates that even in dark times people are still willing to pay a few bucks for merchandise that tangibly connects them with something they love. Here’s a look at a few more Tiger King items that are for sale:

tumbler

This tumbler advocates for Joe Exotic to be released from prison. Since we don’t want to spoil anything, we’ll just say watch the documentary if you’re unsure why Joe is in jail. The tumbler is available from Chuggs Drinkware on Etsy.

Tiger king socks

Joe Exotic socks available on eBay.

Joe Exotic sticker

Stickers available from ZippySticker on Etsy.

Joe Exotic shirt

T-shirt available from Gomsky Art Studio on Redbubble.

Carole baskin mug

Carol Baskin is Joe Exotic’s archrival/nemesis. This mug was available from FastPaceLaser on Etsy.