In the last week, Caine's Arcade has raked in another $80,000, bringing the total for the kid's scholarship fund to over $170,000, which it sounds like his parents are hoping to tap into starting at Catholic high school, and maybe to help Caine with his reading right now, and um, also, a foundation is matching that fund for scholarships for other kids, and this, the t-shirts,
Dozens of customers have bought his T-shirts, which are made to look just like the one he wears, emblazoned with "staff" on the front. Caine had his shirt made last summer, when his family was on vacation in Palm Springs. At a souvenir stand, he asked the attendant to write "Caine's Arcade" on the back and then spelled out what he wanted on the front: "S-T-A-F-F." He did not know exactly what the word meant, but he had seen it on workers at the mall.And he's speaking at USC business school next week, because, of course he is."I knew it made them important," he said.
Now he charges $15 for a copy of the shirt. When one customer handed him a $20 bill on Tuesday afternoon, he pulled out a wad of bills only after asking, without a hint of sarcasm, "Do you need any change?"
While money from the Web site goes into his college fund, he is able to pocket most of the proceeds from the arcade and its merchandise.
Me, this week I managed to pick up a new pack of Swiffers, the box from which I will be turning into a monetizable game of some kind very soon.
A Boy's Fast Fame, Built of Cardboard And Tape. And Media. [nyt]
I don't know what the competitive business business landscape looks like around Caine's Arcade but I think know is about the time when nearby arcades, bowling alleys, theaters, sports complexes, etc. start doing their best Scrooge impressions during their phone calls to the various authorities regarding permits, zoning, labor laws, taxes and safety.
And, pocketing an extra $5 for every T-Shirt transaction? This kid's gonna be working at a bank one day.