From CBN News - 'Obamanomics' Yields Big Bucks

By Erick Stakelbeck CBN News January 21, 2009

(Click on image to view video)

CBNNews.com - From breath mints to T-shirts, to coffee and pasta, President Barack Obama's likeness is on everything. But how much is being made in the booming business?

Ann Hand and her staff have been hard at work. In 20 years of designing jewelry through her business, Ann Hand Designs, she's never experienced anything quite like this.

"I don't think there's any comparison. I've never seen anything like it," she said. "So many people wanting just some memento of this historic day."

Since Barack Obama was elected, Hand has been sending her items all over the world.
"It's amazing to me that people in Singapore and Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, have wanted something to commemorate this President. It's wonderful for America," she added.

Profits from Obama-related merchandise are estimated at $300 million and climbing.

"This is my souvenir. My Barack Obama momento," one tourist said. "I'll take it home and they'll be proud of it back home because everyone loves Barack Obama in Australia."

Larry Bird, a curator at the Smithsonian Museum, says this type of political excitement dates back to George Washington. "Historically I think this fits very closely with what we've seen before," he said. Bird, however, added that campaigns profiting from political items is new. In the past candidates gave away hats or buttons in order to advertise. "They don't really believe in these things as effective media any more," he explained. "It's just as likely if you went to Obama headquarters and asked for a button, they'd be happy to sell you one for $1.00. The same thing with a bumper sticker."

The cost doesn't seem to bother the millions of people wanting their own piece of history.

Although Obama's record-breaking campaign has ended, sales at his official Web site are still going strong. Profits will go to the inauguration, which will cost an estimated $150 million.

If You Were 1 of the 1.8 Million At The Inauguration - Get Your Ann Hand "I Was There" Keepsake

January 20, 2009 marked an historic event in American history that was witnessed by a record crowd estimated to be over 1.8 million people. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States becoming the first African-American to reach the highest office in the country.

What better way to commemorate this historic day than an Ann Hand "I Was There" dog tag for $45 (pictured here and available in gold and silver tones). It is a keepsake for years to come to let your family and friends know that you were one of the 1.8 million witnesses to history.

You may shop the entire Ann Hand Obama Collection at annhand.com.

From Chicago Tribune: Some Obama Keepsakes Bypass Kitsch In Favor Of Style

By Wendy Donahue

January 19, 2009 - One patriot's keepsake is another's kitsch. But even the most highfalutin Obama supporters might one day wish they had seized upon some memento of his historic inauguration to hand down to their children.......

.....Washington, D.C., jewelry designer Ann Hand has sold hundreds of her gold- or silver-tone dog tag necklaces and key chains ($45 each). One version is printed with "This is our moment/This is our time" on one side and the inauguration date and Obama's name on the other. Another version is printed with "I was there" on one side and the Obama details on the other........

(Read entire article here)

From ABC's The View - Ann Hand Obama/Biden Inaugural Pin Featured

Barbara Walters Shows Obama/Biden Inaugural Invitation and 56th Inaugural Collectibles Insert Featuring Ann Hand Pin.

Click on the image below to view the episode which originally aired on 1/13/09.
(Note: You will be asked to download the ABC media player that only takes a few moments)

Excerpt From The Straits Times - Obama Inaugural Commemoratives Hot Sellers

Blinging the change: Obamabilia sells like hotcakes

WASHINGTON - January 11, 2009. From beer to ice cream, lapel pins to T-shirts, if it has anything to do with US president-elect Barack Obama, it's selling like hotcakes as people everywhere snap up souvenirs marking his inauguration.

'So many people want a memento of this historic time,' Ms Ann Hand, a jewelry maker in Washington who has made a collection of accessories to commemorate Mr Obama's swearing-in on Jan 20. Hand offers cufflinks featuring the red, white and blue 'O' logo of the Obama campaign, a necklace reprising Mr Obama's 'Hope' theme, sunglasses encrusted with Swarovski crystal to spell out the name of the 44th US president, and half a dozen other jewelry items.

None come cheap, but even in a slumping global economy, demand has been so strong that many of the accessories are on back order.

'Everything is selling better than I expected. We're doing a lot of overseas orders - Hong Kong, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Japan, Britain. We've never had that before,' Ms Hand, who has been in business for 20 years, said.

'It's really wonderful to know that people overseas want our president's lapel pin,' she said.......