Carlos de la Fuente, who has owned the store for over 30 years, says he began selling Donald Trump piñatas in 2015, and they have remained a staple since the shop went viral with its political line of piñatas, including "Meme Bernie" and Sen. Ted Cruz. The Trump design has consistently been a bestseller. Now, there's a new contender stalking the aisles of ABC Party HQ: Elon Musk. (Chainsaw optional.)
De la Fuente estimates that, over the past decade, the shop has made and sold over 3,000 Trump piñatas. The Elon Musk editions have only been available for a month, but have been an instant success.
“I’m always keeping up with the daily news,” says de la Fuente. “So whenever I see something in the news that I think might make an impact in our community, I jump on it … or a customer comes in and requests something.”
The shop owner says that people drive down Davis Street just to see what the store's latest designs are. The only limits Fuente and his team seem to have are their imaginations; anything can and will be made into a paper mache masterpiece in his store.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, piñatas designed after the novel coronavirus hung from the rafters. The Musk piñatas came from a customer request, someone familiar with de la Fuente’s team’s work.
“They know that we make anything that the public wants, so somebody sent me a picture and we made it,” de la Fuente says.
Depending on your political persuasion, taking a baseball bat to a small replica of Donald Trump or Elon Musk may sound appealing, but de la Fuente says the piñatas are also purchased by people who want to use them for decoration. Ted Cruz piñatas are also an option for the same reasons.
"X" Marks the Spot
“We gotta keep [the Trump piñatas] on hand all the time because, you know, we have people from all over the metroplex, and even some people that are visiting our Bishop Arts District, which we’re not very far from, that want to take one of these figures back home, wherever they come from,” says de la Fuente.“I have no doubt in my mind that some people have them in their offices,” he adds. “It’s a piece of art that people talk about.”
When de la Fuente speaks about the work of his team, serving as a staple within their community, lifting spirits and having a little fun while they do it, he has pride and gratitude.
“We appreciate the community just supporting us for so many years," he says. "There’s no way we could survive without the community support. It’s a family-owned business and we couldn’t make it without the community.”
He reiterates that in addition to the piñatas they keep on hand and regularly create, he and his team are always happy to take new suggestions and commissions. Prices start at about $150 for a custom piñata and increase based on the size and complexity of a design. Anyone interested in commissioning de la Fuente and his team can either visit the store in person or email a picture of what they want created to [email protected] for a quote.
As to what makes a great piñata, Fuente has been in the business for a long time and he knows when they have created something wonderful.
“[It’s when] the piñata is actually what the person asked, that is going to make him happy for that moment," he says. "And that brings us very gratifying moments too, that we make people happy on the weekends, or whenever they’re doing a celebration. That we can provide something that’s going to bring joy to them.”
And at ABC Party HQ, joy comes in many forms. Sometimes, it's in the form of a beloved cartoon character or a favorite animal — or it's beating up Elon Musk.
