I don\u2019t have Taylor Swift tickets. I didn\u2019t survive Ticketmaster\u2019s Great War, I haven\u2019t been blessed with a magical code, and Mama Swift likely won\u2019t pluck me from obscurity to watch from the VIP section.<\/p>\n
None of this has stopped me from buying friendship bracelet-making supplies, multiple concert outfit options and a clear stadium-approved bag \u2014 and I\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n
Since Taylor Swift embarked on her record-shattering Eras Tour, her fans have brought shocking economic activity to each city she visits. Resale ticket prices alone are in the thousands, but participating in the Swiftdom extends far beyond a seat at the show.<\/p>\n
See: <\/strong>Taylor Swift is on track to earn $332 million this year, which could make her the highest-paid entertainer<\/p>\n Why are people so willing to spend enormous amounts of money on a concert? Well, this isn\u2019t just any concert.<\/p>\n The Eras Tour is a rewind through not just Taylor\u2019s most formative years, but mine as well. How often can you hear songs that were played at your middle school dances on the same night as the songs that kept you company during the pandemic? For many of us, Taylor Swift isn\u2019t just the music industry, she\u2019s the soundtrack to our best and hardest moments.<\/p>\n And for some Swifties, the Eras Tour makes up for shows they didn\u2019t get to attend in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t afford to go to Reputation or 1989,\u201d Ginnie, a New York City-based Swiftie content creator, says of previous concerts. Ginnie, who prefers not to disclose her last name, runs the @thethriftyswiftie TikTok account. \u201cSo the last tour that I went to was Red, and when she did the Rep[utation] set and the 1989 set, I was like, \u2018This is insane, I feel like I\u2019m getting to attend those tours that I\u2019m so sad that I missed.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n But Ginnie is quick to point out that her finances were top of mind when it came to attending.<\/p>\n \u201cI could go to this tour because five years ago, I didn\u2019t go into credit card debt going to a different show,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Attending the Eras Tour is not a passive event: It\u2019s an opportunity to embrace enthusiasm and spend hours meticulously crafting an outfit that aligns with a song that may not even be on the set list (looking at you, \u201cChristmas Tree Farm\u201d die-hards). Some of the most ambitious fans are re-creating Swift\u2019s custom Versace bodysuits to the tune of $200 to $300 in materials and hours of labor.<\/p>\n Small businesses have also found an opportunity in the mayhem. An \u201cEras Tour\u201d search on Etsy \u201cWe are so thankful to our Swiftie customers \u2014 every time Taylor drops a new album, single or music video, we see the love from her fans,\u201d Kristin Cassel, owner of the Dot Dot Goose Etsy shop, said in an email. Cassel, who sells Swiftie-related keychains, said that the Eras Tour has been no different.<\/p>\n In fact, Cassel said her sales have increased 55% since the start of the tour in March.<\/p>\n Read: This retailer stands to benefit from \u2018Taylor Swift effect,\u2019 analyst says<\/p>\n Friendship bracelets, a newfound ritual born from the lyric, \u201cSo, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it,\u201d are another expense. Some fans are purchasing them pre-made while others are buying the supplies and assembling them. Some bead shops are even hosting Eras Tour bracelet-making workshops.<\/p>\n Small businesses of all kinds are piggybacking on the tour\u2019s momentum. Pre-parties, silent discos, themed cocktails, pop-up shops, brunches and makeup experiences pave the way to the concert itself.<\/p>\n Those dollars are spent before Swifties even get to the show. Once they\u2019re there, there\u2019s food, drinks and the almighty prize: merch.<\/p>\n Social media, particularly TikTok, has put the Eras Tour in front of the eyes of everyone sitting at home. Concert attendees return and quickly start showing off their merch hauls.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing on TikTok, you scroll and you scroll, and it feels like everyone has everything. When the reality is, a very small subset of people have everything, and then a lot of different people have a thing or two,\u201d Ginnie says.<\/p>\n With the median price of Eras Tour merch at $50, it\u2019s easy to spend hundreds on just a few pieces.<\/p>\nWho\u2019s Taylor Swift anyway?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nOne for the money, two for the show<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n ETSY,
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\n shows pages of fan-made merchandise and specialty items.<\/p>\nMake the friendship bracelets \u2026 and buy a shirt<\/strong><\/h2>\n