Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Aissa Tou, manager of the Making History store at Washington’s Union Station, may be in the troubled U.S. economy’s only recession-proof business: selling Barack Obama souvenirs.

“He’s helping the economy in his own way,” says Tou, whose shop is selling as much as $5,000 a day worth of Obama t- shirts, buttons and other merchandise during the days before the Jan. 20 inauguration of America’s first black president.

As city officials prepare for as many as 4 million visitors, vendors are looking to sales of Obama mementos to carry them through the winter. With hundreds of available items, they say, the more bizarre the better.

“Hot 4 Barack” hot sauce and life-sized cutouts of the president-elect are flying off the shelves, Tou says. Top sellers include a t-shirt with likenesses of Obama and Martin Luther King Jr., and another depicting future first lady Michelle Obama in the iconic pose of Rosie the Riveter.

Obama’s inauguration is a “high-profile gathering bringing people with lots of money” into the capital, says Rebecca Pawlowski, a spokeswoman for the Destination DC tourism and convention office. Washington’s hospitality industry takes in $5.5 billion a year, she says, with the average overnight visitor spending $34 a day on souvenirs.

In the coming days, visitors will be buying $16.95 pint glasses, $12.95 mouse pads and -- among the most popular items -- $29.95 Obama bobble-head dolls, says Jim Warlick, president of Political Americana, which operates a store a block from the U.S. Treasury, along the route of Obama’s inaugural parade.

Tacky to Chic

“We’ve sold 2,000, and have 2,000 more coming,” says Warlick, who has marketed memorabilia at every inauguration since Republican Ronald Reagan moved into the White House in 1981.

Souvenirs, from tacky to chic, are a customary feature of presidential swearing-in ceremonies. Fans of departing Republican President George W. Bush had two chances, in 2001 and 2005, to stock up on commemorative inaugural coffee mugs, drink coasters, cuff links and paperweights.

The rush to buy Obama mementos will likely triple the demand during Democrat Bill Clinton’s first inauguration in 1993, which had been a high point for sales, says Warlick.

As Washington’s unemployment rate rises -- to 8 percent in November from 5.7 percent a year earlier -- Warlick is looking to hire as many as 125 people over the next week. He operates three stores and plans to open two more.

Helping the Economy

“He’s been so good for the economy that we’re printing up his dollars,” says Warlick, showing off replica dollar bills featuring Obama’s face in place of George Washington’s.

Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Committee operates a Web site and a retail store offering dozens of official commemorative items, from $2 “I Was There” buttons to a $3,000 set of gold, silver and bronze inaugural medallions. A canvas tote bag designed by Diane Von Furstenberg sells for $70 and a Donna Karan “100 percent organic cotton” t-shirt is $45.

Amazon.com Inc., the largest Internet retailer, opened an online inauguration store earlier this month, hawking Obama paper dolls for $7.99. Liberty Media Corp.’s QVC shopping network plans to broadcast live on Jan. 20 from Washington inaugural events, including the MTV Inaugural Ball, selling $20 coin sets commemorating Obama and King, and a $100 Inauguration Day newspaper package.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is selling reusable smart cards with Obama’s likeness for $10, plus the cost of subway or bus fares.

Street Vendors

Unofficial memorabilia abounds at street vendors, convenience stores, groceries, gas stations and drug stores peddling sweatshirts, caps, posters, bumper stickers, shot glasses and key chains.

Karen Szulgit, who works for a Washington-area nonprofit group, has spent $200 on commemorative mugs, glasses, chocolates and Air Force One toys to fill gift baskets for a dozen visitors coming for the inauguration. Amid the hoopla, Szulgit wonders if Obama will be able to meet his campaign promises. “I’m worried,” she says. “Excited, but worried.”

Political Americana expects to sell 500,000 buttons in the days surrounding the inauguration, and is seeing steady sales of an Obama periscope to let people see over the crowd during the inaugural parade.

About a quarter of Political Americana’s sales are to tourists from other countries, where the U.S. presidential campaign was closely watched.

Interest Abroad

“All French people cared about this election,” says Paris resident Rachel Sanz, who bought $1.99 refrigerator magnets for friends at Making History’s Union Station shop.

Beth Fascitelli, a conflict-management specialist who lives in Bangalore, India, says friends there “were really into the election.” Fascitelli, showing off a $14.99 Michelle Obama t-shirt for herself, was shopping at Making History to buy gifts for her friends.

Warlick says Obama’s inauguration is the first time he can remember souvenir calendars being hot sellers. People typically don’t want to look at photos of a president throughout the year, he says. “At least people will like him for the next 12 months.”

To contact the reporter on this story: William McQuillen in Washington at bmcquillen@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 14, 2009 09:54 EST