Last weekend, one of many merchandise lines at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Kansas City, MO, wrapped around a spiral ramp as I waited – with thousands of other fans – for my chance to buy tour memorabilia.

I’ve seen my fair share of fan fervor at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs Kingdom packs the seats, but I’d never witnessed a line like this. However, we Swifties happily waited for hours to snag swag.

Yes, music is what Swift is known for, but she’s a leader in the branded merch industry, too. KC isn’t the only city where fans have spent much of their day in line for a shirt; every stop on the tour has experienced merch-line chaos.

For anyone curious about the #Merch line at the ⁦@taylorswift13⁩ concert in Boston tonight, this is about half of it. #TaylorSwift ⁦@NKucsma_ASI⁩ pic.twitter.com/G2C1h3vXxC

— ASICentral (@asicentral) May 19, 2023

The Taylor Swift concert in Boston this spring also boasted an impressively long merch line.

With a successfully sold-out stadium tour, Swift’s fan base rivals even the most die-hard sports fanatics – and many of them want to show support by owning her iconic branded items. While the tour’s total merch earnings haven’t yet been released, the numbers are likely to be in the high millions.

After nearly two hours in line, I was able to purchase this Taylor Swift T-shirt.

The Eras Tour is estimated to be the highest-grossing tour of all time, earning $1 billion in sales. If this number is finalized, Swift would beat the current record-setter, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which made $853 million in revenue.

When tickets for her tour went on sale, Ticketmaster crashed as 14 million people tried to buy tickets. Live Nation Chairman Greg Maffei told CNBC they could’ve filled 900 stadiums because of the massive demand.

Swifties who couldn’t secure tickets still demonstrated their love of the pop star by visiting the merch truck outside the stadium before the weekend shows. Some people skipped work or even camped out overnight to secure their favorite items, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and tour posters.

“Fans from all economic backgrounds consider the Eras Tour a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that perspective has been validated by the thrill of seeing a generation- and industry-defining artist do what she does best,” Insider wrote.

The tour’s merch tables and online store sell products ranging from $30 to $75. Some argue that the items are too expensive, but the prices didn’t stop fans from going to great lengths to purchase them. Swift’s merch features illustrations of her during each era of her career, from her 2006 self-titled debut to her most recent hit album, Midnights.

One particular sweatshirt decorated with “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour” on the front has been a hot topic on social media – the “ts blue crewneck” tag on TikTok has over 5 million views – because the limited-edition item is only available in person, not online. By the time I reached the merch table around 5 p.m. (three hours before Swift went on stage), there was only one size extra-small left.

I heard people say they waited in line specifically for the blue crewneck, so several fans left the line upset and empty-handed. Some Swifties resorted to resale websites like Poshmark – where the sweatshirt is going for around $200 more than the original price – while others flocked to Etsy for fan-made merch.

Fans on TikTok have warned each other, saying things like, “If your concert is night two, just know lots of stuff is sold out,” or, “SOOO...no sweatshirts or crewnecks inside at all.”

Although some had difficulty getting the exact product they wanted, fans who did secure the merch walked away with a promotional item they’ll wear for decades.

“Concert merch can bring back nostalgia from the best nights of our lives,” Sabrina Wong wrote for Her Campus. “Nights that were spent with friends, meeting new people, living in the moment and realizing that the artist you’ve been obsessing over is right in front of you.”

While I’m slightly embarrassed to say I spent almost two hours of my life waiting in line for a T-shirt, I know I’ll enjoy wearing it for years to come as I listen to Swift’s music.

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