Six Flags T-shirts

[Medusa1861]

This year I have been to Six Flags America for the first time, and they had 0 coaster shirts. No Batwing shirts, NO Superman: Ride of Steel shirts, so i figured, whaever.

I went to Great Adventure this year, my home park. All they have are the Kingda Ka shirts no one buys(i.e. I see no one wearing them) and what feels like left over El Toro shirts.

Why is Six Flags doing this? All they seem to offer now are generic shirts you can find at each park with the park name changed. How can I get coaster shirts? Is tehre any hidden store somewhere that still offers them? I asked multiple Six Flags America employees and they all said they don't have it, or pointed me to a different store.

I already have a shirt for nearly all the coasters at Great Adventure (including Viper) but I'm planning a trip to Six Flags New England and I don't want to buy another "Let's Get Loopy" T-shirt because it's the only "ok" T-shirt they have.

Can anybody shed some light on this??

[gnewton34]

Maybe they have a license to use the names of DC characters for their rides but not to make and sell t-shirts that feature them?

[ECZenith]

That's weird... Maybe not enough of them were being sold to please the new management?

[Scaparri]

My guess would be that not many people buy coaster shirts. I don't know about you, but I pretty rarely see somebody wearing a coaster shirt that isn't an enthusiast. People are probably more likely to buy a more subtle shirt of the park than they are a shirt with a bunch of artwork and often cheesy lines.

[Wes]

It's Six Flags way of telling you to change your wardrobe.

[speedracer]

I posted the same observation in my SFDK TR. My guess, as far as SFDK is concerned, is that they're downplaying the thrill ride/coaster aspect of the park and re-emphazing the park's new family friendly focus, the critters. Tons of new t-shirst and merchandise with all different types of land and sea critters, but not a single coaster item in the whole park.

 

Re-focusing SFDK's emphasis back to it's original family friendly offerings was easy since it's always been such a family oriented park. They're gonna have a harder time with alot of other SF parks though that don't offer much for families, but Shapiro is already planning on importing some of SFDK's offerings to other SF parks to accomplish that:

 

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32746&highlight=critters

 

Will be seeing more Looney Tunes, Wiggles, Thomas and even Disney merchandise, but SF coaster shirts may very well be a thing of the past.

[Medusa1861]

^ Because that's exactly what all the teenagers going to Six Flags parks want to wear... Wiggles World shirts.

Ugh, I thought Six Flags was in it for the money, but the ONE thing i want to buy.. is gone.

And I will not change my wardrobe style, everyone knows me when they see a coaster shirt.

[Wes]

And I will not change my wardrobe style, everyone knows me when they see a coaster shirt.

 

Yep, then they know who to avoid.

 

Coaster shirt = girl repellent.

[coastrfreak2000]

^ Because that's exactly what all the teenagers going to Six Flags parks want to wear... Wiggles World shirts.

 

How many teenagers do you know that actually buy coaster/park shirts in the first place? No offense dude, but it's kinda nerdy...

[speedracer]

^ Because that's exactly what all the teenagers going to Six Flags parks want to wear... Wiggles World shirts.

Ugh, I thought Six Flags was in it for the money, but the ONE thing i want to buy.. is gone.

 

Your exactly right, SF is in it for the money, why they wised up and stopped catering to teens. Finally realized the average thrill seeking teen doesn't spend any money at their parks, parents and grandparents with fat wallets do.

[riccoaster]

^ Because that's exactly what all the teenagers going to Six Flags parks want to wear... Wiggles World shirts.

 

How many teenagers do you know that actually buy coaster/park shirts in the first place? No offense dude, but it's kinda nerdy...

 

Man then count me really nerdy because I buy a coaster shirt to almost every park I go to.

[Homer]

Yeah, coaster shirts are a bit nerdy. However, I have seen some people at my school wearing park logo hoodies (I've seen girls wearing USF, SFDL, and SFOG hoodies at my school. Should have asked one of them out. ).

 

The only bit of park clothing I would get is something clean and kind of fun that says "Park name." No tacky "coaster" shirts...

[CoasterNut17]

SFGAm does this too. It's kinda annoying. For once I would like to buy just a V2 shirt, or a Dejavu shirt. Not just the park's shirts. They're nice too, but I really do prefer the coaster shirts. I guess I am nerdy!

[DATman]

The only coaster clothing you will ever see me buy is the Griffon sweatshirt that ONLY says the ride name and is not multi-colored or covered in stats. Coaster shirts are really just ugly. I mean, there are the occasional good ones, but they are few and far between.

[coasterboy76]

here in Mo, Six Flags St. Louis sells coaster shirts this past weekend I saw coaster shirts for

 

the boss

Screamin Eagle

Tony hawks big spin

Batman

 

last year at Six Flags Great America, I bought a new V2 shirt, so the parks are still selling them

[carolinacaniac]

I just realised that at the TPR meet at SFA that i didn't see any coaster shirts beeing sold. I had bought a superman shirt there laster year, but the shop was also so out of order (early season organizing????), so maybe that may have had something to do with it.

[Medusa1861]

^ Because that's exactly what all the teenagers going to Six Flags parks want to wear... Wiggles World shirts.

Ugh, I thought Six Flags was in it for the money, but the ONE thing i want to buy.. is gone.

 

Your exactly right, SF is in it for the money, why they wised up and stopped catering to teens. Finally realized the average thrill seeking teen doesn't spend any money at their parks, parents and grandparents with fat wallets do.

Yeah... I don't know about you, but my parents/friends parents were cheap. We NEVER bought food inside te park we always left and came back, it wasn't until i started going with people in the teens when people actually started being too lazy to go to the BK outside the park, play the arcade games, buy on-ride photos.

my personal expirience, this statistic is real BS.

Parents may make more money, but teenagers now-a-days have nearly 100% of their money as disposable income. You guys really act as if it's not profitable to have the target market as teenagers. There's ALOT of money to be made from them.

And i find it sooo funny how you say grandparents. Screamscape keeps saying grand-parents go to parks. Have you EVER seen more than 3 grandparents at a single park at any time? OF the parks i go to, Hershey would be the most likely in my opinion, and they're not there. And as to grand parents having "fat-wallets"? Umm with all the employees loosing their pensions and not saving up enough for retirement. I seriously doubt that a grand-parent is more willing to spend X amount of dollars on some cheasy souvenir than a Teen. Or fi you're limiting your market to those people who ONLY have a fat wallet and are over the age over way 35. You just serverly decreased your target market. "ohh people with fat wallets, that the kind we want.. so then they will pay 19 dollars for a pan a pizza... and maybe a souvenir" Just because they spend more doesn't meanyou make less more. You still need the quantity. I'm sorry but Six Flags is trying to get a new target market that isn't worth it and will take ALOT of years to get the reputation it wants. (for the second year i a row, i feel Six Flags has gotten WORSE). Six Flags currently has a niche, in teens to young adults. They should be trying to find new strategies to make more money off of them, instead of what they're doing now. I'm sorry for this rant, T-shirts = good profit

 

And as for not selling coaster shirts because they aren't "family" enough. I don't know about you, but coaster shirts to many people, are the shirts people buy, and only wear when their doing something that could ruin the shirt. But i have also seen MANY Hulk and Dueling Dragons shirts worn around my area.

[speedracer]

^ you can make all the personal observations you want, doesn't change the fact that parks that cater to families have the largest attendances and biggest profits. Disney, Busch, even SFDK have been doing it for years, and yes, I've seen signicantly more than just 3 grandparents enjoying these parks along with their families on numerous occassions. The fact that you haven't at your park is more proof that SF needs to change their target audience, catering to season pass holding teens that use the parks as a hang out and don't spend any money (your perspective and personal financial situation are an exception, not the rule) are part of the reason SF in the financial pit they are in now.

 

Or SF can keep on catering to teens as you suggest and keep eating the millions in operating cost every year until SF finally does go bankrupt. Then when your local SF park gets bulldozed over for condos, you'll wish they had been smart enough to do exactly what they are doing now.

[Scaparri]

Yeah... I don't know about you, but my parents/friends parents were cheap. We NEVER bought food inside te park we always left and came back, it wasn't until i started going with people in the teens when people actually started being too lazy to go to the BK outside the park, play the arcade games, buy on-ride photos.

my personal expirience, this statistic is real BS....

 

....but coaster shirts to many people, are the shirts people buy, and only wear when their doing something that could ruin the shirt. But i have also seen MANY Hulk and Dueling Dragons shirts worn around my area.

 

So you're going by your personal experience, which is how many people that make up your family and friends? You can't tell me that when you go to parks, you never see people with food, never see people waiting in line to get food, or when you do, it's always teens. THAT, is real BS. The truth is, it's not profitable to focus on teens. If families are coming, whether you believe it or not, they DO spend tons of money at the park on food and merch, and they generally have more people to buy for. Not just you and your best friend. I don't know about you, but I sure as heck don't and didn't know many teens that had "100% disposable income." Those of us that aren't spoiled have insurance, cars, gas, and school functions to pay for on a minimal income.

 

I'll just leave it at that. I could go on, but there isn't much point. It's all been covered. I'm sorry about your coaster shirts that just aren't that profitable.

[coasterlover04]

SFGAm does this too. It's kinda annoying. For once I would like to buy just a V2 shirt, or a Dejavu shirt. Not just the park's shirts. They're nice too, but I really do prefer the coaster shirts. I guess I am nerdy!

 

Well then, you clearly missed the Vu shirts in Flags. I got a Raging Bull shirt there last year.

[Medusa1861]

^ you can make all the personal observations you want, doesn't change the fact that parks that cater to families have the largest attendances and biggest profits. Disney, Busch, even SFDK have been doing it for years, and yes, I've seen signicantly more than just 3 grandparents enjoying these parks along with their families on numerous occassions. The fact that you haven't at your park is more proof that SF needs to change their target audience, catering to season pass holding teens that use the parks as a hang out and don't spend any money (your perspective and personal financial situation are an exception, not the rule) are part of the reason SF in the financial pit they are in now.

 

Or SF can keep on catering to teens as you suggest and keep eating the millions in operating cost every year until SF finally does go bankrupt. Then when your local SF park gets bulldozed over for condos, you'll wish they had been smart enough to do exactly what they are doing now.

 

Hmm and tell me again.. What are those parks? Oh wait, they are resort parks? They attract peopel from ALL OVER the country and even WORLD!? And Six Flags parks are regional parks that attract people from in the state? And all those parks are located in very strategic locations? I.e. BGE just HAPPENS to be rigyht next to a very large torrist attraction and so are ALL the other parks? I'm very unsure about SFDK, i have NO idea where that came from.SFA is the ONLY park i can think of that can use it's place as an advantage. MAYBE SFGAm, but i'm unsure how many people who come to visit Chicago are really looking for something hat is not city life.

 

I personally believe Six Flags should idolize Cedar Point, a regional amusement park that attracts people from all over the world. BG, Disney etc. are not based on the rides it has. If Six Flags wants to be like them, they will need to throw away tons of rides and revamp all of its' current rides to not be so "cheap" looking or be parking-lot coatsers. What i'm tryingt o say is, in order for allthe Six Flags parks to become the parks they want to be, they need to spend millions and get into even MORE debt. ON top of that, they still need to acuire the hardest part, reputation. I have a feeling that the topic of this should get changed....

[Scaparri]

What i'm tryingt o say is, in order for allthe Six Flags parks to become the parks they want to be, they need to spend millions and get into even MORE debt. ON top of that, they still need to acuire the hardest part, reputation. I have a feeling that the topic of this should get changed....

 

Yeah, but if they slowly build themselves toward what they want to become, then they will slowly build a reputation, which will slowly build profit, and slowly get rid of debt as they slowly become more family friendly. For what they are wanting to do, it seems like they are doing things the right way, and maybe that is the reason for your coaster shirts disappearing. Who knows.

[carolinacaniac]

I wouldn't even buy the arguement that teens spend more money. I see families all the time who have thos refillable cups and they usually play a game or two, and buy a souvinier.

 

I think this would also be the same as say professional sports. A family is more likly to buy food and souviniers if it is a once in a great while thing for them to go, but a season ticket holder is probably not as likly to do so.

 

The only thing that goes against that logic is that not very many teenagers have season tickets for a sports team, but I think that when you go more frequently, generally you are less inclined to buy stuff there.