I have been reading through the "sign" diaries -- those where kossacks tell desperate tales of their search for swag, and lament the shortage, cost, and implications of the situation.
Today I was part of a team that pulled off an event with zero budget, nearly zero resources, and just a handful of volunteers to start with. In a little over a week, we arranged food, a band, drinks, a great variety of volunteer opportunities to sign up for, celebrity and political speakers, phonebanking, voter registration activities, and a lot more.
We could have looked at it and decided it was an insurmountable task, but instead we took it on as an opportunity, and we made it happen.
That is what I am challenging you to do. Yes, there is a shortage of swag from the campaign, compared with what people are used to. Yes, you have to pay for stuff. (But you did the last presidential election too, as I recall).
Turn it into an opportunity. We still have swing states that seriously need field organizers -- people who can train and go for a month or more to coordinate and support local volunteers there.
So put your thinking caps on and get busy. Find a local printer that can print yard signs (or one that ships for free). Find a screenprinter that can do t-shirts cheap. Find one that can print bumper stickers. Find the best prices you can and come up with and a few designs that don't cost a fortune to print.
Seek out folks who have maxed out but still want to help to front some money for swag. Sell it out of the local offices as a fundraiser to contribute to travel expenses for volunteers.
You really can be up and running in as little as a few days, and you could be providing very affordable swag to satisfy the wants of people who value yard signs and such, while at the same time enabling more volunteers to go where they are very much needed.
Make Change!