Editing Brian Epstein (section)

===Merchandising===
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{{Main|Seltaeb}}
Before the Beatles achieved nationwide success in [[UK|Britain]], Epstein had permitted a company (run by his cousins and initially catering to fan club members),<ref name="Mojop100">Mojo Magazine (2002). ''Special Limited Edition No. M-04951 '', p.&nbsp;100</ref> to produce Beatles sweaters for 30 [[shillings]] (£1.50) and badges for 6 [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|pence (6d)]] (2½p). It sold 15,000 sweaters and 50,000 badges as the group's popularity grew.{{sfn|Coleman|1989|p=35}} When Beatlemania swept the UK in November 1963, Epstein was besieged by novelty-goods companies desperate to use the Beatles name on plastic guitars, drums, disc racks, badges, belts and other merchandise. Epstein refused to allow the Beatles to endorse any product directly, but through NEMS Enterprises he granted discretionary licences to companies who were able to produce good-quality products at a fair price, even though many companies were already selling products without a licence.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=465}}

During the first Beatles trip to the United States, merchandisers pitched many products to Epstein, including Beatles clocks, pens, cigarette lighters, plastic wigs, bracelets, games, etc., but he rejected them all. This was because he had already allowed David Jacobs, the lawyer for NEMS, to give away 90 per cent of merchandising rights to Nicky Byrne in the UK. This was later deemed to be a disastrous mistake, as it left only 10 per cent for Epstein, NEMS and the Beatles,{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=465–466}} but David Jacobs subsequently renegotiated the royalty rate to 49% at Epstein's behest in August 1964.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=543}}
Byrne then took over Epstein's Stramsact merchandising in the UK and set up Seltaeb (Beatles spelled backwards) in the United States. While the Beatles were ensconced in the [[Plaza Hotel]] in New York City, Epstein was further besieged by calls and visits from promoters, retailers, television commentators and [[Confidence trick|hustlers]].{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=468–464}}

Mindful of the number of records the group was selling in the United States, [[Capitol Records]] sent a well-spoken [[Yorkshire]] woman, Wendy Hanson, to the Plaza Hotel to act as Epstein's secretary and to filter his calls.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=464–465}} Hanson later worked solely with Epstein in his Albemarle Street office in London, which was separate from the NEMS office.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=667}} Lennon later said, "On the business end he [Epstein] ripped us off on the Seltaeb thing."{{sfn|McCabe|Schonfeld|1984|p=91}} McCartney said years later, "He [Epstein] looked to his dad for business advice, and his dad knew how to run a furniture store in Liverpool."<ref name="GetBackandothersetbacks">{{cite news |first=John |last=Robinson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/nov/22/popandrock.thebeatles |title=Get Back and other setbacks |work=The Guardian |date=2 November 2003 |access-date=26 May 2011 |location=London}}</ref>