CINCINNATI — From camping out the night before to traveling hours into Cincinnati, Taylor Swift fans did what they needed to get their hands on her Eras Tour merch.
While the concerts aren't until this weekend, Swift's official merchandise trailer made it to town Wednesday morning and opened at 10 a.m. Thursday. Some dedicated Swifties did what they deemed necessary to grab coveted blue crewneck — an item only available at concert venues.
"We've been here since 9:30 p.m. last night, so over 12 hours," said Lauren Wisner, who was able to get everything she wanted. "The tour poster, the blue crewneck of course ... the water bottle, the CD, a black tour t-shirt, a tapestry."
A group of younger fans said they were waiting as early as 6 a.m. When asked if it was worth it, they gave a resounding, "Yes!"
Anyone can buy the merch, meaning many fans who are still ticketless made sure to get the items they wanted most. One fan drove all the way from Knoxville just for the merch.
"I went to the Atlanta show ... was not able to get (merch)," she said. "I came here at 5:30 a.m. and got it."
For her, the connection to Swift goes deeper than a fun song she heard on the radio.
"The Best Day is my mom and I's song," she said. "I was bullied a lot as a kid, and she would play that song for me, so whenever we're going through a hard time and that song plays ... I think of my mom."
While the wait was long, fans had fun dancing, singing and exchanging friendship bracelets as they waited to get their items. Fans said to make sure to have a plan ready before getting to the front of the line so that they can get everything they want.
The merch trailer will be open Friday and Saturday starting at noon and through the concert. The same items can also be bought inside the venue for Swifties with tickets. Click here for all merchandise information.
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