Michigan-Michigan State's Paul Bunyan Trophy replica is the company's best sellerrivalry trophy
Detroit-based Rivalry Trophy produces "licensed hard plastic resin replicas of the Big Ten's famous college football trophies," and now the company is "studying product expansion while also scaling up sales by dipping their toe into distribution" through Amazon, according to Bill Shea of CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS. The price point the company tries to "stay beneath is $100 for the large trophies, and under $20 for miniature replicas." Sales of the 11 different trophies last year totaled about $350,000, led by the Michigan-Michigan State Paul Bunyan Trophy replica. Rivalry Trophies co-Founder Brian McDonald said the Paul Bunyan Trophy is "followed closely" by the Floyd of Rosedale pig trophy given to the winner of Iowa-Minnesota, and the Michigan-Minnesota Little Brown Jug is third. Shea noted sales for the company "surge in the hours after a rivalry game." The trophy replicas also are sold in a "few brick-and-mortar stores" on the campus of Michigan and Michigan State. McDonald and co-Founder Patrick Kelly -- both longtime MSU fans -- "met with the appropriate officials at different schools to get them interested," and enlisted Learfield to help secure rights to the trophies. McDonald said standard licensing royalty fees are between 12-15%, with the royalties "split equally between schools" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 11/4).
Big Ten-Themed Rivalry Trophy Replicas
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