Of course, for Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, everytime It was about money. Their business acumen is close to genius when it comes to selling sizzle rather than steak. In the 15 years since he hastily called his retirement in 2001, Kiss has been brought back from the dead more times than Boris Karloff, but the band has earned him more than $500 million from merchandise sales alone. I did. They didn't stop at cotton. If an air ambulance flies low, the possibilities are endless for the group that sticks their logo on it.
Since forming in New York City in 1973, Kiss has licensed its name to: 5,000 product. We've stocked Kiss condoms, action figures, comic books, comics, credit cards, board games, pinball machines, branded coffee (“coffee”), memorial prayer cards, pet cremation urns, and more. In the early years of this century, potential long-term contingency buyers could even purchase a coffin with the group's name engraved on it (known as the “Kissing Caskets”) for as little as $4,500. Brothers Vinny and Darryl “Dimebag” Abbott of the Texas metal band Pantera did just that and were officially buried among them. (Unfortunately, this most delicious product is now discontinued.)
But if I had to choose, my favorite product from the band that wasn't intentionally oversold would actually be an empty packet of clear plastic underneath a cardboard strip bearing. I think it was the “Air Guitar Strings” line that was – but of course – the Kiss logo. The $4.99 price tag meant the product was seen as a witty joke rather than a rip-off. Before Christmas 2017, the band is said to have made a fortune from this item alone.
