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Candace Payne: ‘Chewbacca Mom’ Nets Over $400K In Gifts, Should She Charge $20 For Autographs?

By Merry Strong
Published on: 09:53 PST, Jun 20, 2016

Life for Candace Payne just keeps getting better. Since she took the Internet by storm, the Dallas-area Chewbacca Mom has netted over $400k in gifts and now charges $20 for an autograph. Who would have thought that the Facebook live video of her wearing a talking Chewbacca mask would receive so much attention?

According to Mashable, Candace has received college scholarships for her family, three trips, and gifts from Kohl’s. In case you’re unaware, Kohl’s is where she purchased the toy. The estimated retail value of all of these gifts totals approximately $400k. Not surprisingly, the list just keeps getting longer.

Take a couple of minutes to watch the following video of Candace learning about the scholarships. It really showcases her hilarious personality, and it’s almost as funny as her original video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xQGItR3Syo

TMZ reports that Chewbacca Mom recently manned a booth at the Dallas Fan Expo. She didn’t get stuck in a corner as you might think. Payne’s overnight notoriety landed her a spot right next to Jack Gleason from Game of Thrones. Fans stood in line for approximately 10 minutes, waiting to meet the famous mom with the unforgettable laugh.

For $20, Chewbacca lovers received a photo and an autograph. Candace received backlash over the fact that she was making money at the event. But, think of it this way. Other famous people do the same thing. Why shouldn’t she? When all was said and done, Chewbacca Mom donated some of her expo proceeds to a Texas church.

To date, there hasn’t been any other news or indication, pointing to the fact that Candace Payne plans on charging money for all of her autographs. At this point, it’s a “wait-and-see” situation. However, that being said, Chewbacca Mom certainly doesn’t seem to be in it for the money.

If you watch the following Good Morning America video, you’ll see that Candace Payne is nothing but genuine. When asked about what she liked best regarding her newfound fame, she answered like this.

“In all honesty, the best part of all of this is being able to share joy with people, hear stories of people coming out of depression. I had one lady message me and tell me she has an autistic daughter that hadn’t laughed in two months. Every time she showed the video she laughed and laughed. And from one mama heart to another mama… those are the stories I’m going to take with me every day.”

Just think, all of this wonderful craziness started because of a pair of yoga pants. Yes, you read it right, yoga pants! Candace went birthday shopping for the pants and ended up in the toy department. She accidently bumped into the Chewbacca mask box, it growled at her, and the rest is history.

Last Friday, according to Huffington Post, Chewbacca Mom visited the Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island. She was presented with her very own action figure. It was an honor that she definitely wasn’t expecting and will cherish for years to come. The custom toy features her face and a removable mask. Even cooler, the toy utters 13 catchphrases. “It’s not me making that noise, it’s the mask” and “I am such a happy Chewbacca” are just two of them.

What do you think about Candace Payne? Did her Chewbacca Mom video bring a smile to your face? Would you ever do anything as wacky and spontaneous as what she did? Feel free to leave your comments about Candace the Chewbacca Mom and the joy she brings to the world below.

[Photo by MediaPunch Standard/AP Images]

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