Every block in midtown has at least one little tchotchke shop with dozens of crystal statues of NYC landmarks in their window. This one is on the 42nd Street side of Grand Central, where I'm told the World Trade Center items outsell all others 10-1. In the days immediately after 9/11, every souvenir in town depicting the WTC sold out, as people went rushing for postcards, framed skyline prints,keychains - anything with the Towers on it. I suppose they figured that retailers would cease using the WTC image, "in honor of the victims" or some psychobabble crap like that. Of course, as always, what retailers honor is tourists' money, so today you can buy WTC bottle openers and light switches. And tiny $89 crystal statues.
Every block in midtown has at least one little tchotchke shop with dozens of crystal statues of NYC landmarks in their window. This one is on the 42nd Street side of Grand Central, where I'm told the World Trade Center items outsell all others 10-1. In the days immediately after 9/11, every souvenir in town depicting the WTC sold out, as people went rushing for postcards, framed skyline prints,keychains - anything with the Towers on it. I suppose they figured that retailers would cease using the WTC image, "in honor of the victims" or some psychobabble crap like that. Of course, as always, what retailers honor is tourists' money, so today you can buy WTC bottle openers and light switches. And tiny $89 crystal statues.
