There used to be a time when buying merch felt simple. You grabbed a tour tee, wore it like a badge of honor, and let it mean exactly what it was supposed to mean: I was there. It was about fandom and a souvenir rolled into one, no second thoughts required. Now, merch comes with baggage. Hot Take: Merch has become the backbone of an artist’s paycheck, and as that pressure has grown, so have the prices. Artists make slivers of what they once did through streaming platfor