Dunkin' made people fall in love with its merch despite a menu that's decidedly mid. That's different from Starbucks.

• Dunkin’ gave away free tote bags this week. I coveted one. And got one.
• Dunkin’ has done cheeky and ironic merch drops like track suits and wedding ring boxes.
• People have an affinity for the brand with Northeastern roots in a way they don’t for Starbucks.

The ironic love of Dunkin’: It’s kind of bad

There’s also a layer of irony in the love of Dunkin’ that’s different from loving a “good” coffee shop.

Dunkin’ is, and I say this with great affection, kind of crummy. Dunkin’ does not aspire for that high-end coffee shop experience that Starbucks is going for. The interiors often leave a little to be desired, the food’s consistency is questionable, and the coffee is love-it-or-hate-it.

That lower pretension and lower price point are part of its appeal. I would go so far as to say that its humble reputation holds particular sway among its New England fan base, where there are deep cultural taboos against displays of flashiness or luxury. There are, of course, status symbols that denote New England class striations, but these are often subtle and hard for outsiders to parse. Something as overt as loudly announcing your love of expensive coffee (expensive coffee certainly exists there!) would violate local norms.

This is my first piece of Dunkin’ merch, even after decades of happy Munchkin consumption. My colleague Juliana Kaplan owns a Dunkin’-inspired T-shirt. A Dunkin’-loving friend who grew up in Massachusetts was given one of the pink “D” door handles from an actual Dunkin’ location as a housewarming gift when she bought an apartment in Queens. There’s just something whimsical and silly about Dunkin’ merch that people love.

I am already using my Dunkin’ bag (I like to think of it as a Dunkin’ Birkin, or what I call … a Dunkin) and have already received compliments on it.

A day later, totes are selling for $30 to $50 on eBay, and other limited Dunkin’ drops are selling for even more. I’ve seen the single mitten for $75 on Facebook Marketplace, and a hat that was given out at Fenway Park with the Red Sox’s “B” logo on an iced coffee is going for $75-plus.

But me? I’ll never sell.