2026 BUYER’S GUIDE · 6IX MERCHANDISE

Real vs Fan-Made Artist Merch — How to Tell the Difference

Three categories: official licensed (XO, OVO, Cactus Jack), fan-made (us and similar), and counterfeit (sold AS official without licensing). They aren’t the same. Knowing which is which decides whether you’re buying real cotton or a markup.

📑 Jump to a section ↓

Three Categories — Spelled Out Plain

Most “real vs fake” debates lump fan-made and counterfeit together. They aren’t the same:

  • Official licensed: the artist signed off, gets royalties. Sold by XO, OVO, Cactus Jack, the artist’s own store. Highest price tier.
  • Fan-made: independent brands designing era-graphic interpretations without using official logos. Legal, clearly labeled, mid-tier price (us, others).
  • Counterfeit: reproduction of the official logo, sold as official, no royalties to artist. Illegal. Always avoid.

The buying decision is between the first two. The third should never be a choice.

4 Things That Actually Differ ↓
DIFF 1

Licensing — the main price gap

Official merch pays the artist 15-30% of retail in royalties. Fan-made merch doesn’t. Same cotton, different paperwork.

DIFF 2

Cotton blanks are often identical

Fan-made brands and official drops both pull from Gildan, Bella+Canvas, AS Colour, Champion, etc. The blank you’re buying is frequently the same garment. Print and tag are what change.

DIFF 3

Counterfeit ≠ fan-made

Counterfeit reproduces the official logo and sells AS official. That’s illegal and harms the artist. Fan-made merch uses original era-graphic interpretations without licensed marks. Legal, honest, and clearly labeled.

DIFF 4

How to spot counterfeit

Off-color logo proportions, generic dropship sites with no “about” page, prices that don’t match the brand’s official tier. Read the about page; legit fan-made brands say “fan-made” plainly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is buying fan-made disrespectful to the artist?

Reasonable question. Fan-made pieces don’t pay royalties, so technically the artist gets nothing from each fan-made sale. But streaming gives them something; merchandise is a small slice of artist revenue overall. If you can afford official, buy official. If you can’t, fan-made is honest middle ground (and infinitely better than counterfeit).

Is 6ix Merchandise fan-made or counterfeit?

Fan-made. We design original era-graphic interpretations of artist catalogs (Drake’s eras, Weeknd’s eras, etc.) without reproducing licensed logos like the OVO owl or XO logo. We say so plainly on every page.

How can I be sure a brand is fan-made, not counterfeit?

Read the about page. Legit fan-made brands say “fan-made” or “not officially licensed.” Counterfeit sites avoid that language. If a site is unclear about licensing AND charges official-tier prices, assume counterfeit.

Final Word

Three categories, two honest options. Pick official if budget supports it; pick fan-made if it doesn’t. Skip counterfeit always.

Browse the full catalog

Shop full catalog at 6ix Merchandise

All Toronto-designed: heavyweight French terry hoodies and heavyweight cotton tees. Free shipping on every order, worldwide.

Shop the collection →