The furry fad

[kohl]

Spencer's is starting to get on top of the furry fad going on. They're now selling keychain/wallet chain tails (red base with black tips). They got some fuzzy backpacks (The Jake from Adventure time is pretty cool and the little dragon one they got. There's also a cool wolf backpack but it's not fuzzy). They use to sell raccoon tails to go on your belt loop. How far is society going to go with this fad. I know they always use to have animal things around but now so many places seem to sell furry hats, pillows and animal accessories. How long do you think this will last?

[Tef]

It's quite a gray area to define 'em as part of a furry fad, I have to state. Methinks you could wear them even if you are not a furry, in my opinion.

[Zen]

Spencer's has always gone for the niche market: metal heads, pot heads, punks, goths, geeks and now furries. Until I see walmart selling Ramones t-shirts, I do not expect fuzzy stuff to catch on with mainstream retailers anytime soon.

[Drake Wingfire]

Look at it this way, Trekkies haven't even really gotten that kinda recognition and they were a well defined group. As for furries, I will agree with the others saying its a massive grey area. I mean anyone can claim something as furry just because it has  animals, but it would be the same as Trekkies claiming anything space related as Star Trek fandom recognition. You can see where it matches up, but its got more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese at a firing range.

If you asked me I would say that any marketing towards furries would have to be very direct, you don't have to be a furry to love animals or random lill accessories, animals have always been a big time thing. But the fandom is still very much in its growing pain era, people know who we are only vaguely, you mention furry and its now more common to hear "oh god those people.." instead of "whats that?" I remember when I first got into the fandom, it was very much still a "little corner of the internet" thing. We still have yet to be truly known beyond the stereotypes, no one would dare take on a task as awkward as marketing to a demographic that's not fully understood. Because if they did, and there was a huge backlash, it would truly be a social and economic suicide. However, I have no doubt in my mind that once the fandom reaches that stage of "what ever, its just one of those things" that perhaps smaller niche companies like Spencers would quite possibly carry truly furry related attire and the like.

[ravewoif]

I was thinking that too when I bought my racoon hat from there

[weremagnus]

There is also a trend in highschools right now with some sort of pseudo-goth type kids who form 'wolf packs', riding on the werewolf hype of things like Twilight and True Blood and whatnot. They apparently wear tails to school and other stuff. To me they sound like pre-Furry goths or something. Anyway, Spencers could also be reaching out to the interest of those kids as well if they're selling stuff like tails or other wearable wolf paraphernalia.

[Tef]

There is also a trend in highschools right now with some sort of pseudo-goth type kids who form 'wolf packs', riding on the werewolf hype of things like Twilight and True Blood and whatnot.

I see your posts about teen wolves and I shall raise you a Youtube video.

Teen Werewolves

[JazzyLament]

*sigh*

-.-

[Drake Wingfire]

Now that is actually hilariously awesome because I knew people like that in high-school, but it was cat based accessories. Though its honestly hard to say if its more of a goth thing or kinda closeted furry stuff, the tails could easily lead one to believe furry, but if its really only centered around a single little concept/ species (in this case wolves) is it really furry? It could just as easily fall under the category of Therian give then whole "its the animal that's inside us all" outlook that they seem to have, their attitudes seem to ring about as close to that as they do to just general furryness.