Merchandise- Yes or No?

I know a lot of people get annoyed at merchandise, saying things like "there's too much" and "it's too expensive". I can be one of those people sometimes, especially when it comes to a franchise that is overrated. The best example I can think of is Frozen. Seriously, does anybody need an Elsa bra? (Look it up- it exists) Such merchandising also leads to cultural intrusion or problems with other vendors. Not everybody needs Frozen this and Frozen that- by buying them, you give Disney even more power to knock out smaller sellers and businesses or buy the entire company, leading to Disney continuing to monopolize the entire filmaking and toymaking industry.

Now while the merchandising might be awful for competition, it rakes in massive profits for Disney. I mean, they sold hundreds of thousands of Elsa dresses during Halloween. These profits then go towards supporting future company growth and movie production- which gives Disney more power to make another Frozen movie.

Merchandising also leads towards smaller companies, when they are bought by larger companies, to be forced into doing something they don't want to do. What I'm trying to get at is this: the only reason Cars 2 and soon to be Cars 3, which, at least the second, don't hold up to Pixar's standards, is because of merchandising. In fact, that is why a lot of Pixar's upcoming releases are sequels- Disney wants them to do more franchising. And a big part of franchising is merchandise.

So I do see why people are annoyed with merchandising, but I prefer the opposite standpoint- I personally like merchandise. I enjoy being able to continue my obssessions by buying things like clothing and Pillow Pets. It's not only Disney- I like being able to buy my Toothless and Barf and Belch Build-A-Bears and my Fullmetal Alchemist shirts. It helps define who I am and what I like, as well as help create more of a connection to the franchise. I probably wouldn't like Disney as much if I wasn't free to buy stuffed Dumbos or Cinderella dresses.

In conclusion, I support merchandising because it helps you create a connection with the franchise and supports the company.