Ephemera

Ephemera, 'items of collectable memorabilia', is stuff that is usually meant for short term use, like the little plastic models that came in the bottom of cereal boxes, which usually ends up getting broken, chewed by the dog, or just chucked out.

Graphic Designers, being the creative bunch they are, would naturally see things that inspire interest, and sometimes those interests could be translated into sales. While some of their merchandise might be in the direction of collectables, most are meant for practical use.

Massimo Vignelli created typographic black and white annual and perpetual calendars.

Vignelli Associates, also represent other entities on their website, such as 9 furniture designers, and designers creating plastic ware, glassware, colorstone dinnerware, lamps, watches,flatware(cutlery), a surrealistic tea set, silver salt pepper shakers, and a necklace!

Erik Spiekerman sells serif, sans serif and stencil house numbers in aluminium and marine grade steel.

($35 reduced to $9.99, http://midcenturymodernist.com/page/13/)

Tibor Kalman, the graphic designer and editor-in-cheif of Colors magazine, is well represented at MoMA shop. His fun 'sky' umbrella, paper weights in the form of crunched up blue prints, and stock market report, watches and wall clocks are considered classics.

House Industries have some different merchandise, reflecting their eclectic styles. They collaborate with many of the people that inspired them with their creativity. The beautifully packaged Eames House Blocks represent the designers Charles and Ray Eames californian home.

In a collaboration with the estate of renowned mid-century designer Alexander Girard, House Industries have produced 28 wood blocks feature alphabets based on the Alexander Girard font collection.

Also a nativity scene, memory game, puzzle and Girard Dimensional Lettering.

Christmas, 1959, Marilyn Neuhart made a 10 inch high doll for Ray Eames, she wanted one for her friend Girard, and now you can buy a range of them for $75-$100 each.

Leather jackets, t-shirts, stickers, chairs, cushions, musette and tote bags, a cast iron ampersand weighing 8 kgs, and alphabet tape!

http://www.houseind.com/

Stereo Type House, from Brooklyn, New York, offer a selection of posters, of a typographic bent.

http://www.stereotypehaus.com

Gestalten is a company that has offices in Berlin, London, New York, and Tokyo, that publish books, that 'document and anticipate vital design movements'. They sell fonts, art prints, design services, sketch books, 2 calendars with various artists represented, posters, t-shirts and paper gun model kits!

http://www.gestalten.com

Emigre, Inc. is a digital type foundry, publisher and distributor of graphic design related software and printed materials based in Northern California.

Emigre holds exclusive license to over 300 original typeface designs created by a roster of contemporary designers. They also sell photos and prints, ceramics and wrapping paper.

http://www.emigre.com

Typotheque, from the Netherlands, is both a graphic design studio and a type foundry publishing and distributing original Latin and non-Latin fonts. They also sell t-shirts with a sense of humour.

http://www.typotheque.com

Another typography outfit is Underware, situated in Den Haag, Helsinki, and Amsterdam, and they have radio show called Typeradio. 'Type is speech on paper, Typeradio is speech on type.' They use the programs to enquire into typography, and the programs are podcast, at www.typeradio.org. They also have glow in the dark posters, a blue 7 inch proto rock single, an australian poster magazine, called Is Not, that gets pasted to walls in Melbourne.

A type specimen book of theirs is called Read Naked, and is sauna proof, a real must!

www.underware.nl

And finally Shepard Fairey, the designer made famous by his 'Obey Giant' and 'Obama Hope' posters, has for sale an 11 inch vinyl toy, called Mr.Spray. He is a grumpy looking spray can man, holding an 'obey' stencil.

There is so much possibility out there...