Sometimes magazines would have a spotlight on merchandise...
And often that'd mean: Sonic!
To fans' delight in the 90s before the internet, game magazines were a great place to find out about Sonic stuff you could own. In this case, it's the UK magazine Sega Pro, issue 15 from 1992 that has this page about Sonic merchandise in Japan. What do they have to say?
"We all know that Sonic is the best, cutest, and most famous character in the whole console world, but the Japanese have, like always, taken things a bit too far. There are currently over 60 different kinds of Sonic goods, ranging from fizzy drinks to pajamas. Other items include lunch boxes, plates, stationary, boxer shorts, (now you have a hedgehog in your trousers and are pleased to see me!) and even Sonic bubble gum."

Isn't it funny that this magazine thinks that 60 Sonic things are somehow 'too far'? The magazine would melt if it were exposed to Sonic Gear! It is a curious look into an opinion from the past.