KING, N.C., March 2 (UPI) -- Magnets in the shape of yellow ribbons with the slogan "Support Our Troops" are disappearing from U.S. cars.
In one sign of the times, Magnet America, in King, N.C. -- the largest manufacturer of the patriotic symbols -- has a stockpile of 1 million of them, The Financial Times reported. The company says its sales of the yellow ribbons have dropped to 4,000 a month from 1.2 million.
"Every product has a lifespan and this one has run its course," said Micah Pattisall, the company's director of operations.
The company's largest seller now is a wristband promoting premarital abstinence with the slogan "True Love Waits."
There appear to be a number of reasons for the falloff in sales of yellow-ribbon magnets. Cheap imports from China, for example, have cut into Magnet America's sales.
But a big reason is the drop in support for the Iraq War, the newspaper said. The yellow ribbon is seen as a gesture of support for President George W. Bush.
On eBay this week, a black and white magnet that said "Out of Iraq, Bring 'Em Back" could be had for $5, while the yellow ribbons were one cent each.
