Did we establish whether these "invitations" are a scam or not?

[Pab Sungenis]

This arrives in the mail:


...with this in tow:


Have we confirmed that these are not real invitations, and just a clever sales scam? They have no information about where and when to report to a particular entrance, for example.

[Shakespeare]

1. It's not a scam, just a nice gesture from the campaign.

I would hope nobody actually thinks they could show up in DC and pick up tickets based on the commemorative invite that's been sent out.

[Pab Sungenis]

2. It looks very authentic.

It's a poor decision if it really came out through the campaign.

[Shakespeare]

3. Why is it a poor decision?

Anyone can come to the public events, btw. Nowhere on that invite does it say or even suggest that one has been given tickets to any of the invitation only events.

It's a nice souvenir, and I find it kind of funny that anybody doesn't get that.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Because everything having to do with Obama is a poor decision according to DUers.

[kaccey]

15. I agree

I think all it is is a memento for Obama supporters.

[Lisa0825]

19. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[renegade000]

4. well the entire mall is open to the public

so you can technically show up to the inauguration in DC (hence the reason why no specific info was given on the invite). you just don't get to sit up front with the ticketed people.

[Uzybone]

5. Ferchrissakes

Really? Sending out a commemorative invite is a poor decision? Jeeebus.

Yet you want to be taken seriously when you bash Obama. OK.

[Pab Sungenis]

8. I'm saying giving out something that looks so much like a real invitation

was a poor decision.

[Shakespeare]

10. Well, enjoy your outrage.

I, on the other hand, will enjoy the nifty souvenir. :rofl:

[Pab Sungenis]

12. This isn't outrage.

Just annoyance. The souvenirs look cheap and tacky, and the "commemorative" invitation looks too real. Some people are bound to be confused by it.

[countingbluecars]

13. They do not look cheap or tacky to me. n/t

[tammywammy]

29. It is a real invitation to a public event. n/t

[Jennicut]

22. Oh geez. We are complaining about invitations and commemoratives now?

Thank God its playoff football this weekend. I need a break from politics.

[monmouth]

7. It's a commemorative thank you, I'm buying a nice frame to put it in and

also getting the key chain. I think it's lovely.

[Pab Sungenis]

11. I'm waiting for the official medal from the Mint.

A lot of the stuff they had in the leaflet looked awfully cheap to me. That's what led me to believe it was a scam.

[countingbluecars]

9. I think it is a great keepsake.

I'm glad I got one. I have free will as to whether I order anything else.

[Pab Sungenis]

16. We'll probably frame ours, too.

It just looked like one more person trying to make a dime off the inauguration at first.

[Ian David]

14. I did not get the offer to buy the ObamaCrap. Mine came with a call to public service. n/t

[Pab Sungenis]

17. Much more high-minded, then.

But unless it tells you where and when to be, at which entrance, it's not a real invitation.

[Ian David]

27. Mine came with plane tickets and a credentialed pass.

I'm kidding.

[Lisa0825]

18. Mine came with both.

The second page included the call to public service for MLK Day and explained that I was invited to join the public events, or to watch the celebrations at home, for this open and accessible inauguration.

I think being upset about this is ridiculous. However, my heart did skip a beat when I thought it was an invitation to something in particular.

[Pab Sungenis]

21. I'm not upset.

I wanted to make sure this wasn't some opportunist trying to make a buck off the inauguration packing fake invitations to the inauguration in with their brochures to lend their stuff an air of authenticity.

If they're really coming from the campaign, I chide them for not making clear that they aren't real invitations but commemoratives in a year when demand for invitations is at an all-time high, but I'm not upset with it.

[rebel with a cause]

24. I am right there with you.

It is a nice gesture but the brochure that has the frame for you to buy to place your invitation in does leave a little bitter taste. Well, we do live in a capitalist society. :shrug:

[geckosfeet]

20. I did not get the collectibles page.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. Mild bullshit

Basically it is not an invitation to anything.

[TheBigotBasher]

25. The limited edition poster

is already out of stock.

[TheBigotBasher]

31. No I was too early

I just bought two.
One for me and one for my friend.

I now have two of these



Buy here http://pic2009.inauguralcollectibles.com/optimizer/product/J0503.html

[rebel with a cause]

26. My daughter just told me that receiving this invitation

does make us special. Only a million of them have been sent out. ;)

These things are always sent out to people as "keepsakes" for the inaugurations, but usually are only sent to the hotty-totty people, but this time they are being sent out to regular people who are supporters of Obama. So instead of being a member of the 1% this time, I am a member of the one million special people. :grouphug:

[Lisa0825]

30. That's cool. I didn't realize that!

:grouphug:

[Mz Pip]

28. there should be another

piece of paper with it that it is a commemorative invitation that "invites your presense at any of the public events in what will be the most open and accessible Inauguration in American history."

No one needs an invitation to get into the public events. These 'invitations' were sent out as keepsakes.

I have mine magneted to my refrigerator. :-)

[gauguin57]

32. I figured they were just trying to sell me stuff, so I threw it all in the back seat of my car.

... sell me stuff to raise money for the inaugural ... nothing wrong with that. The invite was pretty and all, but I kind of thought they just sent it to raise money. I'll stick it in a box somewhere, and decades hence, one of my survivors will pull it out and say, "Wow," and think I was a big deal! LOL!