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Suit up: Forever Collectibles offering doubles down on ‘ugly’

Ugly Suits extend Forever Collectibles’ novelty line beyond just sweaters.
Photos by: TERRY LEFTON / STAFF
The eternally creative folks at Forever Collectibles, who enjoyed a smash when they brought the Ugly Sweater phenomenon to licensed sports apparel in 2014, are trying to move up the apparel food chain a bit. At the first day of last month’s licensing show, most of the Forever crew was decked out in the newest offering: Ugly Suits, which come with matching neckties.

With a $120 retail price, the suits are clearly being marketed as a novelty, so we’re expecting to see more of them at retailers like Kohl’s than at true haberdasheries. Since sports-specialty retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority are typically vital for sports licensing, we’ll be interested to see if the suits can make it into that retail channel at all. But Forever Collectibles founder and CEO Michael Lewis is a man who knows how to ride out a fad.

Much is to be determined about the latest bit of “ugliness,” including whether sports jackets and ties will be sold separately. NFL-licensed suits will likely be the first to show up at retail this fall, with other big leagues to follow.

Also on display at Forever’s booth were some advanced versions of “ugly” sweaters, including ones with LED lights to add a bling factor. These “light-up uglies” should be available this fall, with a retail price of around $80.

> IRON CITY 1: Fanatics has won a shootout to run the Pittsburgh Pirates team store at PNC Park, which has been under the auspices of Aramark for some time. The deal is significant since it marks the licensed e-commerce specialist’s first move into physical retail with an MLB team. The Pirates/PNC win continues a move into team and league retail for Fanatics, which also administers the new NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and NASCAR’s trackside merchandise concessions.

> LICENSING FANTASY: Other than boosting its TV audience, and garnering sponsorship marketing dollars from the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel, the NFL has long struggled to monetize its huge audience of fantasy players, including the 5 million signed up through NFL.com. Now a consortium of NFL licensees will market an NFL Fantasy product line aimed at fantasy players. Products will commemorate winners and losers of fantasy leagues, along with commissioner-specific licensed goods.

While the licensed intellectual property for NFL Fantasy includes the league’s shield, it’s not a logo play as much as it is tapping into an underserved market.

Pro Standard’s premium caps start at $55.
“Fantasy is the new reality for so many people,” said Gene Smith, president and CEO at UPI Marketing, which has been selling a licensed NFL Fantasy draft kit for a few years. “More importantly, this is a category that really has never been targeted for consumer products.”

Boelter is in for drinkware; Highland Mint for plaques and other awards; Fremont Die for flags, signs and other hard goods; Wilson for commemorative footballs; and ’47 Brand for caps and apparel. Smith said the products should be at retail by July and he is promising a big effort with Amazon.

> IRON CITY 2: Pangea Brands is another licensee we’ve come to count on for innovation, especially in the kitchen. For anyone with room left on their counters after purchasing Pangea’s licensed toaster and Stanley Cup-shaped popcorn popper, Pangea is marketing an NHL-licensed, puck-shaped waffle iron, which burns the NHL shield onto the waffle. Steve Vuernick, Pangea senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the product should be available by September with a retail price of $49.99. For holiday gifts, the waffle maker will be bundled with NHL-licensed syrup. Breakfast anyone?

> CAP THIS: Pro Standard is a new NBA cap licensee, operating in the “premium” segment of a category that has traditionally been price sensitive. The company’s fashionable “entry-level” NBA cap is $55 and made from real leather and wool. An all-leather licensed chapeau from Pro Standard is $85.

Tough to compete with the likes of New Era and Adidas at those price points?

“Not easy at all,” said founder and CEO Mike Harris, “but we’re establishing different distribution and looking to other leagues to grow our line.”

> LIFE’S A PICNIC: Retired Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly started selling licensed binder clips a few years back as MyFanClip. However, with so much activity in licensed kitchen, bar, and domestic and “homegating” products, the company now is into items like licensed salt and pepper shakers, plastic straws, and spice grinders.

Jim Kelly’s licensed goods company has branched out into “homegating” items such as branded salt and pepper shakers.
“We’re diversifying into tailgating,” said Kelly’s brother Dan, while a line of show attendees awaited hall of famer Jim’s autograph nearby. “We’ve got a niche without competition. Our stuff [salt/pepper and spice grinders] are the only consumable products licensed by the NFL.”

Other than Mars’ NFL-logoed candy, various licensed snack and cookie tins, and the occasional licensed bottle of wine, we believe he’s correct.

> LICENSING LINES: WinCraft was one of multiple licensees displaying Star Wars-licensed goods, completed by an NFL or MLB cross-license. One example: a flag with Darth Vader and an MLB Cardinals logo, proclaiming “you underestimate the power of St. Louis.”

WinCraft is among the first licensees with L.A. Rams merchandise.
WinCraft CEO Dick Pope said the cross-licensed merchandise was selling well enough that WinCraft has also taken a conventional Star Wars license. WinCraft additionally was one of the first licensees to market with products for the newly relocated Los Angeles Rams, some of which were on display. …

League rules don’t allow cellphones on NFL sidelines. Nonetheless, Mizco Sports’ appealing phone “sideline cases” with 3-D NFL team logos will be available in time for next season, with a MSRP of $24.99. …

Former NBA executive Bill Marshall is credited by some with inventing NBA-licensed product. Still, it took nearly 40 years for the ultimate tribute. Levelwear, an apparel licensee for whom Marshall consults, is calling a new line of NBA-licensed T-shirts and hoodies The Marshall.

No word on whether he’s collecting any royalties.

Terry Lefton can be reached at tlefton@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

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