BUFORD, Ga. - — Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump became the first former president with a mugshot, sites like Etsy were filled with hundreds of products featuring the now-famous photo.
“This mug shot represents to me just a pivotal moment in history,” Candace Marshall, owner of Main Street Retro, said.
The mugshot also could be pivotal for her business. Marshall designs and makes custom shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts for whoever needs them. It was a business she started doing full-time after being furloughed during the pandemic. Her usual clients are families and schools.
However, a first-of-its-kind mug shot provided an opportunity she could not pass up.
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“I was literally laying in the bed, pulled out my laptop, whipped up a couple of designs, posted a cute little TikTok, and here we are,” Marshall said. “It’s a huge opportunity. I cross-sell on multiple platforms and I make sure all my designs are SEO rich.”
Marshall is not alone. Creators of all political affiliations are trying to capitalize on the photo.
Some designers are trying to serve those who support and oppose the former president.
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“When it comes to my business, I’m nonpartisan,” Marshall said. “If you want a pro-Trump shirt I can do that, if you want an anti-Trump shirt I can do that as well.”
Even the Trump campaign is now offering merchandise with the mugshot.
“There is no doubt that Trump is using it for his own benefit, other people are using it for their benefit,” says Emory business and finance professor Tom Smith.
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Smith says famous mugshots are nothing new. Mugshots of celebrities like Al Capone, Martha Stewart, and others have had staying power in the social sphere. However, Smith does not know if Trump’s mugshot will have similar staying power.
“It certainly is not going anywhere for the next year,” Smith said.
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