From Baby Daddy Skits to Merch: How Joey Reilly Built a Store His Fans Love
Online creator Joey Reilly has built a community around comedy skits about dating, relationships, and baby daddies. But as his audience grew, something unexpected started happening: fans began repeating his catchphrases back to him. Then they started asking for merch.
That’s when Joey realized it was time to give his audience something more permanent than a video.
Why Joey Decided to Start a Merch Store
Joey says he didn’t set out to become a merch guy, but a couple years into making content, the requests became too loud to ignore:
“My audience started to catch on to catchphrases… people started repeating things and then they started to slowly request merch… that was when I realized it was time.”
For Joey, merch isn’t just something to sell. It’s something his audience gets to keep: a reminder of the moments they’ve shared long after the video ends.
“There’s an aspect to it where you’re giving back… Once they get that piece of merch, they have it forever… it’s something they have to remember me by.”
Should All Creators Sell Merch? Joey Says Yes.
Joey believes every creator should try merch at least once, even if design isn’t your strong suit.
“Even if you're not the best at designing, there are resources that can help you… Sometimes just by accident, you hit on something you never thought could be profitable.”
Creators often underestimate their fanbase. But Joey says your community will surprise you if you give them the chance.
Joey’s Advice for Creators Selling Merch for the First Time
When new creators ask Joey how to get started, his answer is simple: don’t overthink it.
“The best-selling merch is the merch your audience requested… Even if it’s just one person, that one person may represent the silent majority.”
Instead of trying to guess what your fans want, let them tell you. Joey says you’ll usually feel it in your gut when an idea is right.
How Joey Promotes His Merch
Promotion, Joey says, only works if it feels real:
“You can’t force promotion. People can tell when you’re not being authentic… You have to actually enjoy what you’re selling.”
He wears his merch regularly, shows new items organically, and keeps everything rooted in humor.
“I tend to wear my merch… I’ll subtly promote it… It varies based on the merch item and what feels right.”
Just like content creation, Joey says promoting merch always comes down to instinct.
Promoting Without the Cringe
Creators often worry they’ll annoy their audience by promoting too much. Joey’s take?
It’s all about authenticity and entertainment.
“If you’re providing something entertaining while you’re promoting it, it can be endless promotion and you’re not going to annoy them… as long as the content’s good.”
If your audience feels like you care about them—not just their wallets—they’ll want to support you.
Why Joey Switched to Dashery for His Merch
When Joey moved his merch store to Dashery, the first thing he noticed was the simplicity:
“The switch over to Dashery has been super simple… everything’s built in, very easy, very streamlined.”
But what really sold him? The pricing and quality.
“Other sites… the price point was so expensive. With Dashery the quality is super great—like you bought something at a concert—and still low-priced.”
No complicated setup. No fading designs. No inflated prices for his fans.
For Joey, switching was a no-brainer.
Dashery’s Free Samples? A Game-Changer.
One of Joey’s favorite Dashery benefits is something he’d never experienced on other platforms:
Free samples.
“That’s one of the biggest things for me… I like to physically promote the product in the video, and the fact that I don’t have to pay for them… it’s super beneficial.”
As a comedian, Joey can hand out samples at shows, create skits with real products, and test designs without financial risk.
Peace of Mind, Simplicity, and Hands-On Help
For Joey, Dashery frees him up to focus on what he does best: creating content.
“The biggest thing is peace of mind and simplicity… I don’t have to think about it. It takes the legwork out of the merch process.”
And unlike other platforms, Joey says Dashery’s account managers actually feel like real partners:
“The people who help you at Dashery are very helpful and want to go above and beyond to see you succeed… I never had a personal representative help me like that.”
For Joey, Merch Isn’t Just Merch — It’s Connection
Whether he’s making a skit, dropping a new design, or giving out samples at shows, Joey sees merch as a way to connect with fans in a meaningful, lasting way.
And with Dashery, he gets to focus on creativity while his merch store runs effortlessly in the background.
Want to explore merch for your own audience?
Visit dashery.com to get started.
